YouSaid · the spoken record

Panya

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS PANYA

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104

first

1958-09-24

most recent

1969-09-24

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3

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un-general-debate

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1. “Some days ago, I quoted an example of obvious collusion between the Viet-Minh and the Pathet Lao. It was the case of a petition addressed by the leader of former members of the Pathet Lao to the Head of the Government. Before the Prime Minister could so much as take cognizance of this letter, which had been placed on his desk an hour previously, its contents had been broadcast by Radio Hanoi. The only possible conclusion is that the Pathet Lao receives its orders by signal from Hanoi and there have been many similar examples. 150. The aid given by the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam to the rebels for the purpose of promoting disturbances in Laos cannot be questioned. 151. Radio Hanoi plays an important part in these machinations.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

2. “It was not because it was dissatisfied with conditions under the Government that the Second Battalion chose to flee. The Pathet Lao had never wanted such integration, which would have deprived it of the military support it needed in order to carry out its Machiavellian plan. It was in pursuance of this plan that it had established stocks of arms in the forest and turned over to the Royal Government arms to a quantity less than had been expected, and for the most part in poor condition. Since November 1957, when equipment was to be transferred under the terms of the Vientiane Agreements, the Royal Government has recovered 4,000 concealed weapons, through the cooperation of the population which had been protected from the exactions of the Pathet Lao. 149.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

3. “It was not without reason that they sought to drag out indefinitely the negotiations for reunification and reintegration, since, when they withdrew to regroup at Sam Neua and Phong Saly, the Pathet Lao and the Viet-Minh had forcibly taken away with them the young men of the villages through which they had passed. They were awaiting the return of these young men, after their education at Hanoi and Peking under a system which I need hardly name, before embarking on their standard procedure for setting up communist cells and instigating subversion. It will thus be understood why the Pathet Lao was anxious to meet the representatives of the Royal Government at Rangoon; that was the slowest way of dealing with domestic issues. 148.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

4. “Only a handful of men whose purpose was not to fight for national independence refused to join it. Some of these were guilty of offences under the general law and were afraid, incidentally without good reason, that they would have to answer for them before the courts; they rejoined the Viet-Minh forces during the Indo-Chinese campaign, and returned in 1954 possessing all the influence which the Viet-Minh victory had given them. Their act made it perfectly clear to us that their ultimate objective was the communization of Laos. 147. In the light of this, it is easy to understand their various moves.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

5. “The present situation in Laos, which led to the dispatch of a Security Council Sub-Committee, is actually the result of intervention and aggression by the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam. In the first place, there is collusion between the Pathet Lao and the Viet-Minh — collusion which has its roots in the distant past. The Pathet Lao grew out of the Lao- Issara movement, founded in 1945 — in the course of events in the Far East — to oppose the return of a protectorate or dependent regime. This objective having been achieved by the Government at Vientiane, the Lao-Issara party, which was in exile in Thailand, was dissolved in 1950 and its members rejoined the various groups which had stayed in Laos. Most of the present leaders and holders of responsible posts in Laos belonged to this movement.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

6. “The Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam informs us through its Press and radio that, if the two former Pathet Lao Ministers were brought back into the Government Cabinet, the crisis in Laos would automatically come to an end. Strange words indeed from a country which claimed not to interfere in other countries’ affairs! Since August 1958, the Lao National Assembly had established in power a team which no longer included any Viet-Minh partisans. But all this has taken place in accordance with parliamentary and democratic rules. And I should add that we do not act like those self-styled democratic countries whose every action is a breach of democracy. 146. I have dwelt at length on the lack of substance in the accusations made against my country and my Government.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

7. “Colonel Singkapo was the person thus appointed, and the appointment was embodied in a Royal Order, After accepting the Government’s offer, he refused to take part in the ceremony confirming his reintegration, indicating the decision of his party. 144. Determined to settle the question once and for all, the Royal Government undertook to appoint the cadres itself and to set 11 May 1959 as the date for the integration. When that day came, the Second Pathet Lao Battalion, which was stationed at the Plaine des Jarres, refused to be integrated and took to the road in the direction of the North Viet-Nam borders. 145. The Royal Government is not guilty of illegal acts against the former members of the Pathet Lao.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

