“CONFUSION” ABOUT VIETNAM ISSUES

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 15

“CONFUSION” ABOUT VIETNAM ISSUES

There was some confusion In the thinking of a small number of people about New Zealand's aims in helping the South Vietnamese people to resist Communist aggression, and there was confusion, also, about the word “escalation” and its implications, said the Minister of Finance (Mr Lake). He said he based this view on the nature of questions he had been asked at election meetings.

New Zealand's aims in Vietnam. and those of her allies, were strictly limited, said Mr Lake. New Zealand was not engaged in a holy war against communism, nor did the allies -eek to establish a European empire or sphere of influence m Asia.

"We seek no permanent military bases, no permanent establishment of troops, no permanent alliances, no permanent presence of any kind in South Vietnam,” said Mr Lake. We do not seek to impose a policy of alignment on South Vietnam. “We do not seek the overthrow of the Government of North Vietnam. We do not seek to do any injury to mainland China nor to threaten any of its legitimate interests.

“We do not ask of North Vietnam an unconditional surrender or indeed the surrender of anything that belongs to it, nor do we seek to exclude any segment of the South Vietnamese people from peaceful participation in their country’s future.” Summarising the allied aims. Mr Lake said:

“We seek to protect New Zealand’s long-term security interests by a meaningful contribution under our collective security arrangements for the Pacific and South-east Asian areas.

"We want a peaceful Vietnam in which we can aid the people to improve their living i standards. "We want a political solution. not a military solution, I to this conflict. By the same' token, we reject the idea that North Vietnam has a right to impose a military solution. “We seek to assure for thej people of South Vietnam the! same right of self-determina-! tion —to decide their own I political destiny, free of force 1 —that the United Nations I Charter affirms for all. “We believe that reunifica-i tion of Vietnam should be de- • cided upon through a free! choice of the peoples of bothj the north and south, without! outside interference, the results of which choice we are: fully prepared to support.

“As the Prime Minister announced in a press statement on his return from the Manila conference:

If Hanoi and Peking seriously believe that the presence of large American forces in this area is a threat to their security, then they have only to stop the aggression and the American and allied forces will leave. Nothing could be simpler. Here is a path to peace. We will now have to wait and see whether the Communists will take it.’

“Finally,” said Mr Lake. “I want to clear up confused > thinking on the subject of escalation of the war in Vietnam. The allied forces in V ietnam are there to counter Communist aggression. Their purpose is not to engage in aggression against North Vietnam or China.

“The military force applied Iby the allies in Vietnam will be that which is needed to cope with Communist aggression. If the aggressors escalate the conflict, it follows that the allies will be com pelled to use stronger forces in response to that escalation. “The decision whether or not the war is to be escalated rests with Hanoi and Peking. I consider that if the force of any one of the allied nations were to be withdrawn this could encourage the Communists to escalate their offensive operations. The implications of withdrawal are much more serious than is generally ippreciated.”