The Thai delega¬tion takes pleasure in joining
with the preceding delegations in extending to
the President its sincere congratulations on his
unanimous election to his office for the
thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly.
At a time when the Organization is assuming ever
increasing responsibilities, not only in the
preserva-tion of peace, but also for the security
and well-being of peoples in all regions of the
world, we are gratified to have a person of his
demonstrable experience, skill and impartiality
to preside over our deliberations. In the coming
months, many issues vital to the general peace,
progress and prosperity of the international
community of which we are all a part will
doubtless be brought before the General Assembly.
On us will be focused much attention and of us
much will and should be expected. For in the
United Nations will be vested many of the hopes
and aspirations of the world's peoples. My
delegation therefore pledges to the President and
Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, as well as to
the Secretary-General and his able staff, its
full co-operation in the discharge of the heavy
responsibilities that lie ahead.
187. The delegation of Thailand also has the
honor to convey its deep appreciation to Mr.
Kittani, Presi¬dent of the thirty-sixth session
of the Assembly, for his distinguished services
on behalf of the Organi¬zation. His invaluable
contributions to the interna¬tional community
have earned for himself and his country the high
esteem of Governments and peoples around the
world.
188. The past year has been particularly
momentous. The seventh emergency special session
of the General Assembly, on the question of
Palestine, has been reconvened a few times
recently to consider the pressing situation in
the Middle East and, in particular, the tragedy
that has befallen Lebanon. The military
aggression committed by Israel against the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon,
resulting in the terrible loss of innocent
civilian lives, including those of women and
children, has undermined efforts on the part of
the international community to find a just and
lasting settlement for the conflict in the Middle
East. Moreover, the world was deeply shocked by
the ruth¬less massacre in west Beirut following
t.ie violation of the cease-fire agreements by
Israeli armed forces.
189. My delegation urges that a full and
impartial investigation be conducted by the
United Nations, with the consent of the Lebanese
Government and the co-operation of all parties
concerned, so that the facts may become known and
the culprits brought to justice as soon as
possible. Meanwhile, Thailand wishes to join in
calling for the expeditious and total withdrawal
of all foreign forces from Lebanon in accordance
with the relevant United Nations resolutions so
that the people of Lebanon can once again be the
masters of their own destiny.
190. Interpretation of national security
interests by one party can never be permitted to
be so broad as to encompass the right to invade
and occupy a sovereign and independent State, to
dislodge people from their homelands or to
subjugate them in occupied territories. The
Government of Thailand deplores the fact that the
Palestinian people continue to be denied their
inalien¬able rights. Every effort must continue
with urgency to enable them to attain and
exercise their rights, including the right to
self-determination without external interference,
the right to national indepen¬dence and
sovereignty and the right to return to their
homes and properties.
191. At the same time as the legitimate rights
of the Palestinian people are recognized,
including the right to statehood, the legitimate
rights of all States in the region to exist
within secure and recognized borders must also be
recognized in the interest of peace. It is my
delegation's firm belief that the conflict in the
Middle East, with the question of Palestine as
its core issue, must find a negotiated solution
with the par¬ticipation of all concerned
including the PLO, which represents the
Palestinian people.
192. The Lebanese crisis has proved that there is
no effective military solution to the Middle East
conflict and that military might not crush the
legitimate aspirations of peoples. On the
contrary, such aspira¬tions have gained greater
international support and will be more fervently
manifested. The course of events in the Middle
East must be steered towards a peaceful political
settlement; otherwise it might take an ever
downward turn drawing all concerned into a spiral
of increasing violence. My delegation therefore
wel¬comes the recent pronouncements of the United
States Government as a positive development.
193. However, while the State of Israel is a
recog¬nized reality, the legitimacy of
Palestinian yearnings for statehood must also be
recognized. In this connec¬tion the Arab
countries have announced the Fez plan, which
marks a historic step and establishes a
frame¬work for further dialogues and negotiations
accept¬able to the Palestinians and the key Arab
States. Provided that the plan takes due
cognizance of Security Council resolution 242
(1967), prospects for widening the dialogue to
include other interested parties seem more
promising. It is the earnest hope of my
delega¬tion that these welcome new developments
and the recent deplorable events in Lebanon will
help to intensify efforts to find a just and
lasting solution to the Middle East conflict that
will result in the attainment by the Palestinian
people of their rights and the enjoyment by ali
States, including Israel and Lebanon, of secure
existence within their recognized borders.
