Vietnam

HC Deb 15 May 1972 vol 837 cc17-21

11. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement about the Communist aggression in Vietnam, with special reference to Her Majesty's Government's responsibilities under the Geneva Agreement.

16. Mr. Dykes

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent approaches he has made to the Geneva Conference Co-Chairman on Indochina in regard to the armed North Vietnamese invasion of the Republic of Vietnam.

44. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement about Communist aggression in Vietnam in the light of his co-chairmanship of the Geneva Conference.

Mr. Godber

On 10th May my right hon. Friend again asked the Soviet Ambassador to convey a formal appeal to Mr. Gromyko to join him in reconvening the Geneva Conference. My right hon. Friend awaits Mr. Gromyko's reply.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Does not the Soviet Co-Chairman's refusal of Her Majesty's Government's request to reconvene the Geneva Conference expose the Soviet Union as an abettor of aggression? Is it not the case that the Soviet Union has been the main arms supplier of Hanoi? What help is being given, and can be given, to refugees who have every reason to fear Communist domination?

Mr. Godber

On the first point, my right hon. Friend is still awaiting Mr. Gromyko's reply and I think it would be wrong to try to anticipate what that reply might be. I agree with the second point raised by my hon. Friend about refugees. I hope to touch on that during the debate which I understand we shall be having later.

Mr. Dykes

As the reply has been delayed and as, when it comes, it may be unfavourable—and that, unfortunately, is to be expected—will my right hon. Friend consider with his right hon. Friend the possibility of raising at the United Nations the matter of the North Vietnamese invasion of the Republic of Vietnam?

Mr. Godber

There are all sorts of possibilities in regard to this. Her Majesty's Government are anxious to help to promote a settlement. I should like to put this in its proper context in the speech I hope to make later.

Mr. Latham

Will the right hon. Gentleman state factually and precisely who was responsible for the non-implementation of the Geneva Agreement on the carrying out of full Vietnamese elections? What reason is there for either the British Government or the Soviet Government—or anyone else—to suppose that any similar undertaking would be honoured in the future and not be breached as it was by the American Government?

Mr. Godber

There have been various charges and counter-charges in regard to the agreement about Vietnam. I do not propose to pass judgment here this afternoon. I ask the hon. Gentleman to await the speech which I hope to make later, when I shall try to put the whole matter into its proper context.

Mr. Goodhart

Will my right hon. Friend remember that 600,000 Vietnamese have been driven from their homes by the Communist offensive which has been backed to the hilt by the Soviet Union? Will he remember that the British medical team at the children's hospital at Saigon did excellent work earlier in the conflict, and will he now do everything he can to recruit a fresh medical team to help this battered country?

Mr. Godber

On the figures quoted by my hon. Friend, I think that the position is if anything worse than he quoted, which emphasises the importance of his point. Certainly the Government will do all they can to help alleviate suffering in the way my hon. Friend has indicated.

Mr. Heffer

Has not the situation really arisen from the word "go" because the Americans never accepted the Geneva Accord? Is it not clear that the real aggressor in Vietnam is the presence there of Americans who have continued with their bombing and destruction of North Vietnam and the devastation of people in both North and South Vietnam, and that the most important contribution which the Government can make is to urge the Americans to leave Vietnam at the earliest possible moment?

Mr. Godber

I find that an extremely prejudiced attitude on this very difficult issue. Her Majesty's Government will try to take an objective view in trying to bring about a settlement of this dreadful problem.

22. Mr. Hugh Jenkins

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received, in his capacity as Co-Chairman under the Geneva Agreement, concerning use by the United States Government of pellet bombs designed to kill individuals for dropping on the civilian population of Hanoi.

46. Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the North Vietnamese Government has made to him in his capacity of Co-Chairman of the Geneva Convention about the bombing by the United States of America in the war in Vietnam.

Mr. Godber

None, Sir.

Mr. Jenkins

Will not the right hon. Gentleman take note of what has been happening in Hanoi? A constituent of mine, Dr. Philip Harvey, has been in Hanoi in the last month and has seen pellet bombs dropped on individuals, has seen the victims in hospital and has seen houses destroyed. As we are supposed to be an ally of a civilised country which is in breach of international law, would it not be appropriate if the Government made some sort of protest to the United States about this matter?

Mr. Godber

It is not for us to make protests about individual types of weapons used. One could just as well protest about the terrible damage caused by the heavy artillery used by the North Vietnamese. As I see it our duty is to try to find some means of making progress towards peace, and that is the important thing.

Mr. Huckfield

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied about this grave international crisis, in which so far this country has said precisely nothing? Are we to say nothing about the inhuman and cruel bombing, inhuman and cruel by any sane standards? Are we to do nothing to stop this confrontation which is being deliberately encouraged by Nixon?

Mr. Godber

On the first point, we certainly deplore casualties caused by both sides. But we are not prepared to choose one side to attack in this regard. The North Vietnamese are the aggressors in this case and have invaded the South. I hope, Mr. Speaker, to catch your eye later today to develop Her Majesty's Government's position on this matter, and I will certainly say something about this then.

Mr. Wilkinson

Will my right hon. Friend agree that the South Vietnamese have every right to invoke the support of their allies in tactical close air support operations in defence of their territory and, by interdiction, to prevent the incursion of aggressive armaments which imperil their livelihood?

Mr. Godber

My hon. Friend has made clear the unfairness of questions from the Opposition in regard to this matter. It is clear that there are very great difficulties in this conflict. Her Majesty's Government are trying to find ways towards peace. That is why I do not want to become involved about particular questions of armaments, on either side.