SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. E. G. WHITLAM, MP.,
AT A LUNCHEON GIVEN BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE ROYAL
GOVERNMENT OF LAOS. VIENTIANE; 4 FEBRUARY, 1974-
I AM INDEBTED TO YOUR HIGHNESS FORGIVING ME THE
OPPORTUNITY DURING MY PRESENT JOURNEY TO VISIT VIENTIANE
AND TO RENEW AN ACQUAINTANCE BEGUN WHEN YOU YOURSELF WERE
IN AUSTRALIA SOME YEARS AGO. I WELCOME TOO THE OCCASION
TO INFORM MYSELF OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LONG AWAITED RETURN OF PEACE AND ORDER THROUGHOUT
YOUR COUNTRY, AS YOU WILL KNOW, THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
FIRMLY SUPPORTS THE PRINCIPLES OF NATIONAL INTEGRITY#
INDEPENDENCE AND NEUTRALITY OF LAOS DECLARED IN THE GENEVA
AGREEMENTS AND LOOKS TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ENDORSE
AND SUPPORT THEM.
AUSTRALIA WELCOMED BOTH THE FEBRUARY AGREEMENT AND
THE SUBSEQUENT PROTOCOL IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR. WE SAW
THESE AS HIGHLY IMPORTANT IN THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO AS
ENCOURAGING AND HEARTENING EVIDENCE OF A SPIRIT OF GOODWILL,
MAGNANIMITY AND CO-OPERATION AMONG ALL PARTIES IN LAOS OF
WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE IN THE
PRESIDING INTEREST OF A GENUINE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION.
I KNOW HOW MUCH IMPORTANCE YOU PERSONALLY HAVE ATTACHED TO
THIS GREAT OBJECTIVE OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND HOW MUCH
IS OWED TO YOUR WISE JUDGMENT AND IMAGINATIVE LEADERSHIP IN
THE PROGRESS YOU HAVE MADE TOWARDS IT.
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I SPEAK FOR ALL MY FELLOW AUSTRALIANS WHEN I SAY THAT
AUSTRALIA UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH NOW HASTO BE DONE TO BIND
UP THE WOUNDS OF WAR, TO REPAIR THE LOSS AND DAMAGE OF SO
PROTRACTED A CONFLICT, ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM ARE CONSCIOUS
OF WHAT THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF THE RECENT PAST HAVE MEANT IN
TERMS OF FAMILY BEREAVEMENT AND HUMAN SUFFERING, THE PAINFUL
REALITY WHICH UNDERLIES THE MACABRE STATISTICS OF WAR,
WE CAN NEVERTHELESS LOOK FORWARD WITH OPTIMISM TO A BRIGHTER
FUTURE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF LAOS. WE CONFIDENTLY EXPECT
THAT THE DAY IS NOT FAR OFF WHEN A COALITION GOVERNMENT
WILL MAKE A START IN HARNESSING NATIONAL ENERGIES FOR THE URGENT
TASKS OF REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION,
IN THISWORK ALL FRIENDS OF LAOS WILL WISH TO MAKE
SOME CONTRIBUTION TO PROMOTE THE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
TALENTS AND RESOURCES OF ALL ITS PEOPLES, MY OWN GOVERNMENT STANDS
READY TO TAKE PART IN THIS COMMON ENDEAVOUR. I BELIEVE THAT THERE
ARE AREAS IN WHICH AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE HAS ALREADY PROVED
TO HAVE PARTICULAR RELEVANCE TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THIS
COUNTRY, AS FOR INSTANCE, IN AFFORESTATION AND IN PASTURE
ESTABLISHMENT UNDER TROPICAL CONDITIONS. IN SUCH FIELDS WE