194. Over 20 years after the Declaration on
the Granting of Independence to Colonial
Countries and Peoples, it is regrettable to note
that peoples in many parts of the world are still
struggling for the dignity that only freedom and
self-determination can bestow. The valiant
struggle of the Palestinian people finds worthy
parallels in the situations in Namibia,
Afghani¬stan and Kampuchea.
193. My delegation is deeply concerned that the
presence of South African occupation forces in
Namibia continues to threaten peace not only in
Namibia but also throughout southern Africa, in
flagrant disregard of relevant United Nations
resolu¬tions. Indeed, the continuing instability
in southern Africa poses a threat to
international peace and security. The Government
of Thailand reiterates its view that the illegal
occupation of Namibia must be unconditionally and
immediately brought to an end to enable the
Namibian people to achieve sovereignty and
independence in an integrated Namibia.
196. It is our just expectation that the
contact group will redouble its efforts to bring
about a compre¬hensive settlement in Namibia that
will also end the aggressions committed by South
African forces against neighbouring front-line
States. Continued failure to arrive at a
political settlement would only confirm the
justified reaction of SWAPO that it must attain
its legitimate goals of self-determination,
freedom and independence in a united Namibia by
all possible means.
197. In Afghanistan the proud Afghan people
con¬tinue to suffer under the yoke of foreign
occupation. The Assembly has called for the
immediate, uncon¬ditional and total withdrawal of
foreign troops from Afghanistan. My Government
fully supports the efforts of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference to seek a solution to the
crisis. Continued humanitarian assistance must be
accorded to the hundreds of thousands of Afghan
refugees forced to flee from their country and
the ruthless suppression of Afghan patriots must
be brought to an end. We join in urging the
Assembly once again to help rectify the
injustices perpetrated against the Afghan people.
It is the responsibility of the Security Council
to preserve international peace and security, and
the permanent member concerned should recognize
that its actions in Afghanistan only destabilize
the precarious balance in that vital region of
the world, and that any prolonged instability
there will have serious repercussions beyond the
Afghan borders to its own detriment.
198. The plight of the Palestinian, Namibian and
Afghan peoples continues rightly, to be an
interna¬tional issue of grave concern to the
world community. In South-East Asia, the people
of Kampuchea also have been denied the right to
determine their own destiny, because their nation
has been invaded and occupied by a more powerful
neighbor. They have been forced to flee their
homes to seek food and shelter in neighbouring
countries. Moreover, they con¬tinue to be denied
their basic human rights by the occupation
forces. Therefore, the situation in Kam¬puchea
presents a political and humanitarian challenge
to the world community. The foreign invasion and
occupation of Kampuchea have resulted in untold
suffering for the Kampuchean people and created
severe tension in South-East Asia. The present
situation has interrupted the process ot
constructive co-operation among countries of
South-East Asia and brought about an
intensification of big-Power rivalry in the
region. Thus the conflict in Kampuchea
consti¬tutes a threat to international peace and
security.
199. In three successive years the General
Assembly adopted three resolutions calling for
the withdrawal of all foreign forces, respect for
the sovereignty, inde¬pendence and territorial
integrity of Kampuchea and the free exercise of
self-determination by the Kampu¬chean people.
However, these resolutions remain unheeded by the
instigator of the conflict. My country, together
with the other members of ASEAN, has endeavoured,
within the framework of the United Nations, to
seek a peaceful comprehensive political se dement
to the conflict in Kampuchea.
