John Pedler: Veteran of a golden era of British diplomacy and commissioner-general of southeast Asia
A keen writer, his postings took him from Paris to Phnom Phen where he picked up experiences for a string of spy novels.

25 January 2019
John Pedler, who has died aged 90, was a retired diplomat who wrote searing critiques of the Iraq war and the follies that followed in his blog, JP Diplomatic Consultancy (named after his business). He was very much a wise head in a foreign policy milieu where wisdom was not in demand.

In 1951, he joined the Foreign Service (now Diplomatic Service) starting as a desk officer in the American department, covering the west coast and South America. Having established himself as a young diplomat he was posted to the British embassy in Vienna. He also served as commissioner-general of southeast Asia, and in the British embassies in Saigon, Laos and Phnom Penh. Eventually he became first secretary, British embassy in Paris.
In the late 1980s peace negotiator, Stan Windass and historian Peter Carey approached him about a charity they were in the process of forming to help landmine survivors in Cambodia.

Through his time in the diplomatic services, Pedler still had good relations with Cambodian prime minister HE and Prince Sihanouk, and he was able to help facilitate the relevant access and cooperation needed to operate in the region.

In 1989 the trio set up the Cambodia Trust, introduced a satellite telephone link, and opened a modern artificial limb and rehabilitation centre. The trust continues today and has helped transform the lives of thousands of disabled people in Cambodia; it has evolved from an emergency relief organisation to a major development non-governmental organisation, now called Exceed Worldwide.
Full article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obit ... 43286.html