The debate has dragged on, and I shall not tax the patience of this august Assembly by making a long statement. I desire merely to express the hopes and fears of a small country. My delegation must, however, join their fellow representatives in according thanks to the people and the Government of France for extending to us their traditional hospitality and in enabling us to conduct our deliberations in this historic city. In return for Trance’s unstinted kindness to the United Nations how nice it would be for the representatives present at this Assembly to come to an accord on controversial issues and sow the seeds of peace at this session so that the sixth Assembly, despite its unpropitious beginning, may go down in history as the Assembly of Peace and for ever associate Paris with peace that has so far been elusive. It would be an appropriate gesture of the United Nations’ gratitude to Paris for its hospitality.
43. The Burmese delegation have listened carefully to the contributions made by the representatives of various countries in this debate. They are impressed at the flights of oratory, and they would like to accept the sincerity of their utterances, but they are saddened at the display of vehemence in the ventilation of their grievances.
44. The Burmese delegation are not only saddened but alarmed at the uncompromising stand taken by the leading Powers. Faced with the difficulty of deciding whether a particular move is made in earnest or merely for propaganda purposes, the Burmese delegation are bewildered. They cannot help but feel that there is so much distrust, so much suspicion, so much intolerance, that they ask themselves, now that unity is lacking in the United Nations is there any hope left for peace? It is indeed sad that six years after the cessation of hostilities the world situation remains tense with the prospect of a worsening and hope for a respite becoming dimmer. Simultaneously the prospects of yet another war continue to grow. God forbid that it should come. We have seen war. Our unfortunate country was fought over twice. In 1942, when the Japanese hordes came in, the retreating army followed the scorched earth policy.
45. Then came the dreadful years of occupation, with their nightmarish horrors and bombing and strafing by Allied airmen. In 1945 came the Allied advance and the consequent withdrawal of the occupying army, with the killing and harassment characteristic of a beaten army; there was also more bombing by Allied airmen of all the structures which still stood and which could have served as a shelter for the retreating army. We were eventually liberated — but at what a price and with what dreadful loss of life. The scars of war remain in Burma even today, so that we are unable to forget what we should like to forget.
46. Can one wonder, then, that the Burmese dread war? And, if the Third World War should come, would it not be the small nations — geographically situated, unfortunately, in the path of war — which would be the first to suffer? No one wants war, for even the fruits of victory are poisonous and uneatable. But each side accuses the other of promoting a new war. Everyone yearns and shouts for peace, but it is apparent that no amount of shouting or the mere putting forth of formulae for peace will achieve the desired object, until and unless the spirit of compromise is fostered in this Assembly and we endeavour to eradicate the distrust, suspicion and intolerance which seem to pervade the United Nations today.
47. That, then, is our fear. The Burmese delegation, even if they represent a very small nation, are no less sincere in their desire for peace. They therefore make a fervent appeal to the representatives of the major Powers, who can shape the destiny of the world, to endeavour to effect a change of heart which will pave the way for a spirit of compromise — which, again, is the basic ingredient of the remedy for misunderstanding and the means of steering the world away from the horrors of a conflagration.
48. I now come to our hopes. Despite the frustrating atmosphere, we still have the greatest faith in the United Nations. Believing as we do that everyone would like to avoid a conflict, we pray that our appeal will not be in vain. The Burmese delegation welcome and fully endorse the call of the representative of the United Kingdom for tolerance, patience and restraint in order to build a worthy world. The Burmese delegation hope that everyone will answer this appeal, so that peaceful co-existence may be ensured.
49. After all, the contention that peaceful co-existence is impossible is belied by the events of our own lifetime. Even if we ignore the years of the last war, during which, it might be said, the necessity of facing a common danger compelled what are now known as the major blocs to embrace each other, there was still the decade before the outbreak of that war, when the contending nations of today did manage to live together in peace and harmony, despite their differences in outlook and ideology. If it has been possible for the former deadly enemies of the Second World War to become friends once more, is it too much to hope that former allies will also be able to do the same?
50. I have endeavoured to lay stress on the fact that the world is tense today because of the unfortunate differences in outlook of the leading Powers. It will be realized, however, that there are other causes as well. To my mind, one major cause is the continuing domination by certain Powers of those who have unfortunately become subjected to their authority. As the representatives of a nation which has only recently recovered its independence, it is understandable that the Burmese delegation should, have strong views on the question. Experience has shown that a timely recognition of the legitimate aspirations of a subject nation can give birth to a new and fruitful relationship between the governors and the governed. Failure to recognize such legitimate aspirations can but bring bitterness, hatred and chaos.
51. While on this subject, may I be permitted to raise the question of racial prejudice and discrimination. We should be ungracious were we not to acknowledge the fact that no such problems seem to exist in France. We wish we could say the same for the world in general, but we are not without hope and we look forward to the day when the world will be one big brotherhood of men, where individuals will be judged on the basis of their personal merits, without reference to race or colour.
52. After this recital of controversial issues, I turn to an issue which involves no controversy but which is, nevertheless, of paramount importance. I refer to the necessity of malting the world a happier place to live for the millions of its inhabitants who, as things stand, are going through life in exactly the same way as their forebears have done for generations. The most hopeful development of this century has been the realization in the more highly-developed countries that there can be no genuine peace until some substantial adjustment is made in the disequilibrium which exists in the living standards of the peoples of the world. This, in our view, is the biggest long-range problem which confronts the United Nations. We are happy to be able to say that the United Nations has shown a keen awareness of its existence and that earnest endeavours are being made to tackle this gigantic issue. So long, however, as the present political tension lasts, we must face the sorry fact that the United Nations will be able to do little more than scratch the surface. A good beginning has now been made, and it is our fervent hope that, with a reduction in world tension, it will be possible to divert for this purpose a substantial proportion of what is now being spent on defensive measures.
53. My delegation desire to make a general observation on the question of the economic development of underdeveloped countries. In our view, economic development should aim at developing the human rather than the material resources of a country. One of the main causes of the present trouble in Asia is that, in the past, material resources and not the people were developed, because economic progress was regarded as sufficient. Economic progress unaccompanied by the enhancement of human welfare is self-defeating.
54. These, Mr. President, are the thoughts which come to the mind of the Burmese delegation as we embark on the work that lies ahead of us. We express them in the hope that they will be considered in the spirit in which they have been made. Our fond wish is that we shall be able to leave Paris with the feeling that our deliberations have carried us nearer to the cherished goal of the United Nations.