200. Last year the International Conference on
Kampuchea was convened by the Secretary-General
at United Nations Headquarters to consider ways
and means of achieving a just and durable
solution of the Kampuchean problem. The
Declaration adopted by consensus at that
Conference^ reaffirmed that with¬drawal of all
foreign forces from Kampuchea, restora¬tion of
the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Kampuchea and the free exercise of
self- determination by the Kampuchean people were
the principal components of any just and lasting
solution to the Kampuchean problem. The
Conference also called for negotiations on a
cease-fire and withdrawal of all foreign forces
under United Nations supervision and measures for
the maintenance of peace and order in Kampuchea
and for the holding of free elections under
United Nations supervision. Regrettably, these
calls by the overwhelming majority of the
international community have been ignored by Viet
Nam, which maintains its military occupation of
Kampuchea.
201. The Ad Hoc Committee set up by the
Interna¬tional Conference on Kampuchea, under the
chairman¬ship of Mr. Sarre of Senegal, has
undertaken several missions in pursuit of the
objectives of the Conference. My delegation would
like to express its deep apprecia¬tion to Mr.
Sarre and the Ad Hoc Committee for their efforts.
We strongly urge all parties concerned, in
particular Viet Nam and its allies, to join in
this peace process under the aegis of the United
Nations to effect a just and durable solution to
the Kampuchean problem.
202. My delegation would also like to express
its sincere appreciation to Mr. Willibald Pahr,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria and
President of the International Conference on
Kampuchea, for his constructive role. We should
also like to pay a warm tribute to the
Secretary-General for this continuing concern
with regard to the Kampuchean problem. We call
once again on all States Members of the United
Nations to recognize the usefulness of these
efforts and to accord their full co-operation.
203. Despite the efforts made by the ASEAN
coun¬tries in ongoing bilateral dialogues to
facilitate a negotiated settlement of the
Kampuchean conflict, we regret to report that no
substantial progress has been made and that no
substantive change in Viet Nam's position has
been evident. Our hopes are constantly raised
prior to every session of the General Assembly.
At such times, seemingly new proposals are made
by Hanoi or at its instigation, as in the recent
Ho Chi Minh City communique and in the
communication of the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. However,
upon closer examination, it is apparent that
these proposals do not offer a viable basis for a
just and lasting settlement of the Kampu¬chean
problem.
204. In the Ho Chi Minh City communique issued
in July, a partial withdrawal of Vietnamese
troops from Kampuchea was offered. Subsequently,
the Vietnamese authorities claimed that this
partial with¬drawal had been completed in
mid-July. However, there are reports indicating
that there was merely a rotation of troops and
new units from Viet Nam have been arriving in
Kampuchea since the end of April. The relevant
United Nations resolutions call for a complete
and total withdrawal of foreign forces from
Kampuchea. Indeed, a genuine commitment to that
end by the party concerned would be welcomed as a
positive step in the right direction. The
Assembly, therefore, needs to reiterate its call
for the total with¬drawal of all foreign forces
from Kampuchea.
205. Viet Nam has also proposed an
international conference on South-East Asia with
limited participa¬tion. As I have already
mentioned, the International Conference on
Kampuchea was convened in July last year, with
the participation of over 90 States and parties
concerned. Ad Hoc Committee was estab¬lished by
that Conference to undertake efforts towards a
peaceful negotiated settlement of the Kampuchean
conflict. We once again call on Viet Nam and its
allies to participate in the United Nations peace
process on Kampuchea. As a State Member of the
United Nations, Viet Nam should have no
difficulty in participating in this United
Nations framework for a negotiated settlement of
the Kampuchean conflict.
206. On the one hand, Viet Nam appears to
regard the situation in Kampuchea as an internal
issue of concern only to the Heng Samrin puppet
regime; on the other hand, Vietnamese authorities
have stressed their preoccupation with the
Chinese threat against the three Indo-Chinese
countries. Therefore, it must first be
ascertained that the Kampuchean problem to be
discussed at an international conference would
not be the mere question of a so-called Chinese
threat against the puppet regime in Phnom Penh
but the exercise of the right to
self-determination by the Kampuchean people, free
from foreign occupation and alien domination. The
other countries of Southeast Asia must be
satisfied that such proposals would not serve to
legitimize Vietnamese occupation of Kampuchea and
prolong the suffering of the Kampu¬chean people.
207. Viet Nam has also proposed that a
so-called safety zone, or demilitarized zone, be
established along the Thai-Kampuchean border.
