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045055
MDHIAN 0693
HKCE 020 / 27
KEREWED IN R
03 OCT 1990
RESTRICTED
FM SINGAPORE
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 440
OF 24083OZ SEPTEMBER 90
M
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS NEW YORK, WASHINGTON.INFO ROUTINE BRUNEI INFO ROUTINE MANILA, BANGKOK. JAKARTA UKMIS GENEVA,
INFO ROUTINE UKDEL IMF/IBRD WASHINGTON
ار
YOUR TELNO 382: GULF CRISIS: BURDEN SHARING: SINGAPORE
SUMMARY
1. THE SINGAPOREANS UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER OUR REQUEST THAT THEY
SHOULD FIND WAYS OF CONTRIBUTING TO ALLEVIATING THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ARISING FROM THE GULF CRISIS. BUT THEY INSIST THAT THIS BE
DONE IN CONCERT WITH OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES AND AS PART OF A
UNITED NATIONS EFFORT.
DETAIL
2. IN WONG KAN SENG'S ABSENCE IN THE SOVIET UNION WITH THE SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER, I CALLED ON THE ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER, PETER SUNG, ON 24TH SEPTEMBER (BEFORE RECEIPT OF YOUR TEL ADDRESSED BERNE NO 151) I SPOKE ON THE LINES OF PARAGRAPH 3 OF TUR, ALSO MAKING THE POINT THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAD RECENTLY WRITTTEN TO LEE KUWAN YEW SEEKING SINGAPOREAN ASSITANCE AND THAT MY US COLLEAGUE HAD CALLED ON LEE ON 15 SEPTEMBER TO REINFORCE THIS REQUEST. I ADDED THAT SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE PHILIPPINES AND
THAILAND HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY HARD HIT BY RECENT EVENTS IN THE GULF. THEY DESERVED TO BE HELPED. FINALLY, I EMPHASISED, QUOTING THE RELEVANT FIGURES, THE DEGREE TO WHICH BRITAIN HAD ALREADY ASSUMED A MAJOR FINANCIAL BURDEN IN BOTH THE MILITARY AND CIVIL FIELDS.
3. SUNG SAID THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT I HAD ALREADY WRITTEN TO LEE KUAN YEW (TEXT OF EXCHANGE BY BAG) SUMMARISING BRITAIN'S
PRESENT AND INTENDED MILITARY COMMITMENT IN THE GULF. SUNG ADDED THAT LEE HAD TOLD MY US COLLEAGUE ON15 SEPTEMBER THAT HE WOULD CONSIDER THE AMERICAN REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, BUT ''AS A MEMBER OF THE REGION''. UNLIKE HER NEIGHBOURS, SINGAPOORE HAD ALREADY PUBLICLY CONDEMMED IRAQI ACTION AND HAD STRESSED HER COMMITMENT TO INTERNATIONAL ACTION TO REVERSE THE IRAQI ANNEXATION OF KUWAIT. IF SHE WERE NOW, HOWEVER TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF OTHER MEMBERS OF ASEAN ''SENSITIVITES COULD BE RAISED''. MOREOVER
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