EMBARGO 10 P. M. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
3A U 8T HlAL
PREME MINISTER
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. BOB HAWKE
THAILAND: STATE DINNER
21 NOVEMBER 1983
MR PRIME MINISTER, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
AUSTRALIA AND THAILAND ARE CLOSE FR* IENDS.
My GOVERNMENT IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING THIS
FRIENDSHIP. THERE HAS BEEN REMARKABLE GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA-THAI RELATIONS
SINCE THE MODEST BEGINNINGS AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
OVER THIS TIME STRONG GOODWILL AND MUTUAL RESPECT HAVE
DEVELOPED.
WE, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE PLEASED AS I MEN~ TIONED IN MY AUDIENCE
WITH His MAJESTY THE KING TODAY, TO HAVE THE CROWN PRINCE
SPEND A NUMBER OF YEARS TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA.
WHILE AUSTRALIANS AND THAIS HAVE DIFFERENT HISTORICAL AND
CULTURAL TRADITIONS, WE HAVE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES IN COMMON.
WE BOTH HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND
PRIDE AND CONFIDENCE IN OURSELVES, AND IN WHAT WE HAVE
DONE AND ARE DOING TO BUILD OUR OWN COUNTRIES.
CO-OPERATIVE DEALINGS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THAILAND
EXTEND INTO MANY AREAS OF IMPORTANCE TO EACH OF OUR
COUNTRIES, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY INCREASE IN TRADE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA
AND THAILAND,
OUR COMMON INTERESTS AS COMMODITY PRODUCERS HAVE SEEN US
WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER FOR EXAMPLE, IN TRYING TO
ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL SUGAR AGREEMENT,
AUSTRALIAN AID AND INVESTMENT IS CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY
TO THAILAND'S AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT,
THE EFFORTS BOTH AUSTRALIA AND THAILAND ARE MAKING TOGETHER
TO POLICE AND, IN THE LONG-TERM, TO ERADICATE THE DRUG
TRADE ARE OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO BOTH OUR SOCIETIES,
AUSTRALIA'S REFUGEE ASSISTANCE AND RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM
IS DIRECTED AT ASSISTING THAILAND AS WELL AS SOME OTHER
ASEAN COUNTRIES WITH A PROBLEM THE COSTS OF WHICH, IN
BOTH HUMAN AND MATERIAL TERMS, ARE CONSIDERABLE,
AUSTRALIA AND THAILAND ALSO HAVE IMPORTANT INTERESTS IN
COMMON,
AND THE INTERESTS WE SHARE ARE IMPORTANT TO THE REGION AS
A WHOLE.
AUSTRALIA SEES ITS OWN F UTURE AS BEING INDISSOLUBLY LINKED
WITH THE FUTURE OF THE REGION,
STRONG AND CLOSE ASSOCIATIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BETWEEN
AUSTRALIA AND COUNTRIES OF THE REGION IN SUCH WIDE-RANGING
AREAS AS TRADE AND TWO-WAY INVESTMENT, [ REFUGEE ASSISTANCE
AND RESETTLEMENT, DEFENCE CO-OPERATION, OVERSEAS STUDENTS
PROGRAMS, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL AND
TOURISM LINKS.
THE SCALE OF THIS AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT WITH THE REGION
SHOULD BE APPRECIATED.
TOTAL AUSTRALIA/ ASEAN TWO-WAY TRADE IN 1982/ 83 WAS VALUED
AT $ US 3.2 BILLION. Two-WAY INVESTMENT WAS WORTH
$ US 2.04 BILLION IN THE FIVE YEARS TO 1982. 81,500 INDOCHINESE
REFUGEES HAVE BEEN RESETTLED IN AUSTRALIA 24,000 OF THESE
RESETTLED FROM THAILAND. THERE ARE SOME 12,000 SOUTH EAST
ASIAN STUDENTS STUDYING IN AUSTRALIA. AUSTRALIAN AID TO THE
ASEAN COUNTRIES IN 1983/ 84 WILL BE WORTH IN EXCESS OF
$ US 100 MILLION. THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE CO-OPERATION PROGRAM
IN THE SAME YEAR WILL CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN $ US 20 MILLION TO
THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, NOT INCLUDING THE COST OF MAINTAINING
AN RAAF SQUADRON AT BUTTERWORTH, SOMIE 235,000 AUSTRALIAN
TOURISTS VISITED THE REGION IN 1982 A MAJOR BOOST TO THE
ECONOMIES OF POPULAR DESTINATIONS SUCH As THAILAND.
