MILITARY PRESENCE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA (Balancing of)

Mr P. Selvadurai asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of recent press reports to the effect that a superpower was establishing a military base in Cam-Ranh Bay, he will consider initiating moves, in concert with his ASEAN counterparts, to balance the said military presence in South East Asia.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member has raised a pertinent issue. There is evidence that the Soviet Union has obtained the use of naval and air facilities in Cam-Ranh Bay from its ally, Vietnam. This has enhanced Soviet strategic capability both in the Pacific and in the Indian Oceans and, if unchecked, will eventually tilt the power balance in Asia to Soviet advantage. Soviet intentions in the region are clear. As in so many instances in the past, they obviously hope to fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of another super-power.

The conclusion of the Treaty of Friendship between the Soviet Union and Vietnam in November 1978 foreshadowed the granting of these base facilities by Vietnam to the Soviet Union. There are provisions for military cooperation in the treaty. Through this treaty and other friendship treaties between Vietnam and Laos and the Vietnamese-installed Heng Samrin regime in Kampuchea, the three Indo-Chinese regimes are locked into a de facto military alliance with Soviet military underpinning.

All these, of course, do not augur well for peace and security in the region, especially since this treaty relationship has provided the Soviet Union an opportunity and a treaty obligation to intervene in South East Asia as they consider necessary. It would be ideal for the peace and stability of the region if big power rivalry is kept out of the region.

However, this is an unrealistic expectation. It is in the nature of things that big powers will seek to extend their power and influence wherever they can and to exclude the other contending powers from these areas. This is why Singapore has consistently argued for a multi-power presence in the region. A multi-power presence is the best guarantee. No single big power will then be in a position to dominate the region. Singapore has publicly enunciated this and has called on friendly powers to play a role in the region. As the hon. Member knows, we have repeatedly urged the US and the West to play a part in this region as it is so much in their interest as well as ours for them to continue maintaining an active interest and presence in the region.

The hon. Member is aware that ASEAN is primarily a socio-economic organization. This is prescribed in the Bangkok Declaration of 1967. However, in the recent past ASEAN has increasingly played a political role, as evidenced by its action to mobilize world support to deny legitimacy to the Vietnamese occupation of Kampuchea. ASEAN has no intention of pursuing a military role unless this is forced upon ASEAN by others. Although ASEAN does not have a military dimension, this has not precluded individual ASEAN countries from instituting bilateral defence cooperation among themselves to enable them to better withstand external threats to their security.