§ 6. Mr. Townsendasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Great Britain's relations with Vietnam.
§ Mr. LuardThe United Kingdom has full diplomatic relations with Vietnam. After the end of the Indo-China war, relations began to improve and there was a growth in trade and commerce. But since 1978 Vietnamese policies on human rights, over the exodus of boat refugees and in relation to Cambodia have caused us increasing concern. We have made this concern known to the Vietnamese Ambassador in London on a number of occasions and in Hanoi, and recently declined on these grounds to provide further bilateral aid, apart from humanitarian and disaster aid.
§ Mr. TownsendHow did the Government blunder into agreeing to pay £7.4 million of British taxpayers' money to Vietnam between now and the middle of next year, bearing in mind that that country is now a virtual satellite of the Soviet Union? It despises the West, it recently invaded its neighbour and it has an atrocious record on human rights.
§ Mr. LuardI understand that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Overseas 1479 Development answered a similar question on Monday. Until last year we attempted to establish a normal relationship with Vietnam. That included the provision of a certain amount of aid, just as other Western countries provided aid for Vietnam. It was aid of some value to our own industry. Because of our concern about recent developments in Vietnamese policy we have cancelled most of this aid.
§ Mr. Robin F. CookDoes my hon. Friend agree that whatever is happening about human rights in Vietnam it is preferable to the human rights situation that existed in Kampuchea under the odious regime of Pol Pot? Does he recollect that every Member of Parliament was prepared to condemn that regime up to the day of the invasion? Is it not pure hypocrisy to condemn the only way in which that odious regime could be removed from the face of the earth?
§ Mr. LuardI agree with what my hon. Friend said about the situation as it existed in Kampuchea. I went to Geneva to make representations to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and to ask for an investigation of the situation there. I do not think that two wrongs make a right. Therefore, however bad the human rights situation was in Cambodia, I do not think that it excuses an almost equally bad situation in Vietnam. It does not excuse an attack by Vietnam on Cambodia.
§ Mr. LuceThe Minister did not answer the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath (Mr. Townsend). As Vietnam is a firm satellite of the Soviet Union, is pursuing anti-Western policies, is a recent aggressor in Cambodia and is creating one of the biggest refugee migrations that we have ever had, on what possible basis can the British Government justify the provision of £7½ million of aid to Vietnam to enable it to buy ships from Britain?
§ Mr. LuardI do not think that the hon. Gentleman listened to what I said. I made it clear that precisely because of the facts that he mentioned we decided that we would not provide further aid to Vietnam except on a humanitarian basis. That would not be a reason to cancel contracts that had already been entered into. However, we have made a firm policy decision for the future.