TNAG-1147-FCO40-1427-UK-policy-towards-South-East-Asia--including-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 113

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