Cambodian Conflict (Hansard, 24 October 1990)

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, as a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council we played a full part in negotiating the Five's Framework for a comprehensive political settlement which the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly have endorsed. Although the Cambodian parties have accepted it in its entirety as the basis for settling the Cambodian conflict, civil war continues. We call upon the parties to the conflict to stop the fighting and co-operate to the full in working out the details of a comprehensive political settlement.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that information. However, does he agree that in the absence of a UN Security Council requirement for a cease-fire there is a very real danger that the Khmer Rouge will continue to keep the war going as it is in its interests to prevent the UN peace framework from being put in motion? Will the Minister say what Her Majesty's Government are doing in order to bring about a cease-fire? In view of the appalling poverty in Cambodia, the hundreds of children who are dying each day from preventable diseases, the fact that 80 per cent. of the water is contaminated and the enormous number of amputations carried out daily as a result of injuries caused by minefields, will he also say when Her Majesty's Government will restore bilateral aid to Cambodia? 1332 Will he also say when the UN Development Programme will allow Cambodia to have the 40 million dollars set aside for that purpose?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness that a cease-fire is an essential part of a comprehensive political settlement. As I said in my original Answer, we have repeatedly called on all parties in the conflict to stop fighting and co-operate to the full in working out details of such a settlement.
With respect to aid to Cambodia, we have committed £565,000 in support of 12 NGO projects inside Cambodia under the joint funding scheme. We have also given support for the humanitarian needs of the coalition members, excluding the Khmer Rouge, outside Cambodia. We contributed £780,000 to British NGOs and multilateral agencies in 1989–90 and are considering how best to contribute to their activities in the future.

The Earl of Selkirk
My Lords, at the present time is there any sign whatever of a settlement taking place?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the five Permanent Members of the Security Council will continue their work to prepare for detailed discussion of a settlement based on the New York framework. That includes pressure being brought on the Cambodians to settle their differences over the appointment of a chairman to the Supreme National Council. Against that background we hope that the co-ordinating committee of the Paris International Conference on Cambodia will reconvene soon to agree details of the settlement and we hope that that could lead to a plenary session of the Paris International Conference on Cambodia before the end of this year to sign agreements which will lead to such a settlement.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, we appreciate the acute difficulty of those negotiations and support the efforts of Her Majesty's Government to bring the matter to a conclusion. Can the Minister say whether the Government support the proposal that the proposed Supreme National Council for Cambodia should contain representatives of the Khmer Rouge? As regards the point raised by my noble friend Lady Ewart-Biggs about the appalling suffering of the people of Cambodia, can the Minister say when the UN Development Programme money, which I believe amounts to 40 million dollars, will be released to help the people of Cambodia?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the composition of the Supreme National Council, which was agreed by the Cambodian parties in Jakarta on 10th December, is a matter for those parties to decide in accordance with the New York framework agreement. That agreement specifies that it should be composed of representative individuals with authority among the Cambodian people. Members of that council will not represent any faction or party. Also, in accordance with the framework agreement, they have to be acceptable to each other.
Regarding the question of the United Nations development aid, the planned allocation to Cambodia 1333 for the five-year period will be 41 million dollars but a number of United Nations agencies are active there and we support them.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, regarding support for the Cambodian economy, can the Minister say what trade we have with Cambodia—what exports go to Cambodia from this country and what imports come here?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I am afraid that I do not have with me figures on our trade with Cambodia. However, I can add that we make emergency relief funds available in addition to the funds which I indicated. The comprehensive settlement is likely to be very expensive and we shall be making a substantial financial contribution to it which will probably run into millions of pounds.

§ Lord Rodney
My Lords, can my noble friend the Minister confirm that there is no truth in the suggestion in newspaper articles that the SAS has been training Khmer Rouge people?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I cannot comment on that allegation. However, I can say that we have given no assistance of any kind to the Khmer Rouge.