TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH PETER THOMPSON, AM PROGRAM,
JUNE 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
THOMPSON: Well the Prime Minister has kept closely in touch
with events in China throughout the weekend and he joins us
now. Good morning Prime Minister. Thanks for joining me
this moning.
PM: Good morning Peter.
THOMPSON: What's your reaction to the massacre in China?
PM: I profoundly deplore it. We had expressed earlier two
points of view. one that we welcome the expressions of the
move towards democracy that was spearheaded by the students
and on the other hand also we welcome the restraint that had
been exercised by the Chinese authorities. Now of course
that's changed and we have this drastic loss of life as a
result of the use of military force to supress these
peaceable expressions by the students and others and I have
ordered that our attitude that I've expressed should be
conveyed to the Chinese authorities and I've also ordered
that the HMAS Parramatta which was due to go to Shanghai in
the near future should not now undertake that visit and I
express the hope that good sense will prevail, that the
authorities that China will understand both from our own
point ' of view that this sort of repression is not consistent
with the maintenance of a viable and constructive authority
in China and secondly that the rest of the world will not be
able to cooperate in what we've welcomed as the opening up
of China if this sort of attitude is to prevail.
THOMPSON: Would you consider more drastic steps, even the
reviewing of diplomatic relations?
PM: Well that's not an issue at this time. We take a view
of hope and that is that intelligence and good sense and a
sensible appraisal of, if you like, China's own self
-interest will lead tmtkIe-conclusion that this sort of
action is not only contrary to the recognition of human
rights but as I say is also against the self interest of
China. THOMPSON: How are you being kept up to date of what's
happening there?
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PM: Over the weekend I have had very little sleep. I'm not
saying that in any other sense other than I've wanted to
keep in touch with my people late into the night and early
in the morning. We have a situation where our Embassy has
been working around the clock. Their information is being
fed back here not only into our Department but into our
assessment agencies and I have been kept constantly informed
of developments. I pay tribute to our Ambassador and his
staff in China. The quality of his work is not only
recognised by ourselves but by a number of other countries
that recognise the quality of their work.
THOMPSON: No prospect of withdrawing staff at the moment
from the Embassy?
PM: Well we haven't gone to that point. I think it's
important that we should maintain the facility and the
capacity to be informed of developments there.
THOMPSON: Can I turn to Iran just very briefly. Will
Australia be expressing condolences at the death of
Ayatollah Khomeini?
PM: The Governor-General as Head of State will be conveying
the appropriate message.
THOMPSON: Which is what?
PM: Well obviously he's the Head of State and an expression
of regret at his passing will be passed through. Our
concern of course is with the future and we hope that with
this event we hope profoundly that firstly the processes of
transition within Iran will be peaceable and secondly and
most importantly as far as the future is concerned, that the
new leadership in Iran will take the opportunity of this
change to see that Iran becomes more completely a
constructive partner in the international community of
nations. THOMPSON: Do you feel pleased that this era of history
under the Ayatollah's over?
PM: Well I think it's churlish to talk about pleasure on
the occasion of the death of anyone but I do say this, that
with the death of the Ayatollah that by definition is the
end of a particular era and I express the hope as I say and
I repeat that the new~ ieadership will emerge peaceably and
in a way which will see again, if I can put it this way,
that an intelligent appraisal of the self interests of the
people of Iran should lead to a fuller and more constructive
cooperation with the international community of nations.