Minute CANBERRA, 11 April 1949
INDONESIA AND SOUTH EAST ASIAN REGIONAL GROUP THE NEW ZEALAND ATTITUDE
In view of the likelihood of discussions between the Prime Ministers [1] of Australia and New Zealand on the subject of Indonesia and the South East Asian regional organization the following summary of the recommendations contained in the brief prepared by the New Zealand Department of External Affairs for use by the New Zealand delegation at the General Assembly may be of interest.
The New Zealand Department apparently did not give consideration to the possibility that a proposal would be made for the inclusion on the Assembly agenda of a separate item dealing with Indonesia.
The brief suggested to the New Zealand delegation, however, that they should support a discussion of the question on the basis of the report of the Security Council. It was further suggested that the New Zealand delegate should give full support to the Security Council resolution [2] and to the reports of the United Nations Commission for Indonesia and should stress the dangers which must result from a failure to settle the dispute on the basis of the directions of the Security Council.
It was further suggested that the New Zealand delegates without advocating the imposition of sanctions should affirm their willingness to support any measures which might be determined on by the Security Council to enforce its authority. The New Zealand delegate was to give moral support to suggestions that as a last resort the Security Council should take action under Article 41.
[3]
In connection with the New Delhi Conference it was recommended that the New Zealand delegate should not participate in further discussions in New York except as an observer. In addition it was recommended that New Zealand should not participate in any joint recommendation from an Asian bloc. In connection with the third resolution [4] of the New Delhi Conference it was suggested that the New Zealand delegate should adopt an even more cautious approach ‘since New Zealand is not properly or advantageously comprised within an Asian grouping and no decision has yet been reached as to whether, in a more limited South East Asian association, it would be desirable for New Zealand to have observer status’.
_
1 J.B. Chifley and Peter Fraser.
2 Document 168.
3 See Document 213 and note 5 thereto.
4 See Document 144.
_
[AA : A1838, 854/10/4/3, iv]