Kampuchea, disarmament discussed in visit to Asia and Pacific.

Kampuchea and disarmament issues were of particular concern during the Secretary-General's three-week trip (25 January-15 February) to South-East Asia and the Pacific, during which he visited eight nations.

After visiting Thailand, Laos and Viet Nam on the first leg of the journey (25 January-1 February), the Secretary-General said he had gone to the area to make an evaluation on the question of Kampuchea and to attempt to encourage progress towards a negotiated settlement. He had received "clarifications" from the leaders of Viet Nam regarding their position which he intended to convey to the other parties concerned.

He did not feel that a quick solution would be easy or even possible in the near future, but he stood ready to assist all involved to find common ground for a dialogue towards a negotiated settlement in South-East Asia. The Secretary-General appealed to all to "stop confrontation, start talking, make peace."

Mr. Perez de Cuellar had talks in Thailand with Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda and Foreign Minister Siddhi Savetsial. He was received by His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulayej. While in Bangkok, the Secretary-General also met with Samdech Norodom Sihanouk and Prime Minister Sonn Sann of Democratic Kampuchea. On his way to Hanoi, he made a brief stopover in Laos, where he met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phoune Sipaseuth. During his visit to Viet Nam (28-30 January), he met with Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and held talks with Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach.

In Malaysia (1-3 February), Mr. Perez de Cuellar had talks on the Kampuchean situation with Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad and Foreign Minister Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen. In remarks at a dinner on 2 February in Kuala Lumpur, he said that after a protracted period of suffering, destruction and agony, "we have a moral obligation to enable the peoples of the region to fulfil their legitimate aspirations for peace and dignity, and to a future of well-being and prosperity".

Mr. Perez de Cuellar also discussed with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister their country's efforts to fight drug abuse, and its position regarding the question of Antarctica. Also discussed were plans for the United Nations 40th anniversary and the International Youth Year.

During a five-day visit to Indonesia (3-7 February), the Secretary-General met with Indonesian President Gen. Soeharto, Vice-President Umar Wirahadikusumah, and Foreign Minister Mochtar Kusumaatmadja. Discussions with Indonesian leaders centred mainly on the question of Kampuchea. He was also briefed on the situation of Indochinese "boat people" in Indonesia, now totalling 20,000.

On a stopover in Singapore (7 February), Mr. Perez de Cuellar held discussions with Foreign Minister S. Dhanabalan, concentrating on the Kampuchean situation.

New Zealand 

and Australia

Disarmament and nuclear issues highlighted many discussions during his visits to New Zealand and Australia. In New Zealand (9-12 February), the Secretary-General exchanged views in Auckland with Prime Minister David Lange, other government officials and citizen groups on a number of issues, in particular disarmament. A planned visit of a New Zealand rugby team to South Africa and a variety of other issues were reviewed.

On 11 February, at a press conference in Wellington, the Secretary-General said it was not for him to pass judgement on the policies pursued by New Zealand in the nuclear field but stressed that the United Nations policy in that regard was consistent: it was against the nuclear arms race and in favour of nuclear and conventional disarmament.

Later that day, at a parliamentary reception, he said: "We at the United Nations share your profound concern about the escalating arms race and the danger that the growing nuclear arsenals of the great Powers pose to all countries. Even countries which are not parties to the conflict will be victims of an irresponsible decision of a few leaders."

In Australia (12-15 February), he met with Prime Minister Robert Hawke, Foreign Minister William G. Hayden, Gov-Gen. Sir Ninian Stephen, and other Australian leaders. In addition to disarmament concerns, matters relating to Kampuchea, the African crisin, Lebanon, Cyprus and other international issues were discussed.

Nuclear Concerns: At Canberra's Australian National Press Club on 14 February, the Secretary-General said that the present opportunities to break the long impasse in disarmament negotiations "simply cannot be overestimated", referring to preparations for resuming talks on nuclear and space weapons by the United States and the USSR, and continuing efforts at the Conference on Disarmament and at Stockholm and Vienna.

Distrust between Nations, he went on, not only stemmed from possession of arms, but also from real conflicts in national interests, which constituted "serious impediments to disarmament". The United Nations capacity to facilitate progress towards disarmament was substantial. Every opportunity should be seized now to bring progress towards disarmament, he said.

Also on 14 February, at a United Nations Association of Australia dinner in sydney, The Secretary-General said the need for human solidarity and a sense of community was nowhere more apparent than in the situations of massive suffering and starvation that were being permitted to occur even though there were resources to avert them altogether. The famine in Africa was a prime example.

The United Nations system was fully geared to take every possible action to aleviate such suffering, but the international community would have to help anticipate and prevent such emergencies from deteriorating to the point of calamity. "The world community cannot afford to wait for the drama to come into its collective sitting room before addressing long-term and urgent problems." (Press Releases SG/T/1303-1317, SG/SM/3661/Rev. 1 and 3662)