E. O. E. PROOF ONLY
TRANSCRIPT Or NEWS CONFERENCE, AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION,
NEW DELHI, 24/ 11/ 83, MR. HAWKE, MR. LEE KUAN YEW, MR.
GHAZALI SHAFFIE
PM: Well Gentlemen, Lee Kuan Yew and Mr. Dhanablan and I
have had a very useful discussion over lunch and I think
I can say from the point of view of the Australian Government
that any -let -me use words carefully any degree of
misunderstanding that there may have been has been eliminated
and we have a clear understanding of the commionality of our
basic position in regard to Kampuchea, as indeed to our
attitudes to the region generally.
LEE: I would subscribe to what Bob Hawke has said. I think
his has been a good lunch meeting. The food was agreeable
too and what is much more important is that we think we see
the broad picture more or less the same way which is more
important than just resolving this minor difficulty. It
doesn't mean we are not going to have hiccups from time to
time. You are an open society. We are fairly robust in our
reaction, but there are no as far as I: can make out, unless
we have been deceitful to each other there are no hidden
traps. We are not out to do things which you would object
to, nor are the Australians out to have a settlement which we
would find difficult to live with.
JOURNALIST: So the row is over. Is that a good summary?
LEE: This row is over, yes. I think this was never a row
anyway. I mean Mr. Dhanabalan can assure you that he never
intended this as any examination.
JOURNALIST: Can you give us an example of minor differences
wih you still have?
LEE: I don't really want to go into specifics. The plain
fact is there is a sum body of opinion in Australia to which
the Prime Minis -ter alluded which feels that anything to do
with Pol Pot is untouchable. We have explained to the Prime
Minister that we are not fans, but we've got to live with
the world as we find them. We find we've found only Son Sann
and Sihanouk and they've got to live with Pol Pot and
Sihanouk's had his children murdered by Pol Pot and he's still
got to be in this coalition government so there are complex
reasons why, despite our loathine, we've got to live with the
coalition government.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Lee, do you agree with the Australian position
that there are great dangers involved in the isolation of
Vietnam? LEE: I don't believe that anybody can isolate Vietnam if she
dosn't want to be isolated. They are the world's best
communicators. They've had 1945 they fought against the
French. They spoke to the French people over the hea-1s of the
French Government. They fought against the Americains. They.
spoke to the Americans over the heads of the American Covernment.
We V. 7U Id neve r 6 no ami of preven1t n t -lfl, mlPF m f f
I think our great strength in this particular case has been
that they have got bad intentions to try and hide from the
world. That's why they can't conmmunicate.
GHAZALI: to this particular point. As soon as the
American withdrawal took place unaware in these countries
that went to Vietnam offered technical help so you can be
sure that the whole exercise in order to resolve the
Kampuchean question is precisely not to allow Vietnam to be
isolated.
HAWKE: Could I jus. t make the point that I made in Bangkok
that those of the Australian contingent would be aware. I made
it clear that we were not putting it that it was the ASEAN
countries which had isolated Vietnam. It was an act of free
choice on their part as to how they would conduct their affairs.
JOURNALIST: Was there any discussion at all about a peace
mission in the area?
PM: No.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Lee, could I ask you another question on
Grenada. If you wouldn't mind describing the feeling within
the delegates today over the question. Am I right to presume
that it is becoming a very thorny question?
LEE: I think we are anxious to get back on time at 3 o'clock
because the debate was just warming up. I have no doubts
this afternoon that issues will be There are people with
very strong views on the subject and deep and abiding interests
because they live in the region. I'm going to look forward to
listening to the arguments. I'm quite sure that sane, rational
men do not do insane, irrational things.