Singapore cautious of Vietnam’s intentions

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 16

Singapore cautious of Vietnam’s intentions

By

STUART McMILLAN

in Singapore

The tour of South-East Asian countries. by the Prime Minister of Vietnam (Mr Pham Van Dong), which ended last week, has not convinced Singapore about the intentions of Vietnam towards the area. This is in spite of the fact that Mr Dong was happy to repeat the pledge in Singapore that he had made elsewhere about not supporting subversion h South-East Asia — a pledge that is believed to have been one of Singapore’s main demands in the talks. Seen from Singapore, »Vic .am’s attitude to the Association of South-East Asian Nations Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines. Indonesia, and Thailand) until May of this year was that

the organisation was an instrument of United States imperialism. Only in May came the first indication of any change. The change seemed to be confirmed by the later visit to the area, and to New Zealand, Australia, and Jap?..., by the Vice Foreign Minister of Vietnam (Mr Phan Van Hien). A splendid row over word., developed, though principles lay behind the semantics. A.S.E.A.N. embraces the view that the area should become a zone of peace, freedom, and neutrality. Vietnam’s version is a zone of peace, independence. and neutrality. It also qualified the independence as being “genuine.” The A.S.E.A.N. countries, which regard themselves as inde-

pendent, wanted no such qualification.

Mr Hien was asked in Singapore to clarify what he meant by “genuine independence.” According to Singapore, he protested that there had been a bad translation, and that the “genuine” qualified the peace, not the independence. This ingenious suggestion seemed reassuring for only a few days because the Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the United Nations then used the old phraseology. Singapore thereupon informed Vietnam that, if it wanted good relations with South-East Asia, Hanoi would have to move away from any view of “liberating” the peoples of SouthEast Asia. Mr Dong did that and mutual pledges of non-

support ■ for subversion in South-East Asia and in IndoChina were exchanged. The joint statement after the talks between Mr Dong and the Prime Minister of Singapore (Mr Lee) somewhat generously referred to the Prime Ministers expressing “their respective views on the desirability of South-East Asia being a region of peace, independence, freedom and neutrality, as well as of stability and prosperity.” An indication that the talks with Mr Dong were tougher in Singapore than in the other A.S.E.A.N. countries is that A.S.E.A.N. is referred to twice in the joinl statement. After a pledge of non-sub version it is Vietnam’s attitude to A.S.E.A.N. that most bothers Singapore. Mr Dmig was questioned about A.S.E.A.N. He apparently ro-

plied that Vietnam intended to improve its relations with A.S.E.A.N. but on a step by step basis. The Singaporeans are taking that to mean that Vietnam does not really accept A.S.E.A.N. Over-all Singapore is regarding the diplomatic offensive by Mr Dong as a change of tactics, not of strategy, it was also summed up as a change of position, not of policy. The Dong visit was seen as hastily arranged after an announcement of a visit to the A.S.E.A.N. countries bx the Chinese Vice-Premier, Teng Hsiao-ping. Singapore wants to ensure stability in the area and to avoid the introduction of confrontation or conflict. It also wants to preserve the integrity and sovereignty of the countries in SouthEast Asia and to avoid taking sides in the conflict be-

tween Vietnam and Cambodia, between China and Vietnam, or between China and the Soviet Union. On one of the questions that concerns New Zealand, which is arguing to the Americans that Vietnam should be given aid lest it become too heavily dependent on the Soviet Union, Singapore is anxious that any aid that Vietnam receives should not increase its capability to engage in warlike actions. Whatever conclusions Singapore drew about Vietnam’s attitude to A.S.E.A.N., it was encouraged by A.S.E.A.N.’s attitudes to Vietnam. Common attitudes towards Vietnam were agreed before Mr Dong came. The five member countries stuck to the positions Singapore was pleased about this demonstration of -ornmon political wiil.