§ 4. Sir John Hallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is now in a position to say what further action Her Majesty's Government propose to take to initiate international action to persuade the Cambodian Government to change their present policy of mass murder.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Evan Luard)I have at present nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 4th May.
§ Sir J. HallDoes the Minister agree that to suggest deferring raising this matter until the next meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in February 1978 is to abrogate the responsibility of this Government? Is it not deplorable that we should be prepared to allow a Government like the Cambodian Government to continue their policy of genocide, resulting in the loss of many hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, without apparently being willing to take any action to rouse public opinion against that Government?
§ Mr. LuardFirst of all, we have expressed our own views about this matter in no uncertain terms. Second, it is not the case that it is a special responsibility of this Government to raise this question with the United Nations. However, as I have told the hon. Gentleman before, we should like to raise the question in the appropriate body of the United Nations. The appropriate body is the UN Commission on Human Rights, which unfortunately does not meet until February of next year. None the less, we are considering whether there is any other way in which we might raise it.
§ Mr. MacFarquharIn view of the special connection of France with that part of South-East Asia in the past, has my hon. Friend had any consultations with the French about a joint initiative?
§ Mr. LuardWe are considering whether there is any action that we could take in conjunction with other Governments, and the French Government might certainly be one. There is one possibility. The UN Commission on Human Rights has a Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, and it is just possible that we may find a way of raising it there.