Diplomatic Golf

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew flew into Thailand last week acting like an ordinary tourist. He played a round of golf, sampled Bangkok's famous cuisine, and laid on a sightseeing tour that was mostly followed, as it turned out, by Mrs. Lee. Meanwhile the Singapore delegation, including Lee's Foreign Minister and his intelligence experts, huddled in secret talks with Thai Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn and his assistants. What the Singapore visitors had come to propose was the creation of a new regional defense strategy, by Asians and for Asians.

Lee is convinced that such a strategy is needed. What he fears particularly is that the U.S. may pull out its bombers soon after a Viet Nam ceasefire is signed. He and the Thais last week reached an estimate that the bombers would remain for at least the next four years. What Lee wants to work out is what kind of military alignment can take shape in the meantime. Building a strong military force, Lee explained, would require the backing of at least one major power. That in turn could lead other powers to form a bloc against the Southeast Asian countries, thus creating a new period of confrontation. Instead of building armies, Lee proposed that both Singapore and Thailand share military intelligence on Communist activities in the region and exchange expertise.

The Southeast Asians have even more expansive plans for peace. Within seven days of the signing of any Viet Nam cease-fire agreement, Singapore, Thailand and other nations belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (which also includes Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines) would call a meeting to which they would invite both Viet Nams, Cambodia, Laos and Burma. "We want them in the association," says Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Chartichai Choonhawan, "because we want to see work start on reconstructing the damage done by war."