MAY BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR PRESENT CONTRIBUTION, IF YOU WISH US
TO DO SO, HELPING TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT IN THE PROCESS TO
REFUGEES AND DEMOBILISED SOLDIERS, AND TO LAY FOUNDATIONS FOR
THE CONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT OF IMPORTANT NATIONAL RESOURCES,
WE ARE HAPPY, TOO, TO CONTINUE OUR CONTRIBUTION TO FOREIGN
EXCHANGE SUPPORT FOR LAOS. IN OTHER DIRECTIONS WE LOOK FORWARD
TO PURPOSEFUL AND PRACTICAL DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU OF WAYS IN
WHICH YOU THINK WE MIGHT HELP, AND WHERE WE WOULD COUNT IT A'
PRIVILEGE TO SERVE,
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WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN EXPLORING WITH YOU THE
POSSIBILITY OF AN AGREEMENT TO ENCOURAGE TRADE BETWEEN
OUR TWO COUNTRIESy
AUSTRALIA AND LAOS WILL BOTH PROSPER BEST THROUGH
A COMBINATION OF OUR OWN EFFORTS AND THE PROMOTION OF
A HELPFUL CLIMATE OF INTERNATIONAL OPINION AND BEHAVIOURX
WE HAVE TO BE BOTH NATIONALIST AND INTERNATIONALISTy WE
SEE LAOS, AS IT SEES ITSELF, AS PART OF A REGION LINKED BY
GEOGRAPHY, CIRCUMSTANCES AND HISTORY TO THE OTHER COUNTRIES
OF INDO-CHINA AND AS A NEIGHBOUR ALSO TO BURMA, THAILAND
AND CHINAX LAOS DRAWS A RICH AND FASCINATING INHERITANCE
FROM ALL THESE ASSOCIATIONS, WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF
POPULAR LIFE AND FURNISHING THE BACKGROUND OF THE NATIONAL
GENIUSy AUSTRALIA IS A MORE RECENT NEIGHBOUR WITH A SHORTER,
MUCH SHORTER, AWARENESS AND EXPERIENCE OF THIS AREA* BUT WE
ACCEPT FULLY AND COMPLETELY THE EXTENT TO WHICH OUR DESTINIES
ARE BOUND UP WITH YOURSX THEY BOTH LARGELY DEPEND UPON THE
DEGREE OF SUCCESS THAT ATTENDS THE LABOURS OF US ALL TO
CONTRIBUTE TO A PEACEFUL WORLD ORDER AND THE PROSPECT OF
PEACEFUL ACCESS TO A FAIR SHARE OF ITS RESOURCES FOR ALL ITS
PEOPLES)
THERE COULD BE NO BETTER EXAMPLE TO PRESENT AND
FUTURE GENERATIONS OF LEADERS IN LAOS, IN INDO-CHINA AND,
INDEED, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE REGION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
THAN THE UNREMITTING LABOUR YOUR HIGHNESS HAS DEVOTED TO
PEACEy IT IS IN THE HOPE OF SEEING EXTENDED THE AREA OF
PEACE, OF FRATERNAL DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION THAT I WILL
LEAVE VIENTIANE, ENCOURAGED BY THE CONVICTION THAT THE PATH
OF NEGOTIATION ON WHICH YOU ARE NOW EMBARKED IS THE RIGHT
ONE FOR LAOS AND FOR THE REGION OF WHICH IT IS PARTK
WE SHALL FOLLOW WITH THE KEENEST INTEREST AND SYMPATHY
THE OUTCOME OF YOUR ENDEAVOURS)( YOU MAY COUNT UPON US FOR
SUPPORT IN YOUR ACHIEVEMENTy
FINALLY, ON BEHALF OF ALL IN MY PARTY, MAY I EXPRESS
MY DEEP APPRECIATION OF YOUR GENEROUS HOSPITALITY TO US ALLX
I REGRET THAT CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE NOT PERMITTED A LONGER STAY
AND WIDER ACQUAINTANCE WITH LAOSk WE LEAVE WITH YOU OUR MOST
EARNEST HOPES AND GOOD WISHES FOR THE FUTURE PEACE AND
PROGRESS, SO EARNESTLY DESIRED BY EVERY LAO, WHICH WILL
REPRESENT THE CULMINATION OF YOUR EFFORTS AS A STATESMAN AND
PEACEMAKERX