However, the armed conflict in Kampuchea is not
between Thailand and Kampuchea, but between
Vietnamese forces and Kampuchean patriots. If a
demilitarized zone is to be established, it
should be along the Kampuchean- Vietnamese
border. It should be recalled that Kampu¬chean
resistance forces are there because of the
Vietnamese occupation of their homeland. Only if
and when such foreign occupation comes to an end
can the Kampuchean patriots legitimately be
expected to lay down their arms. To restore peace
to Kampuchea and to reduce regional tension it is
necessary that the 200,000 Vietnamese troops be
completely withdrawn from Kampuchea.
208. Despite the presence of 200,000
Vietnamese troops in Kampuchea and their
four-year onslaught against Kampuchean
resistance, the latter has gained in strength and
numbers. The new Government of Democratic
Kampuchea under the presidency of Prince Norodom
Sihanouk is a natural and posi¬tive development
that reflects the firm resolve and relentless
determination of the Kampuchean people to resist
the imposition of any form of alien domination.
The new leadership of Kampuchea also offers
renewed hopes for improving the prospects of
achieving a comprehensive political settlement of
the Kampuchean problem in accordance with the
relevant United Nations resolutions.
209. The turmoil in Indo-China and in particular
the continued armed conflict in Kampuchea have
resulted in large numbers of people fleeing to
seek food and shelter in neighbouring countries.
Since 1975 over 1 million people from Indo-China
have sought tem¬porary refuge in Thailand, a
country of first refuge in South-East Asia. Many
others did not survive the perilous journey
overland or by leaky boat on the high seas.
Although the numbers have been reduced and many
refugees have been resettled in third countries,
the situation remains of grave humanitarian
concern to the international community. There are
still over 150,000 Vietnamese, Laotian and
Kampuchean refugees in Thai holding centers.
Furthermore, with the fighting in Kampuchea there
is every possibility that new waves of refugees
and displaced persons —now numbering some 200,000
to 300,000 along the Thai-Kampuchean border—will
sweep across the border into Thailand.
210. The Government of Thailand is therefore
sadly disappointed at the recent sharp decline in
the resettlement rates in third countries of
Indo-Chinese refugees in Thailand.
The need to expedite their resettlement as well
as to increase resettlement opportunities in
third countries should be a matter of serious
concern, not only to Thailand but also to all
countries which uphold humanitarian principles.
It is mainly because of international
humanitarian assistance provided by donor
Governments, United Nations agencies and over 50
voluntary agencies and Thailand's humane policy
and co-operation that mass starvation inside
Kampuchea has been averted.
211. My delegation would like to express our
profound appreciation to the donor countries and
to the Secretary-General and his Special
Representative, as well as to the various United
Nations and voluntary agencies, for their
dedicated efforts in this regard.
212. The needs of the Kampucheans remain real
and manifest along the Thai-Kampuchean border as
well as in the Thai holding centers. The
Kampuchean influx and the Vietnamese incursions
and cross-border shellings have also displaced
close to 100,000 innocent Thai villagers. We
therefore urge donor countries to continue to
support the humanitarian programmes of the United
Nations along the Thai-Kampuchean border and in
the holding centers and to assist the Royal Thai
Government in the relief and rehabilitation of
the affected Thai villagers.
213. The resources of Thailand, a developing
third- world nation, have been strained by the
need to assist in the care and shelter of the
large numbers of displaced Indo-Chinese persons.
While the Govern¬ment of Thailand intends to
continue to fulfill its humanitarian
responsibilities in accordance with its
traditions, the problem not only poses a heavy
economic burden for Thailand but also has
immediate and long-term political and security
implications. The most natural solution would be
for the refugees to return safely to their homes.
The Royal Thai Govern¬ment, in co-operation with
UNHCR, will continue to promote and assist in the
program of voluntary repatriation by land, sea
and air. Pending the full implementation of that
program, safe relocation of the Kampuchean
displaced persons in the border areas which are
accessible to relief supplies seems to be a
viable alternative.
