Sir Stephen Weir For Thailand Post

Press, Volume C, Issue 29604, 29 August 1961, Page 14

Sir Stephen Weir For Thailand Post

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 28. Major-General Sir Stephen Weir will be New Zealand Ambassador in Thailand and New Zealand council representative to the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) announced tonight. Sir Stephen Weir, a former Chief of the General Staff, is now military adviser to the Government.

Sir Stephen Weir is expected to take up his new appointment in October at the conclusion of his duties as military adviser. He will attend the fifteenth meeting of the S.E.A.T.O. military advisers. ■’With the. increasing importance of Thailand as a South-east Asian nation and as t) e seat ef the headquarters of S.E.A.T.O. and the Economic Council for Asia and the Far East, the Government has decided * to appoint a resident Ambassador in Thailand,” said the Prime Minister. The first Ambassador to Thailand and council representative to S.E.A.T.O. was Mr Foss Shanahan, who held concurrent appointments as Commissioner in Singapore and High Co. .nissioner in Malaya, ■ and who resided in' Singapore. Since Mr Shanahan’s recall in 1958, New Zealand has been represented in Thailand and at S.E.A.T.O. by Mr Charles Cr:w in his capacity as Charge d’Affaires pf the Embassy and as council representative. “New Zealand and Thailand have alway maintained cordial relations, and since 1954 have been co-partners in 5.E.A.T.0.,” Mr Holyoake said. New Zealand had provided both capital and technical assistance to Thailand under the Colombo Plan and S.E.A.T.O. aid programmes.

Forty-five Thai students had come to New Zealand in the 10 years of the C lombo Plan. T’-ny had been engaged in

medical and engineering studies. There were eight Thailand students now in ”'-v Zealand. “Sir Stephen Weir has had a distinguished career as a soldier and a soldierdiplomat,” said Mr Holyoake. “During World War II he served for much of the

time as artillery commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division until he was appointed in 1944 to take over the artillery command of the 10th British Corps. He returned for a period, to take over the command of the 2nd New Zealand Division and was later commander of the 46th British Division. "After his appointment as Chief of the General Staff from 1955 to 1960 he continued in the position of military-adviser to represent and advise the Government in its relations with other Governments in military matters. He has attended many meetings of the A.N.Z.U.S. and S.E.A.T.O. councils as well as 'of the A.N.Z.A.M. defence committee. “Sir Stephen Weir has an . intimate knowledge of South-east Asia and is well known to the leaders of the Thai Government,” the Prime Minister said “I am sure that in his new post he will continue to serve New Zealand with the same devotion and ability as in the past." Mr Holyoake paid tribute to the high professional skill with which Mr Charles Craw had represented New Zealand in Bangkok during a period of great activity and political tension in Southeast Asia.