LAOS TALKS BOYCOTT

Press, Volume C, Issue 29535, 9 June 1961, Page 13

LAOS TALKS BOYCOTT

U.S. Waits For Cease-fire (AZ Pres* A&m—Copyright) NEW YORK, June 8. I he United States representative (Mr Averell Harriman) would boycott any further formal sessions of the Geneva conference on Laos until the Soviet Union agreed on instructions to the International Control Commission in Laos, the New York “Herald Tribune” reported today from Geneva. But the United States had no immediate intention of withdrawing from the conference or breaking off efforts to negotiate an agreement for a peaceful Laos, it said. The “New York Times” reported from Geneva that the United States would take no further part in the conference until the Soviet Union had agreed to arrangements for a verified cease-fire.

The British, who took the lead in planning the Geneva conference, were smarting under the fact that they had been let down by the Russians. the ‘‘Herald Tribune" said. Mr Harriman's decision was bexg matched in British quarters by an even stronger attitude, it said The ‘‘New York Times” dispatch also said that the United States would not withdraw from the conference but was prepared to “await it out” for a cease-fire and then begin negotiations again The “New York Times” dispatch said: ‘‘The British and French tonight (Wednesday) took a somewhat tougher line than heretofore. The view was that unless the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Andre: Gromyko) agrees to withdraw the Soviet veto and allow the I.C.C. to operate in Laos and unless there is an immediate and noticeable reduction in Communist military operations. delegations might as well go home.” The Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Gromyko) will return from Moscow to the 14-nation talks today as opposing sides in Laos accuse each other of violating the cease-fire The British and United States delegations both stressed yesterday that they agreed to attend the talks on the clear understanding that there would be an effective cease-fire in Laos. The chief United States delegate. Mr Averell Harriman. protested to Mr Georgi Pushkin, of the Soviet Union, about a “deliberate attack” by the Left-wing forces on Right-wing positions near Ban Padong, in Xieng Khouang Province. The Right-wing forces are reported to have evacuated their Ban Padong stronghold Late last night, the Leftwing Pathet Lao radio in Lacs was reported to have accused the United States and the Right-wing forces of violating the cease-fire at Padong

by dropping units in the are., after the cease-fire order or, j May 3. Before then, it said the Right-wing forces had no positions in the Province at all The spokesman for the Right-wing Laotian delegation in Geneva, Mr Sisouk Champassak, said his side would formally protest to Britain and Russia as co- ’ chairmen of the conference • against the “grave violations” ' 1 of the cease-fire at Padong. ! He said the protest would probably be made today. “We| cannot accept a situation in. • which the cease-fire is not effective and we continue to I ‘ suffer military losses.” het ’ said ’ A plenary session of the! ‘ conference due to have been) • held yesterday was cancelled ' because of reports 6f the : Padong fighting to allow ' delegations to consult their ■ Governments. An authoritative source j said the United States delegaticn was now “hanging on . the hope" that Mr Khrushy chev’s agreement with Presi- , dent Kennedy in Vienna last j week-end on the importance sof an effective cease-fire " would now bear fruit. In Moscow last night. Mr j Anastas Mikoyan, a Soviet , First Deputy Prime Minister. . revealed that Mr Khrushchev j told two Laotian leaders there , of his talks on Laos with , President Kennedy. Mr Mikoyan said that the , Soviet Union was taking part . in the Geneva talks on the i basis that it must not discuss the internal affairs of Laos. 1 He defined the task of the ) conference as to “safeguard . the Laotians against interfer- , ence. from outside, to make > the neutrality, freedom and > independence of Laos recogi nised and respected by all.”