214. It is worth noting that the humanitarian
aspect of the Kampuchean problem can find a
lasting solu-tion only if there is a
comprehensive political settle¬ment of the
Kampuchean problem as a whole. The international
community must therefore redouble its efforts to
resolve the Kampuchean conflict once and for all
in accordance with the relevant United Nations
resolutions. To this end, Thailand and the member
countries of ASEAN have sought the assistance of
the international community in bringing about a
negotiated settlement of the problem. The efforts
of ASEAN are undertaken with sincerity and in
good faith. We harbor no enmity towards any
country, particularly those situated in our
region. But the armed conflict in Kampuchea
stands in the way of closer co-operation among
the countries of South-Fust Asia and consti¬tutes
a serious threat not only to regional but to
interna¬tional peace and security. The peaceful
settlement of the conflict will pave the way
towards the establish¬ment of a zone of peace,
freedom and neutrality in South-East Asia which
would provide for the orderly development of all
peoples in the region, irrespective of
differences in their political, economic or
social systems.
215. One of the basic causes of international
conflicts today is the economic discrepancy and
exploitation among nations. In recognition of
this fact, the United Nations system has devoted
the greater part of its entire budget to the
tasks of economic and social development.
However, the fact remains that there are still
nearly 1 billion people living in abject poverty
in the world today, and by the end of the Third
United Nations Development Decade their number
will have surpassed the 1 billion mark.
216. In view of the present crisis in the
world eco¬nomy, progress in the efforts to narrow
the gap between rich and poor nations has not
been satisfactory. Thailand's current fifth
five-year plan is aimed at reducing the external
trade deficit and population growth rate,
restructuring its key productive sectors,
eradicating poverty in rural areas and
maintaining its annual growth rate of between 6
per cent and 7 per cent.
217. However, our export earnings have been
ad¬versely affected by the protectionist policies
of certain developed countries. In this
connection my delegation reiterates the hope
expressed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at their
fifteenth ministerial meeting, in June 1982, that
the GATT ministerial meeting in November 1982
will restore the basic task of GATT in ensuring
that the principles of free trade are
consistently practiced in the world market. We
also hope that the sixth session of UNCTAD, in
1983, will successfully tackle such priority
issues as pro¬tectionism, structural adjustment
and commodities.
218. We live in an increasingly interdependent
world. A global, integrated and comprehensive
approach to world problems is essential if there
is to be an agreed solution. For this reason, in
1974, the General As-sembly adopted the Programme
of Action on the Establishment of a New
International Economic Order which would ensure
the full and active participation of the
developing countries in gobal decision-making and
the management of international economic
co-operation for development.
219. My Government fully welcomed and endorsed
the decision taken at the sixth special session
as well as the subsequent adoption of the
International Development Strategy for the Third
United Nations Development Decade and resolution
34/138, calling for the launching of global and
sustained negotiations on international economic
co¬operation for development. We are, however,
dis¬appointed that, almost three years after
resolution 34/138 was adopted by consensus, and
despite con¬tinued endeavors and the flexibility
shown by the Group of 77 and many of its
industrialized friends, some influential Members
continue to procrastinate concerning the
launching of global negotiations. We earnestly
hope that the latter will, in the spirit of
Cancun, demonstrate the necessary will to
proceed, as further postponement of the launching
of global negotiations would not only aggravate
the already deteriorating relations between North
and South but also, in the eyes of the South,
demonstrate a lack of good faith on the part of
the North, which could impede further efforts at
co-operation.
220. Whatever the outcome of the global
negotia¬tions, my Government will continue to
develop its economic co-operation with other
developing countries in all fields as set forth
in the 1981 Caracas Programme of Action/ in
accordance with the principles of self- reliance,
self-help and North-South co-operation. Economic
co-operation among developing countries is not a
substitute for global or North-South
co¬operation, but it is an integral part of the
collective action of the Group of 77 for the
restructuring of international economic relations
and the establish¬ment of a new international
economic order. We therefore hope that, following
the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Follow
up and Co-ordination Com¬mittee on economic
co-operation a among developing countries, in
Manila last month, more concrete actions and
vigorous implementation of the Caracas Pro¬gramme
will be pursued.