8. “In the Royal Army 1,500 men means two battalions with a complement of forty-one officers, including two battalion commanders. The Pathet Lao forces asked for the integration of 112 officers equivalent to a staff of six battalions), including three colonels. Such claims naturally did not facilitate the operation. Nevertheless, in the interest of peace and reconciliation, the Royal Government acceded to all these demands. The officers' posts were to be designated by the High Command of the former Pathet Lao forces. Since the latter refused to do this, the Royal Government decided in December 1958 to reintegrate a former Pathet Lao member as a colonel and to make him responsible, in co-operation with the headquarters staff of the Royal Army, for designating the other officers from the former Pathet Lao forces.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

9. “The only condition for admission to regular government service was the passing of an examination which is also required of other civil servants in order to ascertain their educational and other qualifications. This is a normal procedure, and I do not think that it Is any different from what is done in other civilized countries. 142. As to the integration of military Unity, about which we have been subjected to the most violent attacks, here is the simple truth. The Agreements provided in the first place for the integration of 1,500 former members of Pathet Lao; in the second place, that rules for that integration should be those used in the national army; and, thirdly, that any difficulties arising in this process of integration should be settled by the Royal Government. 143.”

   1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

10. “This clarification did not, of course, diminish the aggressive ardour of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam, for "none is So deaf as he who will not hear". 141. The Royal Government has not violated the Vientiane Agreements. The leader of the rebels wrote to the Chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Viet-Nam that the Royal Government had shown discrimination against the members of the former Pathet Lao forces. That is not the case. Anyone can tell you that the former Pathet Lao members are at present occupying various posts and positions in the administrative and governmental offices on the same footing as other Lao citizens.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

11. “They are working there within and under the supervision of the French Military Mission. Their introduction, which was based on practical reasons v had been the subject of negotiations between France, the United States and Laos. Since there are so few of them, there is no justification for the anxiety the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam claims to feel. Indeed, in its sincerity and honesty, Laos had announced the agreement with France and the United States some weeks in advance. 140. Finally, on 17 February, ill order to cut short all such accusations, the Royal Government published a communique — something which it had not considered called for the preceding week — confirming its position of neutrality and its intention to refrain from joining any military pact.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

12. “The Geneva Agreements provided for the retention in Laos for its security and for the training of its army of French military personnel numbering 3,500 men and 1,500 instructors, to be stationed at two establishments. Today, despite the danger, the total number has been reduced to 300 men and 100 instructors. The second French military base has never been established. 138. The Geneva Agreements permit Laos to import a certain quantity of armaments and equipment specified as necessary for its defence and, security needs* At no time has this quantity exceeded reasonable limits. Laos has not received strategic weapons and can not constitute a danger to its neighbours. 139. The Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam also accused Laos of becoming a United States military base. In fact, there have for some months been 100 American instructors in Laos.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

13. “Phoui Sananikone, stated that Laos had fulfilled its obligations under the Geneva Agreements. In fact, the military phase had been completed. As regards the political clauses, only some small details remained to be settled, and within a very short time they had been dealt with almost in their entirety. The International Commission for Supervision and Control recognized this by withdrawing. The Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam leapt upon that declaration as its war-horse. It maintained that the Lao Government had made the declaration in order to evade the clauses determining the size of its armed forces and prohibiting its participation in an agreement and its abandonment of neutrality. On behalf of the Royal Government, I deny these assertions. 137.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

14. “Using all the means with which their propaganda arsenal is packed, they accused Laos of violating the Geneva and Vientiane Agreements, of maltreating the former members of the Pathet Lao forces and of turning its territory into a spring-board for aggression, 135. I should like briefly, but in the most categorical manner, to deny these allegations here and now. First of all, allow me one observation. Does not the very fact that the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam has become the self-appointed spokesman of the Lao rebels, the fact that it presumes to tell the Royal Government what domestic decisions it should take and what international course it should follow, do not these facts themselves constitute sufficient proof of interference? 136. Laos did not violate the Geneva Agreements. On 11 February last, the Head of the Lao Government, H.E.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