THE DEPTH AND EXTENT OF AUSTRALIA'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
ASEAN COUNTRIES IS THEREFORE CONSIDERABLE, AND FOR OUR PART
WE ARE COMMITTED TO BUILDING ON AND EXTENDING IT,
IT IS A PARTNERSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN ASSIDUOUSLY DEVELOPED
OVER MANY YEARS AND HAS NOW REACHED THE POINT WHERE
SUBSTANTIAL AUSTRALIAN AND REGIONAL INTERESTS ARE INTIMATELY
BOUND UP WITH ITS CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT,
SOUTH EAST ASIA IS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT TO AUSTRALIA,
AUSTRALIA SHARES WITH THE ASEAN COUNTRIES A STRONG SENSE
OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY,
AUSTRALIA IS DEEPLY CONCERNED BY ANY DEVELOPMENTS THAT MIGHT
EITHER THREATEN REGIONAL SECURITY OR PUT AT RISK THE
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND STABILITY OF REGIONAL COUNTRIES,
IN THIS REGARD THE POSITION OF THAILAND IS ONE OF PARTICULAR
SENSITIVITY,
AUSTRALIA RECOGNISES THIS AND OUITE DELIBERATELY AS A
CONSEQUENCE HAS BEEN BUILDING UP ITS DEFENCE CO-OPERATIONPROGRAM
WITH THAILAND FROM ALMOST NOTHING FOUR YEARS AGO
TO APPROXIMATELY $ US 4 MILLION THIS YEAR.
WE INTEND TO MAINTAIN THIS COMMITMENT,
AUSTRALIA SEES IT AS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT GREAT
POWER RIVALRY NOT DICTATE THE COURSE OF EVENTS IN THE
REGION. THE PROJECTION OF SOVIET INFLUENCE INTO THE INDOCHINA
SITUATION HAS RENDERED THE TASK OF ACHIEVING A SOLUTION
TO THE PROBLEMS OF THAT AREA IMMEASURABLY MORE DIFFICULT,
IT CAN ONLY BE TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE COUNTRIES OF THIS
REGION THAT THE SOVIET UNION IS NOW ESTABLISHING A FOOTHOLD
FOR ITS OWN POLITICAL AND MILITARY PURPOSES IN INDOCHINA,
THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONSOLIDATION OF SOVIET
INTERESTS IN THE REGION ARE CONSIDERABLE,
AUSTRALIA, STRONGLY MINDFUL OF THESE RISKS, IS CONCERNED
THAT CONTINUED ISOLATION OF VIETNAM WILL ONLY SERVE
TO EXACERBATE OR HEIGHTEN THOSE RISKS,
IT IS IN NONE OF OUR INTERESTS T+ iAT VIETNAM CONTINUES TO
BE IN A SITUATION OF VIRTUAL ISOLATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY RESTING ALMOST SOLELY ON A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
SOVIET UNION,
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IT HAS A LEGITIMATE ROLE IN THE REGION IN PEACEFUL
" CO-OPERATION WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS. AS ASEAN ITSELF PERCEIVES,
WHAT AUSTRALIA WANTS TO SEE IS THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF
CO-OPERATIVE WORKING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES OF
INDOCHINA AND OTHER REGIONAL COUNTRIES WITH AN ATTENDANT
DIMINUTION OF GREAT POWER INVOLVEMENT.
AUSTRALIA'S INTEREST IN DEVELOPING A *-RELCEVAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH VIETNAM IS DIRECTED TOWARDS ACHIEVING THIS.
THE CAMBODIAN SITUATION IS OBVIOUSLY THE GREATEST UNRESOLVED
SOURCE OF TENSION WITHIN THE REGION.
IT IS ALSO THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO THE NORMALISATION OF
RELATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND ITS NEIGHBOURS.
AUSTRALIA SHARES ASEAN's VIEW THAT " THE CENTRAL ISSUE IN THE
. KAMPUCHEAN PROBLEM IS THE SURVIVAL OF THE KAMPUCHEAN NATION
-AND THE RESTORATION OF ITS INDEPENDENCE ANDSOVEREIGNTY".
WITH ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS WE AGREE THAT " THE TOTAL WITHDRAWAL
OF FOREIGN FORCES, THE EXERCISE OF SELF-DETERMINATION, AND
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION ARE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR THE
SURVIVAL OF AN INDEPENDENT AND SOVEREIGN KAMPUCHEA",
THIS IDENTITY OF VIEW BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND ASEAN STEMS DIRECTLY
FROM COMMON STRATEGIC PERCEPTIONS ABOUT ' THE REQUIREMENTS
OF REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY,
ON THE FUNDAMENTALS WE ARE AT ONE,
IREITERATE UNEQUIVOCALLY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S
CONDEMNATION, MADE REPEATEDLY BY BOTH ME AND THE AUSTRALIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER, OF VIETNAM'S INVASION AND CONTINUED
OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIA.
