Mr Donald
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PLANNING PAPER: ASEAN
1.
Vattach, as requested in your manuscript minute of 20 July, a draft reply to Mr Morgan who you will remember felt the want of an up-to-date assessment of prospects for ASEAN.
2. In the light of the recent seminar at SOAS, and looking ahead to the Heads of Mission meeting planned for next December, probably now in Bangkok, I am in no doubt that we do need a new paper. Rather than attempt to up date the paper on British policy of 78/79 I feel that we ought to attempt a fresh analysis of British interests in South-East Asia as judged against the prospects we see for ASEAN since the two go inextricably together.
3.
Depending on what we finally decide as to participants and theme for the Heads of Mission Conference, the new paper could be the principal set piece document before the Heads of Mission, or at least the basic paper for a main agenda item. It may be difficult to strike the right balance between a wide ranging conference covering ''our commercial and political interests in this important region'' (ie South-East Asia and the Far East). as envisaged in Mr Mallaby's submission of
4 May and avoiding the unwieldiness which, by common consent, characterised the last such meeting in Bangkok in January 1980. We shall need to consult further among ourselves on this with a view to submitting some agreed recommendations for Lord Belstead on his return from leave.
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K FX Burns
12 August 1982
cc:
PS/Lord Belstead
FED HKGD
Planning Staff
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