15. “Supported in strength by Viet-Minh elements, that is to say, the forces of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam, it subsequently returned to attack the national forces and so created a situation that my Government felt compelled to bring the matter to the attention of the United Nations and to call upon it for help in putting a stop to this open aggression. 134. Charges have been made by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam against the Government of Laos. They are entirely without foundation. At the very time when it was giving its support to the Pathet Lao, the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam was hurling at Laos accusations as violent as they were untrue. Naturally, that country's Communist friends and-allies hastened to follow its example.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

16. “The International Commission for Supervision and Control, a body set up by the Geneva Conference of 1954, saw that there was no longer any need for its presence there and, deeming its task completed, withdrew from Laos in July 1958 With the return of calm and security, the people became reassured and returned to work. 133. This state of affairs was unfortunately not to last very long. Trouble broke out again in May 1959 when the second Pathet Lao battalion, instead of joining the national army as agreed, chose deliberately to rebel and flee.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

17. “They provided for the following: (a) The handing-over of the administration of the Provinces of Phong Saly and Sam Neua to the Royal Government, which took place in a solemn ceremony on 18 November 1957; (b) The inclusion in the Royal Government of two members of the Pathet Lao, which also took place on 18 November; (c) The holding of elections, which took place on 4 May 1958; (d) The integration into the national army of a contingent of l,500 men from the former Pathet Lao forces and the handing-over to the Royal Government of all war materials; (e) The fixing of 19 January. 1958 as the final date for the completion of these measures. 132. There is no doubt that the Vientiane Agreements brought some measure of relaxation.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

18. “In fact, it took more than three years during which the Royal Government was pressed to the very limit of its patience and indulgence, accepting every demand and granting every concession, refusing right up to the end to treat the Pathet Lao forces as anything other than the country’s children, and cherishing to the last the hope that they might learn from their past mistakes and be ready to co-operate with the Royal Government in the work of rebuilding the country. The Vientiane Agreements signed on 12 November 1957 were the product of the patience, the goodwill and the tolerance of the Royal Government.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

19. “As regards the political clauses, there was the re-establishment of the Royal Administration in the provinces of Phong Saly and Sam Neua, where the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam had assisted the fighting units of the Pathet Lao in organizing an administration of its own after taking advantage of the cease-fire to get rid of the government forces still there at the date of the signing of the Agreements. 130. Finally, there was the reintegration into the national community of the Lao citizens who were not on the side of the Royal forces during the hostilities and who were known as the fighting units of the Pathet Lao. 131. Those were the main aspects of the problem to be solved. For that purpose, six months Would have been enough between negotiators of good will.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

20. “In 1954, the Geneva Agreements put an end to the long Indo-China War which Laos did not instigate but whose heavy legacy it bore. As regards Laos, the provisions contained in the Agreements were of two kinds. There were military clauses and political clauses. 128. The military clauses provided for the evacuation of foreign armed forces, that is to say the French Expeditionary Force, on the one hand, and the forces of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam on the other, and subsequently the regrouping of the Pathet Lao fighting units in the two provinces of Phong Saly and Sam Neua pending their integration. 129.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

21. “Confronted by this flagrant crime perpetrated in violation of human rights and of the rights of peoples and prompted by an ideology which denies all the values which form the very basis of humanity, the United Nations has the sacred duty to intervene. And I trust that it will do so at a very early date for each day which passes increases the sufferings of the Tibetan people. 126. To end this list, I come now to the act of aggression to which, my country has fallen victim. This act was the result of a carefully laid plan the object of which was none other than to destroy my people and my country. In order that I may lay the problem before the Assembly with all due clarity, 1 would beg you to allow me to go back a few years. 127.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

