CONFIDENTIAL
MKKOAOS
RECLIVED IN REGISTRY
2) 24UCT 1983.
T
United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations DESK OFFICI 845 Third Avenue New York NY 10022
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A D Watts Esq CMG Deputy Legal Adviser
FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Our reference
Date
14 October 1983
Dear Ather.
ANTARCTICA:
MALAYSIAN SPEECH IN THE GENERAL DEBATE
1. We have reported the speech of the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister in our telno ... Saving. It was not at all helpful and raises yet further doubts in my mind about the true nature of Malaysian intentions. On the other hand, as you will have seen, Musa Hita's remarks contained more than one contradiction which we shall be able to exploit as the discussion goes on.
2. The New Zealanders approached us afterwards in some concern. They wondered if the tone of the Malaysian remarks did not call for at least some reservation of their rights. I told Bill Mansfield that, as it seemed to me, Musa Hita's speech back-pedalled almost entirely on the question of sovereignty claims, by comparison with Zainal's statement in the General Committee. I did not think that there was sufficient risk of prejudice involved as to outweigh the tactical arguments against intervening in Plenary at this stage, when there would be an opportunity to set the record straight in the First Committee later on. Mansfield, who was also well aware of the mechanical problems of trying to coordinate a response before the General Debate came to an end at lunch time today, accepted this advice.
3. I might add that I have heard from the Australian Mission that Dr Mahathir made a strong speech a few days ago in which he pitched into HMG's negotiating tactics with the Chinese over Hong Kong and I managed to draw a parallel of some kind between Hong Kong and
Antarctica. Does this mean that we are in the Malaysian dog-house again ?
your
copy to:
Dr JA Heap
Polar Region Section, SAmD
FCO
F D Berman