TNAG-0865-FCO40-1075-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 218

CONFIDENTIAL

THE SOVIET UNION

7. Mr Rowley drew attention to the very large number of Soviet

This diplomats including over 1,000 KGB officials in Indonesia. was matched by a large number of Soviet officials in other South East Asian countries.

ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM

8. Ghazali expressed concern about the growth of Islamic

Soviet Fundamentalism in South-East Aisa, especially in Malaysia. support for Islamic fundamentalism was noted. This seemed designed to destabilise the situation in South East Asia. Mr Rowley pointed out that a number of Soviet diplomats in this area were Moslems. Islamic fundamentalism was attractive to drop-outs from society.

ASEAN

9.

When I noted the increasing co-operation among the ASEAN countries in face of the threats from Vietnam, Ghazali commented that such co-operation had now existed for a number of years. We in the West had only recently begun to realise its existence.

7

2 July 1979

CONFIDENTIAL

Har tally).

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