22. “More serious still, the violation of the political and individual rights of the Hungarian people, a violation which has gone without redress, has led to other breaches of respect for the human person and the spirit of our Charter, again on the part of a totalitarian Power. From the confines of Asia, from Tibet to be exact, come echoes of events which have cast a gloom over the rest of the world. Despite solemn agreements, the Tibetan people have been despoiled of all their rights; they have lost their identity; they are today helpless. The life of their leader was saved only because of certain providential circumstances. 125.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

23. “Otherwise the prospects for the world will be sombre indeed, and that paradoxical situation to which I have referred will arise, an absurd situation where theories and methods resigned for the benefit of mankind will lead it to perdition. 124. A number of the Assembly's decisions have, moreover, remained ineffective because of the refusal of the nations concerned to co-operate. In this connexion, world public opinion and the conscience of all will continue to, be perturbed so long as Sir Leslie Munro is unable to accomplish the mission entrusted to him by the United Nations.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

24. “Paradoxically, however, fear and misgiving rather than joy or gladness have been roused by the brilliant performance of the artificial satellites and the marvel of the moon-rockets. Since the opening of the fourteenth session, numerous disarmament proposals have been placed before the General Assembly. We have just added another item to our agenda, namely, on complete disarmament. Let us hope that these steps, together with the meeting of the Heads of Governments of the two main atomic Powers, will serve to clear and cleanse the present atmosphere of doubt so as to prepare the way for greater mutual understanding.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

25. “Whether he is acting as the Secretary-General or in his personal capacity, his activity has always had a beneficial effect. His recent visit to the capital cities of a number of Member States is an excellent example. My country is happy to pay a public tribute to Mm from this rostrum. 123. We can, then, justifiably feel satisfied with the positive results achieved, but this does not make the negative factors any the less disquieting. Grave problems remain to be solved, and despite the time and effort expended on them no visible result has yet been forthcoming. At the top of the list there is the problem of disarmament and the halting of nuclear and thermonuclear tests. During the last few months, the world has been constantly marvelling at the prodigious advances made by science.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

26. “My Government and my country have whole-heartedly supported this demonstration of universal brotherhood, but I should like to pay a special tribute to the country which, having conceived the idea and submitted it to the General Assembly, took the lead in getting it accepted by a large majority. I refer to the United Kingdom. 122. All these achievements can he entered to the credit of the United Nations, but it would be unpardonable not to associate with them the person of the Secretary-General, whose untiring activity must command the respect and gratitude of us all. Thanks to him, to his high qualities as a man, to his great culture, his competence and his devotion, the decisions of the United Nations are translated into concrete actions and results.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

27. “Then again, assistance to refugees — which has in fact not been overlooked at any time since the very first days of the United Nations — received an impetus as sudden as it was unexpected. Compared with the immensity of the task and its increasing urgency, the routine methods were clearly inadequate. The conscience of humanity was stirred, and it is true to say that each individual felt ashamed, in the midst of the freedom, security and comfort which were his to enjoy, upon seeing the unjust, the pitiable fate befalling millions of men of whom the least that could be said was that they had as much right as any others to share in the good things of this earth. The World Refugee Year was thus instituted, and the results will no doubt be commensurate with the effort expended.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

28. “Among the Organization's achievements during the past year, there was in first instance its happy intervention in the Middle East, which served to prevent irrevocable actions and to create an atmosphere conducive to the easing of tensions, to peace and tranquillity in an area notorious for its extreme sensitivity to political events. 120. The United Nations Special Fund, operating within the framework of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and acting through the specialized agencies, has done important work in all spheres of economic and social development and has helped to improve public health, agriculture technology, etc. It is to be hoped that, in view of these spectacular results, it will be easy to secure aunanimous decision to increase contributions to the Fund. 121.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

