CLOSING A POTENTIAL FINANCIAL BOLT-HOLE. WONG SAID THAT SINGAPORE INVARIABLY LOOKED AT DRUGS LEGISALTION ELSEWHERE TO SEE WHETHER IT COULD USEFULLY BE APPLIED HERE. TRAFFICKERS FOUND GUILTY BY THE COURTS WERE. HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO THE DEATH PENALTY AND THIS HAD SO FAR PROVED AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT, SINGAPORE WAS NOT, TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, BEING USED TO LAUNDER DRUG- ACQUIRED ASSETS. IF IT WERE. THE AUTHORITIES HERE WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE ACTION. MEANWHILE, THEIR MIND REMAINED OPEN ON POSSIBLE LEGISLATION AND HE WELCOMED FURTHER CLOSE COOPERATION IN ACTION AGAINST DRUGS TRAFFICKING. DEFENCE
5. LORD GLENARTHUR REMINDED WONG DOF BRITAIN'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE FIVE-POWER DEFENCE ARRANGEMENT. HE HOPED THAT THE SINGAPOREANS WOULD ACCEPT OUR RECENT OFFER TO GIVE A SINGAPOREAN NAVAL OFFICER TRAINING ON HMS VERNON AS P PRELUDE TO ATTACHMENT TO ONE OF THE MINEHUNTERS NOW OPERATING IN THE GULF, WONG SAID THAT THE SINGAPOREAN NAVY WERE STILL CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL.
ASEAN MANILA SUMMIT
6. IN THE COURSE OF A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE FORTHCOMING ASEAN SUMMIT IN MANILA, WONG SAID THAT NO DECISION HAD YET, BEEN MADE ON WHETHER IT SHOULD BE POSTPONED OR TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER ASIAN CAPITAL. MUCH WOULD OBVIOUSLY DEPEND ON THE LIKELY SECURITY SITUATION IN MANILA IN DECEMBER, BUT OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES WERE WELL AWARE OF THE NEED TO AVOID UNHELPFUL PUBLICITY AND THUS, PERHAPS, UNDERMINE MRS AQUINO'S POSITION. I ASKED IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF INFORMAL DEADLINE FOR A DECISION. WONG SAID THAT ASEAN HAD NO FIRM DATE IN MIND. BUT A DECISION WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE MADE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO GO AHEAD AT SOME POINT IN NOVEMBER. HE REITERATED THE SINGAPOREAN VIEW THAT MRS AQUINO REMAINED THE "BEST BET' FOR THE PHILLIPINES. BUT SHE STILL NEEDED TO UNITE THE NATION BEHIND HERE IN THE DRIVE AGAINST THE NPA THREAT AND TO GET DOWN TO TACKLING SOCIAL ISSUES. HE WAS REASONABLY CONFIDENT ON THE BASIS OF THE WORKING LEVEL INTRA-ASEAN CONTACTS NOW GOING ON THAT THE DECEMBER SUMMIT WOULD PRODUCE SOME RESULT IN THE SHAPE OF IMPROVED ASEAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION.
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IT WAS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO DEOMONSTRATE THAT ASEAN WAS BEING HELD TOGETHER BY MUCH MORE THAN THEIR COMMON APPROACH ON THE CAMBODIAN ISSUE.
CHOGM
7.
WONG AGREED WITH LORD GLENARTHUR THAT A LENGTHY DEBATE AT VANCOUVER, CONCENTRATING ALMOST EXCLSUIVELY ON SOUTH AFRICA, WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL. THERE WERE OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE STATE OF THE WORLD ECONOMY, INTERNATIONAL DEBT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES, WHICH DESERVED TO BE THOROUGHLY VENTILATED. HE HAD READ OUR RECENT BOOKLET ON BRITISH ASSISTANCE TO THE FRONT LINE STATES WITH GREAT INTEREST. OTHER POINTS
8.
AFTER LORD GLENARTHUR HAD OUTLINED RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG. DISCUSSION MOVED ON TO THE CAMBODIAN ISSUE. LORD GLENARTHUR REASSURED WONG OF OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR ASEAN IN THE UNITED NATIONS (PLEASE ALSO SEE MY TELNO 415). HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT WE CONTINUED TO REGARD THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AS THE SOLE LEGITIMATE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY IN FIJI. WONG EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR THE SUMMARIES OF THE FIJIAN SITUATION WHICH WE HAD PROVIDED RECENTLY AND I UNDERTOOK TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE SINGAPOREANS INFORMED AS THE SITUATION EVOLVED.
COMMENT