Treaty to ensure rapid U.S. supply of arms

Press, 5 October 1985, Page 11

Treaty to ensure rapid U.S. supply of arms

NZPA-Reuter New York The United States and Thailand signed an agreement yesterday formalising rapid supplies of American military equipment to it in times of armed threat. Officials of both sides said that the agreement, signed by the Prime Minister, General Prem Tinsulanonda, and the United States Defence Secretary, Mr Caspar Weinberger, was aimed at helping Thailand when Vietnamese troops made incursions from Kampuchea. Since Vietnamese troops

invaded Kampuchea in late 1978 to oust the Khmer Rouge, they have frequently intruded on Thai territory during attacks on guerrillas fighting them and the Hanoi-installed government in Phnom Penh. Thai officials said that it should make deliveries much quicker because the agreement gave Thailand “direct access to the U.S. logistics system” in an emergency. They described it as an important one. Another Vietnamese dry season of-

fensive was expected to begin before the end of the year. The officials said that it could bring more direct attacks on Thai army bases. Such bases near the Kampuchean border have been hit only rarely in the past. But attempts to get peace talks started are apparently deadlocked, and the Thai officials say that they suspect Vietnam might aim to cause maximum Thai casualties in a bid to weaken Thai support for the guerrillas.