WITH ASEAN WE WANT TO SEE AN INDEPENDENT, NON-ALIGNED AND
NEUTRAL CAMBODIA, FREE OF FOREIGN FORCES AND WITH A
GOVERNMENT OF ITS OWIN CHOICE.
IN LINE WITH THIS, AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN SEEKING TO PROMOTE
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE PARTIES, A DIALOGUE DIRECTED TOWARDS
ACHIEVING VIETNAMESE WITHDRAWAL.
WE HAVE NO ILLUSIONS EITHER ABOUT OUR OWN-INFLUENCE OR
THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED.
THERE IS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONCERN THAT MANY WOULD SHARE,
INCLUDING THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, THAT ANY WITHDRAWAL OF
VIETNAMESE FORCES WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
FORCES OF POL POT ON4CE AGAIN TO ESTABLISH THE SORT OF
REGIME WHICH TERRORISED AND TYRANNISED CAMBODIA TRAGICALLY
FOR SO LONG.
SUCH A DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE ABHORRENT TO OUR GOVERNMENT
AND THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA,
HEREIN LIES AUSTRALIA'S PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY WITH THE
CAMBODIAN RESISTANCE COALITION,
KHMER ROUGE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE COALITION RENDERS
RECOGNITION BY AUSTRALIA IMPOSSIBLE, IT SEEMS TO US THAT
THE APPARENT PREDOMINANCE OF THE KHMER ROUGE WITHIN IT
NOTWITHSTANDING THE COMMENDABLE EFFORTS AND INTEGRITY OF BOTH
PRICE SIHANOUK AND SON SANN CARRIES WITH IT THE UNACCEPTABLE
POSSIBILITY OF THE IMPOSITION OF THE KHMER ROUGE IN CAMBODIA,
THAT PROSPECT DOES NOTHING TO JUSTIFY CONTINUED VIETNAMESE
OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIA,
RATHER WHAT IT DOES IS TO POINT UP THE NEED FOR STEPPED UP
EFFORTS THAT WOULD AT ONCE SECURE VIETNAMESE WITHDRAWAL
FROM CAMBODIA AND ENSURE THAT THE KHMER ROUGE COULD NEVER
AGAIN REIMPOSE THEMSELVES AS THE GOVERNMENT OF THAT COUNTRY,
A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE CAMBODIAN PROBLEM IS THE ONLY
WAY SUCH A RESULT CAN BE SECURED.
ULTIMATELY SOME BASIS FOR DIALOGUE MAY EXIST WITHIN THE
VARIOUS PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD BY BOTH SIDES,
FOR EXAMPLE, VIETNAM'S RECENT REFERENCES IN CONVERSATION
WITH AUSTRALIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER TO A POSSIBLE CONFERENCE
ON CAMBODIA AS A FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN ITS CURRENT APPROACH
AND THE APPEAL-ISSUED BY ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS IN SEPTEMBER,
INCLUDING A CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ( NOT
NECESSARILY UNDER UN AUSPICES) ON THE RECONSTRUCTION AND
REHABILITATION OF CAMBODIA TO FOLLOW PHASED TERRITORIAL
VIETNAMESE MILITARY WITHDRAWAL, ARE SUGGESTIVE OF NEW AND
POSSIBLY PRODUCTIVE LINES OF APPROACH,
THESE DEVELOPMENTS, COMING AS THEY DO AT THE SAME TIME AS
ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS HAVE FORMED A WORKING GROUP OF
OFFICIALS TO STUDY HOW BEST TO DEVELOP THE PROPOSALS IN
THEIR 20 SEPTEMBER APPEAL, HOLD SOME HOPE OF MOVEMENT, IF
NOT IMMEDIATELY, CERTAINLY WITHIN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE,
I SHOULD LIKE TO THINK AUSTRALIA'S INITIATIVE HAS CONTRIBUTED
IN PART TO THESE TENTATIVE MOVES,
AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IT CAN, AS A COUNTRY
WITH CLOSE RELATIONS WITH THE ASEAN NATIONS, WITH THE
UNITED STATES AND WITH CHINA AND' ENJOYING USEFUL LINKS WITH
VIETNAM, TO PROVIDE WHATEVER ASSISTANCE MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE
TO THE PROCESS OF FINDING WAYS OF ACHIEVING A DURABLE
SETTLEMENT OF THE CAMBODIAN SITUATION,
As IN THE PAST WE SHALL MAINTAIN THE CLOSEST CONSULTATION
WITH, AND SEEK THE UNDERSTANDING OF, ASEAN IN ANY STEPS WE
MAY CONSIDER IT APPROPRIATE TO TAKE.
A PARTICULARLY DISTRESSING FEATURE IN INDOCHINA HAS BEEN
THE HUMAN SUFFERING ASSOCIATED WITH THE REFUGEE MOVEMENTS
CAUSED BY CONTINUING CONFLICT WITHIN THE AREA.
