HC Deb 04 June 1962 vol 661 cc23-5
16. Mr. A. Henderson

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a further statement on the situation in Laos and in Thailand.

19. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the threat of aggression on Thailand has been brought to the notice of the Security Council as a threat to peace; and with what result.

Mr. Heath

Pathet Lao forces have made a succession of forward moves in violation of the cease-fire. These have brought them close to the Thai border. Our most recent reports show that there were clashes on 25th, 27th, 28th and 29th of May in the region of Ban Houei Sai, which is itself actually on the border. There have also been reports of increased pressure in the area of Saravane in Southern Laos.

Although the situation is disturbing, neither we nor the Thai Government consider that the time has come to refer the matter to the Security Council.

Prince Souvanna Phouma is to have an audience with the King of Laos today. We hope that this will be followed within the next few days by a meeting with the other Princes and General Phoumi.

Mr. Henderson

Can there be any reason why a number of independent observers should not be invited to go to the border in order to report on any possible advance across the border either way?

Mr. Heath

I think that that is really the task of the International Control Commission and we have repeatedly suggested this to the other Co-Chairman, Mr. Gromyko, but in fact he has repeatedly declined to allow this to happen.

Mr. Shinwell

Is there a scintilla of evidence in what the right hon. Gentleman has just said about the disturbance in Laos—not in Thailand but in Laos—of movement on the border or near the border which indicates that at any time there was an actual threat of aggression? If in the opinion of the right hon. Gentleman and the United Kingdom Government there was a threat of aggression which would justify sending British forces to Thailand, why was not an approach made to the Security Council to investigate the whole affair?

Mr. Heath

The information that we have supports the statement that I have just made about the further clashes and the movement of the Pathet Lao towards the border, in fact to Ban Houei Sai where they now are. Further, our information supports the information I gave to the House that after the fall of Nam Tha the Pathet Lao forces moved forty miles towards the border. That was a threat which I should have thought the right hon. Gentleman in his earlier capacity as Minister of Defence would have taken notice of. As to referring it to the Security Council, at the moment our view is that we should continue to operate through the existing machinery, which is that of the two Co-Chairmen.

Mr. H. Wilson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that since we debated this in the House repeated dispatches have come to this country to responsible, even right-wing, British newspapers suggesting, first, that the trouble started with the build-up of the right-wing forces of Bou Oum and Souvanna Phouma and that that actually touched off the fighting, such as it was, and, secondly, that the accounts of military activity in Laos have been greatly exaggerated? Is this why the right hon. Gentleman is so loth to refer the matter to the Security Council to get a really objective account of what has been going on in Laos?

Mr. Heath

I am not at all certain that one would receive an objective account of these events from certain members of the Security Council.

Hon. Members

Oh.

Mr. Manuel

Give us the names.

Mr. Heath

We have obviously been doing our best over this. There are many conflicting accounts about what happened in the fall of Nam Tha. The right hon. Gentleman raised this incident in the debate the other day. I do not agree with the one interpretation that he has selected to present, that the whole thing was due to the build-up of General Phoumi's forces in Nam Tha. In any case, both sides have been perfectly within their rights in moving their forces into areas, but not in breaking the ceasefire. Therefore, the Pallet Lao was in no way justified in crossing the cease-fire line, which it has done very deeply, into Laos.

Mr. P. Noel-Baker

Since General Phoumi's soldiers refuse to fight for him, and since he appears to have no other support of any kind, is there any reason Why he should be consulted about the formation of a coalition Government?

Mr. Heath

Only because he is the most prominent member of the present Government of Laos.