Thai Govt tries to restructure Khmer resistance

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 3

Thai Govt tries to restructure Khmer resistance

jPA Wellington; ; The Thai Government was! ■ doing its best to achieve aj restructuring of Khmer re- 1 sistance to the Vietnamese! presence in Kampuchea’s part of a bid to make , the resistance more acceptable to Western and allied nations, said the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs (Air Chief Marshal Siddhi "SjLvetsila) in Wellington yester-J day. ; He believed China would! support Thailand in its ef-l forts and would support any; force that would work* to-; gether and whose leaders; would “join hands”. j Asked about possible fut-i ure leaders of a united; Khmer resistance, he said] the Khmer Serei leader, Son; Sann, could have a per- 1 , manent . role. “He is a re- i spectable national leader, a; (former Premier and a nat-: iionalist. He can rally a lot; (of support for himself.” ■ I Air Marshal.Siddhi said be! ; believed China would sup-! ! port a freely elected Gov- i I eminent elected in Kam-! ’puchea after a United; (Nations conference and the: (withdrawal of Vietnamese; : troops. This was a reason-! table position. Thailand, treasured the Manila Pact defence treaty 'embracing the United States ■. Thailand, Australia. New ; Zealand, the Philippines, and ; Britain as one “of value.” ! He said Thailand was not (raisins the existence of:the

i pact because some countries (might think it was trying to (revive the “Cold War” period. i -i “But I - think the pact is' very useful to us as well as; to those who join us in I defence. "We tell our friends we ( rely heavily' on ourselves toj defend our lands by our own efforts, but of course if our| ; security is at stake we have! to build up our strength,” hej ((said. ! He did not see any need; for a New Zealand military] • presence in Thailand and did; ;-not expect that the need fori ;one would arise. ; Air Marshal Siddhi said he! I]had received a letter from! I (the new American Secretary" Hof State (General Alexander] ■'Haig) saying that Thailand! .‘was of practical interest to] > the United States as far as] ■its sovereignty was con-] : ■ cerned. .' He said the Thai Govern-' ; ment was satisfied with the] - flow of military aid it had] • received from the United; - States but wanted the flow] I to keep up and not be low- ; ered because of Government! ; ; spending cuts. -! After talks yesterday with! : the Minister of Foreign Af-i ». fairs, (Mr Taiboys) the] ; Prime Minister (Mr Mui-] 5: doon and the Minister of] ,• Defence (Mr Thomson) Air 1 Marshal Siddhi was flown to| Taupo for sight-seeing in t New Zealand's geothermal ; area.