221. My delegation believes that the United
Nations system provides the most appropriate
forum and a useful framework for identifying and
focusing world attention on major issues as well
as for seeking peace¬ful solutions to those
issues. Therefore all countries, developed and
developing, are urged to co-operate within the
United Nations system in achieving our worthy
common goal of a restructured and equitable
economic order for the world community that will
benefit all mankind. My delegation therefore
pledges its best efforts to continue to play a
constructive role in this regard.
222. The just and equitable utilization of the
earth's resources is seriously distorted by the
continuing arms race. The second special session
of the General As¬sembly devoted to disarmament
was convened at a time when the need to halt and
reverse the arms race had become even more
imperative than before. The recurrent crises and
conflicts which have marked the international
situation have heightened the sense of insecurity
among some States and spurred the pro¬duction,
acquisition, and stockpiling of weapons of
destruction, including nuclear, conventional and
chemical weapons, resulting not only in increased
insecurity for all States but also in the
retardation of the developmental prospects of
most third-world countries. Efforts made both
within and outside the framework of the United
Nations to reverse the arms race have not been
crowned with success.
223. But although the second special session
on disarmament fell short of expectations, the
convening of that session nevertheless served
some useful pur¬poses. Among other things, it
produced substantive advances in new ideas,
suggestions and proposals in various fields of
disarmament, many of which, if implemented, could
contribute significantly to the disarmament
process. Agreement was reached on guidelines for
a World Disarmament Campaign which underline the
universality of the program and allow all sectors
of the public unimpeded access to a broad range
of information and opinions on the questions of
arms limitation and disarmament and the dangers
relating to all aspects of the arms race and war,
in par¬ticular nuclear war. The launching of the
Campaign thus represents a step forward in the
efforts to attain meaningful measures of arms
limitation and dis¬armament.
224. The second special session on disarmament
generated an unprecedented degree of public
attention and interest, highlighted by mass
gatherings of the people of many nations in
support of the cause of disarmament. This should
serve as an impetus for all of us to continue our
efforts and revitalize the mul¬tilateral
negotiating process, which was kept in being at
the conclusion of the second special session on
disarmament.
225. My delegation urges that disarmament and
the reduction of the arms race in both nuclear
and con-ventional weapons remain an issue of
priority concern to the Assembly. The world has
thus far been spared the horrors of nuclear war,
but we all realize the consequences that such a
conflagration would have for the human race. The
specter and the reality of conventional wars,
with the terrible suffering in¬flicted through
the ever-increasing sophistication of weaponry,
are still sadly with us. Wars have been fought
because of the aggressive and expansionist
tendencies of militarily powerful States, or have
resulted from injustices inflicted and wrongs
that remain uncorrected.
226. Our task must surely be to rededicate
ourselves to the principles enshrined in the
Charter on the non- use of force,
non-interference in internal affairs and respect
for the territorial integrity of States, while
seeking to resolve international issues by
peaceful means.
227. In this connection my delegation urges that a dialogue
be agreed upon between North Korea and South
Korea for the consideration of effective ways and
means of reducing tension and strengthening peace
in the Korean peninsula.
228. Injustices against entire nations and
peoples continue to be committed in the Middle
East, in Namibia, in Afghanistan and in
Kampuchea. These appear to be among the most
intractable and critical issues to which the
General Assembly has addressed its attention over
the past several years, and they represent cases
where, in the Secretary-General's words:
"Governments that believe they can win an
international objective by force are often quite
ready to do so, and domestic opinion not
infrequently applauds such a course. The Security
Council, the primary organ of the United Nations
for the main¬tenance of international peace and
security, all too often finds itself unable to
take decisive action to resolve international
conflicts and its resolutions are increasingly
defied or ignored by those that feel themselves
strong enough to do so."
229. This is indeed a very dangerous trend and
could eventually turn the Organization, which was
intended to serve the cause of harmony and peace,
into a breeding ground for international
confrontation and anarchy.
230. The Thai delegation sincerely believes
that each and every Member State has the duty and
responsibility to reverse this trend, by
rededicating ourselves to the principles and
purposes of the Charter and by a renewed
commitment to use the machinery of the United
Nations more effectively. For only in this way
can the Organization truly become an instrument
for peaceful change and orderly progress for
mankind.