CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 248

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sanctions on imports or on travel and postal communications.

We must

at all costs avoid a UN resolution calling for econonic measures against

South Africa. We should therefore study the feasibility, and practical

implications, of action against Mozambique, including the extension to Lourenco Marques of the naval patrol at prosent covering Beira;

and we

should consider exploring with friendly Governments the possibility of

securing that any UN resolution did not go unacceptably wide.

THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that there had been two meetings

that week of the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee, attended by all Commonwealth High Commissioners in London. Only Australia and New Zealand had expressed full support of the policy we were pursuing. Other countries, including even Canada, had expressed varying degrees

of distrust, arising in part no doubt from the recent announcement of

further discussions between the Governor of Rhodesia and Mr. Smith, about

our determination to maintain our commitment not to grant independence to Rhodesia before majority

rule (n.i.b.m.a.r.). It seemed

clear from the discussions in the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee that

Commonwealth countries would demand action when the UN Security Council

considered Rhodesia at the end of September unless meanwhile effective

action had been taken to limit oil supplies to Rhodesia.

In discussion the Committee expressed general support for the proposals made by the Foreign Secretary. It was recognised that we

could not hope to hold the present position much longer in the face of

pressure in the UN for further and more effective action against Rhodesia.

But the serious dangers to our economy in any such further action were

fully recognised: and we should therefore press ahead with the proposals

made by the Foreign Secretary for seeking to limit Rhodesian oil supplies

from Mozambique, in order to avoid more drastic proposals which would

cause unacceptable damage to us.

In further discussion the following additional points were made (a) Sanctions against Rhodesia in respect of such items as passports

and telecommunications would serve no practical purpose and could harm

us as much as Rhodesia. We must however expect pressure for further

action of such kinds as these, and it might be expedient to yield to it

if the addition of such measures rendered acceptable to other countries

a UN resolution which in terms of oil sanctions was confined to

Mozambique.

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