Cablegram 136 [1] CANBERRA, 15 June 1944
SECRET
Your D.783 Siam. [2]
We would suggest amendment of first sentence to read as follows:-
‘His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom favour the restoration of Siam after the war as a free sovereign and independent State and wish to see its security guaranteed within a general system’.
2. What we have in mind is desirability of avoiding inference that Siam’s security will be guaranteed without contribution by Siam, e.g. of facilities such as airfields.
3. We wish to issue a declaration at same time as yours and would be glad if detailed arrangements for synchronisation could be made.
4. Our declaration would read as follows:-
‘His Majesty’s Australian Government, having in mind the statement by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek [3] on 26th February, 1943, later endorsed by President Roosevelt, and being in complete agreement with the declaration by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom declares that it favours the restoration of Thailand after the war as a free sovereign and independent State and wishes to see Thailand’s security guaranteed within a general system. The Australian Government does not forget, however, that the Government of Luang Pibul [4] took the initiative in declaring war on Britain in spite of Thailand’s non-aggression pact with Britain and that Luang Pibul’s Government has since associated itself with our enemies the Japanese who have menaced the very existence of Australia. The Australian Government reminds the Thai people that they must themselves contribute to their liberation and fully concurs with the view of the United Kingdom Government that in the final settlement account will inevitably be taken of the extent of that contribution.’
_
1 Repeated to the N.Z. Prime Minister as no. 122.
2 Document 169.
3 Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese President and, until 4 December, President of the Executive Yuan, broadcast to the armed forces and people of Thailand calling upon them to cooperate with China in expelling the Japanese and assuring them that China had no intention of undermining the sovereignty or independence of a Free Thailand. See Foreign Relations of the United State: 1943 China, Washington, 1957, pp. 13-14.
4 Field Marshal Luang P. Pibulsonggram, Thai Prime Minister and Minister for Defence.
_
[AA:A989, 44/895/2/2]