SENATOR LAM AT HOME WITH WIFE AND CHILD; LEAVING FOR SENATE BUILDING; IN SENATE CHAMBER; SENATORS SEATED; SENATOR LAM INTERVIEWED - SOUND ON FILM



INTERVIEWER: "WHAT SETTLEMENT, SIR, DO YOU FEEL COULD BRING ABOUT AN HONOURABLE PEACE IN SOUTH VIETNAM?"



LAM: "YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND BY HONOURABLE PEACE. FOR US IN SOUTH VIETNAM A PEACE IS VERY EASY TO OBTAIN BY ASKING NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMIES AND NORTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO LEAVE US ALONE AND ASK THEM TO RETURN TO THEIR LAND, AND LEAVE IT THE NORTH VIETNAM AND SOUTH VIETNAM".




Initials



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Background: PRESIDENT THIEU OF SOUTH VIETNAM IS EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT SOON ON HIS GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TO THE PARIS PEACE TALKS, FOLLOWING EARLIER STATEMENTS THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT TAKE PART IN THE TALKS UNDER THEIR PRESENT ORGANISATION. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT PRESIDENT THIEU HAS BEEN GIVEN AMERICAN ASSURANCES THAT SOUTH VIETNAM WILL PLAY "THE LEADING ROLE" IF IT AGREES TO ATTEND THE TALKS. VICE-PRESIDENT NGUYEN CAO KY WOULD BE EXPECTED TO LEAD THE DELEGATION, BUT AN IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE TEAM IS EXPECTED TO BE SENATOR TRAN VAN LAM.

SENATOR LAM IS A FORMER AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA AND IS CURRENTLY CHAIRMAN OF THE VIETNAM COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS. THIS WEEK HE INTRODUCED THE "POLITICAL PARTIES" BILL IN THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE SENATE, A BILL WHICH COULD HAVE FAR-REACHING POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS IN SOUTH VIETNAM. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE BILL PARLIAMENT COULD EVENTUALLY ABSORB NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT REPRESENTATIVES.

SENATOR LAM HAS NINE CHILDREN AND LIVES IN A COMFORTABLE HOUSE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF SAIGON. FOUR OF HIS CHILDREN ARE STUDYING IN AUSTRALIA, THREE ARE STUDYING IN THE UNITED STATES AND TWO ARE AT HOME.

THIS WEEK THE SENATOR WAS ASKED ABOUT THE CHANCES FOR AN "HONOURABLE PEACE" IN SOUTH VIETNAM.