29. “It is also important to make sure that all this activity is being carried on within the proper framework in accordance with the proclaimed purposes of our Organization. 118. My Government has been pleased to note that the positive accomplishments of the current year have been predominant, and this has strengthened our confidence in the work of the United Nations as regards not only conciliation and mediation but also such economic and humanitarian activities as assistance to the less developed countries and succour to the under-privileged peoples. 119.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

30. “The Lao people, who practise "Little Vehicle" Buddhism, which originated in Ceylon and which we call Lanka, offer their heartfelt sympathy to the Ceylonese people in this time of tribulation. 117. It is the custom at each General Assembly to cast a glance backward to measure the distance we have come in the course of the preceding year. Although customary, this practice is not the less important, for we must take stock of our position so as to know where we stand in our progress towards the goals we have set ourselves. Each obstacle overcome, each objective gained, is an incentive to further effort; every failure, omission or defect must be pointed out So that it may be remedied. The usual methods may be inadequate to meet the situation; if that is so then we must consider new methods.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

31. “His competency, combined with his personal abilities and his rare qualities, make him today the person best suited to occupy the place of honour in our Organization. His unanimous election renders brilliant homage at once to his noble country, to the countries of Latin America and to himself for his unflinching pursuit of the cause of peace and international understanding. We are convinced that under his guidance the Assembly will be able, during its fourteenth session, to mark up to its credit further achievements towards the goals of the United Nations, 116. The Lao delegation also joins in the tribute that has been paid from this rostrum to the memory of the Prime Minister of Ceylon, whose tragic death has plunged his people into grief and mourning. The circumstances of the crime have roused indignation throughout Laos.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

32. “115. The Lao delegation is happy to be able in its turn to offer Mr. Belaúnde its warm congratulations on his election to the presidency of the Assembly. My country is extremely pleased that this high office has been conferred upon a person whose exceptional qualities are recognized by this august assemblage and whose public life has been entirely devoted to the defence of the noblest ideals. As we all know, he has worked in our Organization since the day of its foundation, and, what is more, he was among the ranks of those who served its predecessor, the League of Nations. Therefore, his experience of men and things, and of our Organization and its operations, are without parallel.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

33. “But in whatever touches our pride and our sovereignty, I can assure the Assembly that we are in every way the equal of those which may have a larger population and more territory. Our faith in this is unshakable. We are as jealous of our independence as any people which is in love with liberty and takes pride in its history. We shall never allow our native land to become a place where may flourish a way of thinking whose ultimate purpose is to lead us into slavery. In exactly the same way, we shall refuse any form of moral or material support, from wherever it may come, if, under the cloak of self-styled and magnanimous collaboration, its real aim is to rob us of even a part of our sovereignty.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

34. “If we are said to be pro-Western, surely it does not mean that we are against the East. It is wrong to be friendly with those who understand you and whose way of thinking and looking at things is similar to your own? Does being the friend of a person mean that you blindly espouse his disputes or his quarrels or make common cause with him on every occasion? We in Laos do not think so. Our friendship for the Western world is not the outcome of a calculated policy and still less the result of a bargain. Its roots go down into the very foundations of our political and religious ideas, our behaviour and our national life. We have found in the great Western family principles of liberty, democracy and government which are similar to ours and in keeping with our character. We often say that we are a small nation.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

35. “All my compatriots are united behind the throne and the royal Government and they will fight to the last breath and put down with the utmost vigour, supported, if necessary, by their friends, any attempt at infiltration or subversion in their territory in violation of the international rules of good neighbourliness and mutual respect. 61. The declaration of our Prime Minister is exact. But let no one make a mistake. We are neutral and as neutral as any neutral State can claim to be. I said earlier that Laos did not belong to any military alliance. Our statesmen have repeatedly affirmed this. We desire to have good relations and to live in peace with all countries, near or far. We have absolutely no warlike intentions and have never been filled with hate. 62.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

36. “We Laotians would be deeply grieved if our country were to be used as a path for Communist infiltration into Cambodia. Yet it could be queried whether the Communists would really need to pass through our country to penetrate into the heart of Cambodia since the Cambodian Kingdom is now open to them legally. 60. At all events, the Laotian people, which is not Communist and has no desire to be, will never abet those who desire to enslave other nations in the name of an ideology which has no connexion with their ancient traditions and national aspirations.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

