Canada in Indochina
| Author | Pacificus |
| Published date | 01 December 1956 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070205601100405 |
| Date | 01 December 1956 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
CANADA
IN
INDOCHINA
Pacificus*
ON
July
21,
1954,
the
Government
of
Canada
was
invited
by
the
Geneva
Conference on
Indochina
to
designate
repre-
sentatives to
serve
with
those
of
India
and
Poland
as
mem-
bers
of
three
Commissions
to
supervise
the
implementation
of
the
armistice agreements
that
had
been
concluded
for
Vietnam,
Cambodia
and
Laos.
The
Canadian
Government
accepted
this
unexpected
invitation
on
July
27.
Early
in
August
a
meeting
of
Canadian,
Indian
and
Polish
representatives
in
New
Delhi
led
to
the
formal
establishment
of
the
Commissions
in
Hanoi,
Vientiane
and
Phnom
Penh
respectively
on
August
11.
The
Canadian Government
did
not
accept
its
new
responsibili-
ties
lightly.
It
was
emphasized in
public
statements
that
mem-
bership
on
the
three
Commissions
did
not
mean
that
Canada
had
been
called
upon
to
"guarantee
or
enforce"
the
cease-fire
in
Indochina
nor
did
it
involve
any
"military
or
collective
security
commitments"
not
previously
undertaken
by
Canada
as
a
mem-
ber
of
the
United
Nations.
The
Government
was
under
no
illu-
sions
about
the
"magnitude and
complexity
of
the
task"
but
it
was
asserted,
"We
know
from
experience
...
that
just
as
local
conflicts
can
become
general
war,
so
conditions
of
security
and
stability
in
any
part
of
the
world
will
serve
the
cause
of
peace
everywhere.
If,
therefore,
by
participating
in
the
work
of
these
Indochina
Com-
missions,
Canada
can
assist
in
establishing
such
security
and
stability
in
Southeast
Asia,
we
will
be
serving
our
country
as
well
as
the
cause
of peace."
The provision
of
about
160
carefully
selected
persons
to
staff
the three
Canadian Delegations
in
the
field
and
a
significant
number
to
carry
"Operation
Indochina"
in
Ottawa
has
proved
a
real
and
continuing
difficulty
for
both
the
Department
of
Ex-
ternal
Affairs and
the
Department
of
National
Defence. At
every
level
the military
and
non-military
components
of
the
three
Canadian
Delegations have
had
to
build
up
a
rather
unique
pat-
tern
of
relations
which
could
be
maintained
only
by a high
degree
of
good
humour
and
tolerance
for
differing
traditions
and
pro-
cedures.
Relations
with
the
other
Delegations have
not
always
been
easy
with
persons
in
each
representing
different
national
*A
Canadian
student
of
Asian Affairs.
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