§ 2.47 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, may I ask the Foreign Secretary whether he is able to make any statement on the position in Laos?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, the struggle which has been going on in Laos for the last two years as a result of the Pathet Lao insurrection has reached a climax. A fierce battle has been fought for the capital of the country, Vientiane, between the Royal Laotian Army, on the one hand, and the Communist, Pathet Lao, and certain troops led by Captain Kong Lae, on the other. The Army have now got the upper hand and have captured Vientiane. I know that the House will join me in deploring the serious loss of life and in expressing sympathy to the numerous civilians who have been wounded or rendered homeless.
While the fighting was going on the Laotian parliament met and withdrew their confidence from the Prime Minister. Prince Souvanna Phouma, who had already left the country and taken refuge in Cambodia. I understand that the King of Laos has designated Prince Boun Oum to form a provisional Administration and that the normal constitutional procedures for the formation of a new Government have been set in motion. It has been the policy of Her Majesty's Government ever since the rebellion of Captain Kong Lae's troops in August of this year to try to encourage the Laotians to form a Government of national union. I think this is more desirable now than ever before, if we are to prevent a repetition of the recent disastrous fighting, and I am instructing Her Majesty's Ambassador in Vientiane to make strong representations to the effect that we hope that early steps will be taken to form a broadly-based Government and include in it all those who are willing to co-operate.
Now that the fighting for Vientiane is over the main task must be to restore law and order as soon as possible. Mr. Nehru has suggested that this might be 693 made easier by the return of the International Commission. Clearly the Commission could function only with the cooperation both of the Laotian Government and the rebels. The House will remember that when the Commission was previously operating in Laos it was hampered in many ways by the rebels from carrying out its tasks and that after its departure recent Governments of Laos were unwilling to countenance its return. Whether the new Government will accept the Commission I do not know, but I have instructed our Ambassador to pass on to them Mr. Nehru's suggestion and if they agree with it I will approach the Soviet Co-Chairman, Mr. Gromyko, accordingly. In the meantime, I have instructed Her Majesty's Ambassador in Moscow to express to Mr. Gromyko my serious concern at the situation which is developing and my hope that he will share my view that steps should be taken to put a stop to the supply of assistance from outside the country to those who are in rebellion against the legal Government.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am sure we are all grateful to the Foreign Secretary for the clear statement he has just made. I am going to ask him whether he is aware that we have all been very concerned about the dangerous situation which faces Laos, and that it has been the subject of quite remarkable leaders, both in The Times and in the Observer. I take it from the last part of his statement, which encourages me a great deal, that he and the Government are quite against any intervention, from either side, over the head of the Geneva Commission. It seems to me that the great danger we have to avoid is a further outbreak of civil war, and maybe prolonged civil war, in which it is felt that the great Powers might easily become involved. Therefore I welcome very much the latter part of the statement of the Foreign Secretary, and if he could give me the assurance I have just asked for, I think it would be helpful.
§ 2.51 p.m.
LORD REAMy Lords, may I also thank the Foreign Secretary for his informative statement, and endorse what the noble Viscount has said? I think we all feel that this position is one of 694 very great delicacy indeed, and it would perhaps be inappropriate to go further into the matter now. May I assure the Foreign Secretary that we have confidence that what he is doing is the best which can be done? I would express the hope that, starting from now, when he has taken such a positive and good line, this will be rather regarded as the datum line, and that we may, to some extent, help out in preventing, if we can, any sort of interference such as we think may have occurred, or indeed has occurred, from either side in the past.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I think the situation is much too serious—because, as the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition says, it might involve the great Powers—for recriminations on either side about the past. What is more important is that we should take some action which will stop intervention from outside and forces being sent from outside to assist those people who are in rebellion against the legal authorities. I do not know whether, as I say, the new provisional Government of Vientiane will accept the International Commission, but I am quite sure that if they go there they ought to be more effective to do their job than they were before. But I will await the reply of the Vientiane Government—I have made strong representations there—and the reply of Mr. Gromyko with interest, because I am sure it is a matter which should he dealt with with great urgency.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, the noble Earl spoke of his representations to the Government in Laos and also to the Soviet Government. May I ask the noble Earl whether he is having full consultations with our colleagues and our allies in S.E.A.T.O., and particularly with countries like Thailand? Because it is not only that we wish the Soviet forces not to come in, but I think some steps should be taken against the possibility of smaller countries in S.E.A.T.O. themselves taking some action.
THE EARL OF HOMEYes, my Lords. I am in close touch with our Embassy in Bangkok, and I am in close touch with our Allies in the N.A.T.O. meetings. I had the opportunity for conversation with Mr. Herter and with the Foreign 695 Minister of France. I said earlier that our idea of the international position of Laos is that it should be genuinely unaligned, and that is what we wish to achieve. It is perfectly legitimate, of course, for the legal Government of any country to ask for military support; but the important thing is that there should be no support from anywhere outside for forces which are illegal in the country.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, while agreeing with that statement, as we all do I think, may I ask the Foreign Secretary whether he has made any representations in regard to this matter to China?
THE EARL OF HOMEI thought the immediate thing to do was to get in touch with Mr. Gromyko. I will consider what the noble Lord says.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHI am very much obliged for the attention the Foreign Secretary has given to this question. As we are adjourning for a long vacation shortly, would the Foreign Secretary agree that we should put a Private Notice Question down on Wednesday, to see whether there are any further developments?