HC Deb 20 February 1952 vol 496 cc220-2
26. Mr. Woodrow Wyatt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the nature of the request he has received from the Burmese Government for assistance in removing the Kuomintang troops from Burmese soil; and what action he proposes to take.

33. Mr. A. Fenner Brockway

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he has taken, following the official representations which have been made to him from the Government of Burma, in regard to the presence of Chinese Nationalist troops on its territory; and the despatch of arms from Formosa to these troops.

The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Anthony Nutting)

We have received no request or representations on this question from the Burmese Government.

As for the action which Her Majesty's Government propose, I would refer the hon. Members to the statement which my right hon. Friend made in his speech in this House on 5th February.

Mr. Wyatt

Will the Minister bear in mind that there is very little point in sending a U.N.O. Commission to Burma, because, first of all, the area in which these troops are situated is very inaccessible, and, secondly, there is no dispute whatever that there are Nationalist forces in Burma, which fact could not be established any more exactly than is now admitted; and that the solution of this matter is for the Nationalist troops to be removed, and that what is required is pressure from the Government of this country and the Government of the United States on the Nationalist authorities of Formosa to have the troops removed?

Mr. Nutting

It is not for me to anticipate the answer which we shall, no doubt, in due course receive from the Burma Government on this matter. My right hon. Friend made it quite plain that, provided it was generally acceptable and that the Burma Government thought it was a good idea, we should participate and help in a fact-finding Commission.

Mr. Brockway

May I ask the hon. Gentleman, whatever the technical character of any conversations which have taken place, whether it is not a fact that the leader of the Burmese Delegation in the First Political Committee of the United Nations, on 28th January, said that Kuomintang aggression was taking place in Burma and made a direct appeal to the British Government for action?

Mr. Nutting

I have nothing to add to the answer I have given to the hon. Gentleman, which is to the effect that we have had no request or representations on this question from the Burma Government.