37. “But I must hasten to add most emphatically that, in so doing, it is not my intention to reply to an attack nor to engage in a controversy. Cambodia and Laos maintain close and friendly relations. Both have been deeply influenced by the same civilization and both are devoted to the monarchic system of government. They are closely bound to each other by economic, cultural and social ties which are all the stronger because they go back for many centuries, and any change in the relationship between the two kingdoms is unthinkable. In stating this, I am principally anxious to avoid any erroneous or tendentious interpretation which might sow the seeds of misunderstanding in our Assembly and cast the slightest shadow on the excellent relations between Cambodia and Laos. 59.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

38. “A new factor has arisen, meanwhile, which makes it necessary for me to clarify for the Assembly the reference to the political and geographical situation of my country which a very distinguished speaker has made here. Last week, in his admirable speech, His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sihanouk, President of the Council of Cambodia, stated: "If the Chinese or North Viet-Namese wanted to infiltrate into Cambodia, they could do so only through Thailand or South Viet-Nam, which are manifestly anti-communist, or through Laos which, according to the present Prime Minister's own statement, is at once neutral and pro-Western," [756th meeting, para. 19]. Since my country is mentioned, it is my duty to enlighten the Assembly on what was said.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

39. “It is by constructive work that the United Nations fulfils its rightful purpose and Laos, although it has been participating in its work for only three years, has already found that the solidarity of Member States is not merely an empty formula. 57. Peace, social justice and economic progress are the aims of the Government which I have the honour to represent. They conform so closely to those of the General Assembly that the Laotian delegation is confident that it can contribute within the measure of its means to giving the United Nations the strength to enable it to accomplish .the tasks for which it alone can assume responsibility. 58. I should have liked to conclude here the statement which I wished to make on my Government's behalf to the General Assembly.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

40. “Taking its place beside the programmes of assistance provided by friendly Powers, especially the United States and France, and supplementing the Colombo Plan and the various forms of assistance we are receiving, it will help to finance some of the work which will bring about the development of the Lower Mekong River Basin, the broad lines of which were planned by the mission under General Wheeler. It is fortunate that here, as elsewhere, the United Nations is giving support to the Powers which decided to provide direct assistance and to help the four countries concerned in the immense task of subduing these waters and turning their energy to useful account. 56.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

41. “Although faced with grave political problems, the country I represent has embarked on a programme of immediate modernization. Thus Laos is pleased to see that the resolution on the financing of economic development which was adopted by the General Assembly at its twelfth session [resolution 1219 (XII)l has made such rapid progress and that the Special Fund is about to become a reality. It has frequently been said that freedom cannot survive by the side of extreme poverty. We realize that this financial body cannot on its own solve all our problems of development.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

42. “It is surely time (and I hope these experts will not hold it against me if I say so) that the preparatory stage of this work was concluded and some practical results produced. My Government has a very special interest in this. Laos does not belong to any military alliance and is wholly dependent on the United Nations for its defence. What we, in Laos, fear are the daggers of the threat to our Kingdom from elements subservient to a foreign ideology. 54. Having achieved reunification after long years of tragic division, my country is still suffering from, and will for some years continue to suffer from, the after- math of the events to which the Geneva agreements put an end in 1954. For that reason it wishes to be assured that the United Nations can assist it, if it should make an appeal for help. 55.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

43. “The Head of my Government, His Excellency Phoui Sananikone, declared recently: "The need to defend our freedom and independence has become apparent because, even if our frontiers do not seem to be threatened, our freedom and independence are certainly jeopardized by the secret plotting going on Inside the Kingdom to seduce the population away from the legitimate government and persuade it to join in the formation of a single political party..." I do not think Laos is the only country faced with intrigues calculated to undermine its national unity. Some eight years ago, under United Nations auspices, a number of the most eminent legal experts attempted to define subversion.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

