HL Deb 18 December 1963 vol 254 cc242-4
LORD COLYTON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any further statement to make on the military situation on the Indonesia-Malaysian frontier, which according to Press reports still continues to give cause for grave anxiety.]

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (EARL JELLICOE)

My Lords, I have nothing of substance to add to the statement which my right honourable friend the Minister of Defence made in another place on December 11 last. No significant event has been reported since that statement. As my noble friend knows, our forces are at present co-operating and will continue to co-operate with those of the Malaysian Government in the defence of Eastern Malaysia.

LORD COLYTON

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that statement, may I remind him that there have been repeated reports over the last week or ten days of military aggression across the frontier and violations of Malaysian air space and other acts of a warlike nature on the part of Indonesian forces? Can my noble friend give us any further information as to the consultations going on between ourselves and the Malaysian Government with a view to an approach to the Security Council of the United Nations, and possibly to the dispatch of a team of observers to the threatened area?

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, the question of the United Nations in this context was, as I am sure the House will recall, fairly fully discussed in supplementaries following on the Question which my noble friend put to my noble friend the Leader of the House on December 5 last, when he stated that this is essentially Malaysian territory and this is really a matter for the Malaysian Government.

LORD BOOTHBY

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether we can take it from his first reply that there has been no great intensification of the fighting in Borneo during the last fortnight?

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I think that my noble friend can take it from the reply that what I have said was correct; that in the last week there has been no significant development in this particular area.

LORD REA

My Lords, would the noble Earl say whether the relationship with Indonesia has been completely broken off or whether there are still channels of approach through which some sort of solution might be arrived at by negotiation?

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I am sure that my noble friend realises that Her Majesty's Ambassador is still in situ—I think that is the correct expression.