Cambodia (Hansard, 25 February 1992)

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)
My Lords, we are playing a full and active part, bilaterally and as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, in the implementation of the comprehensive political settlement of the Cambodian conflict and the rebuilding of Cambodia.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, while the House will gladly recognise what has been done, does the Minister agree that the situation remains grim, with reports of rampant inflation, hunger, lack of medical supplies and personnel, banditry, 500,000 mines hampering agriculture and the resettlement of refugees and displaced people, only 3 per cent. of the people having access to safe drinking water and 85 per cent. carrying water-borne parasites? In view of all that and the nightmare of the Pol Pot years, can the Government assure us that they are doing everything possible to bring about adequate assistance and effective co-ordination of government, UN and NGO assistance?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord that a great deal needs to be done in Cambodia. Having been there recently I know what an enormous task the UN faces. It is the biggest task which the UN has undertaken. The Secretary General of the United Nations has appointed a special representative—Mr. Akashi—and it is hoped that the United Nations team will be on the ground in April.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I acknowledge that the Minister has been to Cambodia to see for himself some of the very serious problems which have been outlined by my noble friend. Does he agree that in 162 addition to the problems which my noble friend mentioned there are also grave suspicions that Pol Pot and his evil followers have not been eliminated?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, certainly the Khmer Rouge still exists in Cambodia. It is part of the peace settlement and without it there would be no peace settlement.

§ Lord Bonham-Carter
My Lords, in undertaking the enormous task which the Minister has described, is the United Nations receiving proper finance and has the United States yet paid the debt which it owes?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, we are awaiting the final announcement of the financial situation with regard to the UNTAC forces to be put into Cambodia. It is estimated that the cost will be about 2 billion dollars. The House may be interested to know that about 16,000 military personnel, 3,000 police and up to 4,000 civilians will be deployed, together with 60,000 locally recruited personnel.

§ Lord Desai
My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that a know-how fund along the lines of that we have already set up for the Eastern European countries would be a good idea in order to help Cambodia in its present plight?

The Earl of Caithness
No, my Lords, not at the moment. Perhaps that is for the longer term. It is important to support the United Nations P5 initiative which is taking forward the process of rebuilding Cambodia to get it through to elections next year. That is the first stage.

§ Lord Tordoff
My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that although his reply to my noble friend was most interesting, he did not in fact answer the question? Am I to assume that that means that the United States has not paid its dues?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, that is another Question not related to the one on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Tordoff
My Lords, that was the question that my noble friend asked. Has the United States paid its share?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I do not dispute that that was the question the noble Lord asked. I did not answer it because it was not relevant to the Question on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, notwithstanding the assurances given by the Minister, is he aware that there are reports that the United Nations transitional authority in Cambodia is still not certain what its final budget or staffing levels will be? Is he also aware that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has a budget of 144 million dollars for its operations and that so far only 50 million dollars have been pledged?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I appreciate that the financial situation is not yet clear. We are still working on it in the United Nations. We hope to get further information in the very near future about what the amount will be. It will be difficult to work out 163 exactly what the UNHCR's costs will be until the end of the process. I can tell the House that we contributed £2 million to the UNHCR to help with the repatriation of refugees. In particular we are giving aid by putting in temporary bridges at Poipet, which is on the border of Thailand, and at Sisophon. We have earmarked funds for a permanent bridge at Poipet.

The Earl of Selkirk
My Lords, can my noble friend tell the House exactly what is the position of Pol Pot? Did he not start the most brutal attack ever committed by any communist organisation anywhere in the world? Yet is he not trying to regain power in Cambodia at the present time?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, no doubt the whole House would agree with my noble friend that, although Pol Pot was initially welcomed when he took power, the regime that he imposed upon the Cambodian people was one of the most frightful that the world has seen. What is important is that we take forward the peace process so that the Cambodian people themselves can decide their future at the elections to be held next year.