44. “But so long as the conditions for general security do not exist, so long as universal and controlled disarmament is no more than a hope, we must, in view of the events in central Europe in 1956 and in the Middle East in 1958, make a decision on the creation of a stand-by force. Such an armed force would be at the disposal of the Secretary-General and could be employed on a request made by the governments of countries wishing to make use of it. We must also learn to devise methods appropriate to the realities of situations; that is to say, to take into account new forms of aggression, whether indirect, ideological or economic. 53. We must find a way of stopping subversion.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

45. “As the representative of a-people with a great zest for life, I regain some of my optimism when I see the genuine and solid progress made at the Geneva Conference last summer by the world's best technical experts. As a result of this international meeting of scientists, it is now possible to determine the technical conditions under which nuclear explosions can be detected. Such a prospect of controlled disarmament augurs well for the future. The great Powers, which have either stopped or are going to stop their nuclear experiments, know that they hold the fate of humanity in their hands. The human race will cling to the slenderest hopes in its anxiety to see an end to their rivalry over nuclear weapons. Far from all propaganda may these Powers work for peace at the conference which they are soon to hold. 52.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

46. “I should next like to deduce the lesson from the events of the year which has just passed and to stress what, it seems to me, must be the principal aims of this thirteenth session of the General Assembly. 50. Until now the main task of our Organization has been the restoration “of peace whenever it has been threatened. But has it tried with sufficient tenacity to persuade nations "to practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours"? How can we develop such tolerance in a world armed to the teeth? Nations must first agree to disarm; the fear which destroys mutual confidence must be dispelled and, to do so, the weapons of death which nourish fear must go. 51.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

47. “I should like to point out here that the Government of Laos has followed closely all the missions which the Secretary-General has undertaken in the best interests of peace; although his great modesty is known to me, yet I should like to congratulate him publicly on the energy and ability he has displayed wherever international tension required his presence. In the Middle East, as elsewhere, he has carried on the work of conciliation and pacification and we are justified in saying that he has served the cause of peace well. Thus, despite the pessimism which coloured my words when I first spoke, there is a promise of better things thanks to the United Nations, which has helped to limit the effects of situations fraught with danger. 49.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

48. “We know well that nothing can be gained from visits to other planets, while there are still human beings who do not enjoy even the most elementary rights such as those codified by our Organization in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 47. Thus 1957, which should have been a year of hope, was the year of chaos. 48. It is only fair to acknowledge that the role of the United Nations in the settlement of disputes has been of some importance; the Middle East crisis is a recent case in point. The unanimity which was displayed in adopting the resolution proposed by the ten countries of the League of Arab States [resolution 1237 (ES-III)] at the time of the third emergency special session is evidence of the value of our Organization.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

49. “But we Laotians do not feel that they are enough. The moral purpose of each one of us and the philosophical ideas inherent in the political theories which each country claims for itself must play their various parts in bringing peace to the human spirit. Only the principle of the love of human beings for one another, with which Buddhism, as well as other philosophies and religions, is imbued, can create the atmosphere which would give our work a chance of success. I declare openly: any doctrine of hatred, any theory which sets one man against another in the name of so-called historical science, not only fails to alleviate the wrongs which it denounces, but jeopardizes the very survival of humanity as a whole for the benefit of the so-called happiness of future generations. 46.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)

50. “This situation suggests some comments on the efforts which the United Nations must make to put an end to the dangerous situation which we are facing- efforts bearing on our methods of work but calculated above all to make the responsible Governments more aware of the daily fear of a third world war in which the human race is living. 44. When, in the face of our inability to settle the political disputes which are the aftermath of the Second World War, we see how rapidly technological difficulties have been overcome, we are forced to recognize that none of us, whether politician or diplomat, has shown enough adaptability. We should take the scientists as our models and display the same tenaciousness, boldness and imagination in managing our affairs. 45. Earnestness, perseverance, patience? Certainly, we need all these.”

    1958-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 13 (1958)