DRAFT
UK POLICY TOWARDS SOUTH EAST ASIA
Lead-in remarks on the scope and interest of the seminar as reflected
each days' discussions. When the programme for the seminar was drawn
it was felt that some exposition of the UK attitude and policy
towards SE Asia would be of value, not only as a background to the
survey of the area we have been undertaking these past few days, but
also as part of the summing up. I would therefore propose to deal
with this subject in two parts. First a brief statement of Britain's
current interests in the area, followed by consideration of the British
attitude towards the two main groups of SE Asian countres ASEAN and
Indochina.
M
We are aware that our friends in ASEAN sometimes feel that the West
in general,+Britain in particular, does not devote sufficient attention
to developments in the area and gives a low priority to their wishes
and requirements. This is not the case, however. In a general sense
we are greatly concerned with events in the area as part of the global
pattern. It is a fact of life that no country can be "an island unto
itself" and that, given the efficiency and speed of modern communica-
tions, developments in distant parts of the world can and do have an
immediate impact far beyond the boundaries of the country or region
concerned. The Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, and the plight of
the boat people are examples which come readily to mind from SE Asia.
Quite apart from this general interest Britain still has certain res-
idual commitments in the area which have survived the disappearance of
empire. There are considerable British investments in Malaysia and
Singapore, and the UK retains consultative defence commitments under
the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the Manila Pact, although
/British