AUSTRALIA HAS RECEIVED MANY OF THESE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE
NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE FELT IT RIGHT AND HUMANE TO DO SO,
BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER OF
THE REGION TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WHICH
HAS HAD ITS MAIN IMPACT IN THAILAND.
OUR CO-OPERATION IN THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE MADE
NECESSARY BY THE REFUGEE SITUATION REFLECTS SOME OF THE
MOST DEEPLY-HELD VALUES OF OUR TWO SOCIETIES,
IN THIS WE HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED BY COMPASSION AND
HUMANITARIAN CONCERN. AUSTRALIA HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER
$ A 50 MILLION FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF CASH, FOOD
AID, AND PERSONNEL TO INDOCHINESE REFUGEES AND DISPLACED
PERSONS SINCE 1978, MORE ON A PER CAPITA BASIS THAN ANY
OTHER COUNTRY,
11,
MUCH OF THIS ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE
DIRECTED TO DISPLACED CAMBODIANS IN THE THAI/ CAMBODIAN
BORDER AREA, WHILE SOME HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO MEETING THE
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF RETURNEES AND OTHERS INSIDE CAMBODIA,
THE PROVISION OF SOME HUMANITARIAN AID INSIDE CAMBODIA
HAS THE EFFECT OF AMELIORATING THE CONDITION OF THE
CAMBODIAN PEOPLE. IT ALSO CREATES CONDITIONS WHICH
REDUCE THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE TO LEAVE AND TO ENCOURAGE
A MOVEMENT BY THE REFUGEES IN THE BORDER AREA TO RETURN
HOME. IT WILL BE EVIDENT THAT AUSTRALIA . BRINGS AN INDEPENDENT
CAREFULLY CONSIDERED VIEWPOINT TO BEAR ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
REGION. THE ASEAN COUNTRIES WOULD NOT RESPECT US IF WE DID
NOT APPROACH THE CONDUCT OF OUR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
IN SUCH A WAY, NOR WOULD WE BE ENTITLED TO SUCH RESPECT,
BUT, ON THE MAIN ISSUES OF PRINCIPLE, THERE IS FUNDAMENTAL
AGREEMENT. IN TERMS OF GIVING EFFECT TO THESE PRINCIPLES
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DIFFERENCES OF EMPHASIS, BUT
SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE HAS TENDEDTO BE OVERSTATED,
LET ME THEREFORE BE CLEAR AND QUITE UNEQUIVOCAL.
AUSTRALIA IS NOT MAKING SOME KIND OF CHOICE BETWEEN OUR
TRADITIONAL AND CLOSEST FRIENDS SUCH AS THAILAND AND THE
OTHER MEMBERS OF ASEAN ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE COMMUNIST
GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ON THE OTHER.
12.
RATHER, INSPIRED BY THE SAME HOPES AND CONCERNS AS OUR
FRIENDS, WE WANT TO SEE PEACE IN A REGION WHICH HAS TOO
LONG BEEN CHARACTERISED BY WARFARE, MISUNDERSTANDING AND
OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE.
THE DEEP, WIDE-RANGING RELATIONSHIP WHICH EXISTS BETWEEN
AUSTRALIA AND ASEAN SHOULD PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN
WHICH WE CAN ADDRESS SUCH INTERESTS AND CARRY FORWARD
OUR SHARED REGIONAL CONCERNS AND PREOCCUPATIONS.
DESPITE THE PROMINANCE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN IN SOME QUARTERS
TO PERCEIVED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE ASEAN
COUNTRIES, I HAVE FELT CONFIDENT AT ALL TIMES ABOUT THE
ABILITY OF THE LEADERS OF OUR TWO COUNTRIES TO CLARIFY THESE
ISSUES SO THAT THE FUNDAMENTALLY STRONG AND FRIENDLY RELATIONS
BETWEEN OUR NATIONS IS NOT ONLY NOT IN QUESTION, BUT CONTINUES
TO BE FUNDAMENTALLY STRENGTHENED,
THE TALKS BILL HAYDEN AND I HAVE HAD WITH YOU MR PRIME MINISTER
AND WITH FOREIGN MINISTER SIDDHI HAVE CONFIRMED THIS
EXPECTATION, BOTH BILL HAYDEN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHERING THIS
PROCESS WITH OTHER ASEAN LEADERS.
13.
THE FRANKNESS AND UNDERSTANDING ACHIEVED BETWEEN US ARE,
I BELIEVE, INDICATIVE OF THE STRENGTH AND QUALITY OF THE
AUSTRALIAN/ THAI RELATIONSHIP.
YOU MAY BE ASSURED AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO STAND AMONG
THAILAND'S STAUNCHEST FRIENDS,