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Historical documents

197 Commonwealth Government to Cranborne

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]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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