YouSaid · the spoken record

Prince SOUVANNA PHOUMA

lines on the record: 53
first: 1966-09-24
most recent: 1971-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It is imperative for all international bodies which are mindful of the need for peaceful coexistence and for the signatories to the Geneva agreements who are responsible for their application, to decide at last to assume their fundamental responsibility. 55. This is the wish, this is the appeal that the Royal Government and people of Laos make to the world. May these exhortations be headed!”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“And by threatening the life of His Majesty the King who resides there, the Democratic Republic of VietNam is trying to destroy the permanence of our kingdom and the very substance of our national existence. 52. This challenge by the Democratic Republic of VietNam has reached its highest point at the present time. In February 1971 it publicly congratulated its soldiers who were fighting in Laos, which shows that it is deliberately flouting international law and international agreements. 53. It is high time to end these iniquitous acts, which undermine the very basis of international life, to end the . aggression and wrongs of all kinds committed by the Democratic Republic of VietNam against Laos. 54.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“However, it must also be observed that the primary responsibility for this lies with the Democratic Republic of VietNam, for indeed, were it not for the illegal presence of its troops in Lacs, the United States and South VietNamese forces would, in all likelihood, never have entered the area. 50. For more than two decades the Democratic Republic of VietNam has waged war in Laos and has fomented disturbances there. Recent events show that it has even begun an escalation of these activities. 51. In that context, the attack against LouangPrabang last March shows the true intentions of the Democratic Republic of VietNam with respect to Laos. It was the political regime, the constitutional foundation of Laos itself, which was the objective of the attack on the Royal City.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“To demonstrate the full extent of our sincerity I have even offered and I reiterate this offer to neutralize the Plaine des Jarres as soon as those negotiat'ons begin and thus to assure the Democratic Republic of VistNam, which attaches so much importance to that are?, that the Plaine des Jarres will not be used to harbor bases which may threaten its security. 49. Laos has never departed from its positive policy of strict neutrality and good neighborliness. At the time of the onset of the Lanson 719 operation, the Royal Government, in a solemn declaration, condemned without exception all those who, exploiting its military weakness, had deliberately chosen to use its territory as a battle field.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The seats in our Government which their ministers have abandoned are still vacant. They can reoccupy them at any time. Personally;, I have never ceased to make the Pathet Lao offers of negotiation, provided such negotiations are not accompanied by prearranged conditions, exceptions, or declarations which border on ultimate, 47. At this very moment I can assure the Assembly that the representatives of my Government are ready to meet representatives of the Pathet Lao anywhere in order to begin concrete negotiations. 48.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“By indoctrinating the Pathet Lao dissidents and b y committing the crime of arming them, that country has turned the Pathet Lao into a group of rebels against the Royal Government and has prevented them from negotiating a settlement with our Government so long as their nefarious objectives are not achieved. When hopes for a reconciliation with the Pathet Lao appear, such hopes are immediately dashed by the dictatorial attitude of their North VietNamese protectors. 45. It is North VietNam which has demanded that the Pathet Lao ministers should leave their seats in our Government for fear that their integration into a national community might deprive North VietNam of accomplices and means of coercion. 46. The Royal Government over which I have presided for more than 10 years sincerely wishes a reconciliation with the Pathet Lao.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The Kingdom of Laos, whose neutrality has been solemnly declared and guaranteed, convinced as it is of the tightness of its choice of nonalignment and peaceful coexistence, bears no part of the responsibility for the IndoChinese conflict. To be more precise, it has no part in the VietNamese conflict, because it was in VietNam that the conflagration began. But my country has undergone, and continues to suffer from, the repercussions of that conflict, not to mention the insults that have been directed at us in the slanderous propaganda which in certain countries has been raised to the status of a national institution. 44. The party responsible for the paradoxical situation in Laos is the Democratic Republic of VietNam and that country alone.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The crisis now seems to be subsiding and it is fortunate that this is so. 41. In IndoChina the war afflicting that area for several decades is not yet near an end. It will not end as long as the Democratic Republic of VietNam, supported materially and morally by powerful States, does not abandon its desire for expansion and hegemony. A ray of hope has just appeared; we hope that it will be followed by results and that the forthcoming SinoAmerican negotiations will bear fruit and prevent a return to the unfortunate historical past. 42. Regardless of the new order that may be agreed upon by the negotiators, it is important that the countries of that region be heard on any policy which involves their sovereignty, individuality, development, traditions and legitimate aspirations. 43.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Without wishing to offend any of the parties, we would hope that this question could be settled having regard for the existence of both the old as well as the new communities of that region. So much remains to be done in that area to promote progress for the peoples who live there, that their friendly collaboration becomes a necessity. Over and above the vituperation, the pooling of technology and the harnessing of goodwill would make the region once again a land of milk and honey and cause roses to bloom again in a vale once blessed by God. 40. Our views are the same with respect to the problems that affect another area of Asia. In Laos we have followed with anxiety and compassion the massive exodus of people. We understand their misfortune, since one fifth of our own population has the status of refugees.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“There are still armed conflicts both open and latent which continue to afflict the world or to threaten a delicate balance. There are the universally recognized principles whose application has been rejected or ignored by certain States for their own selfish interests. And there are also resolutions which have been adopted after ripe reflection which have not been implemented. There are still millions >of people who have been denied self-determination and the fulfillment of their longing for freedom. Colonialism and apartheid have not disappeared, although at each session of the General Assembly these items are included in the agenda. 39. In the Middle East, despite collective persevering efforts, unfortunately it is not yet possible to see a sure way to peace and mutual tolerance.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“We trust that this agreement will lead to the neutralization of that sensitive point of confrontation of different blocs and different ideologies. 37. Against that positive background we might also mention the signing of the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Means of Mass Destruction on the Seabed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof (resolution 2660 (XXV)]. The sea is an element of particular importance for life on our planet, It is for that reason that the constitutional organs of Lac* have immediately proceeded to ratify that Treaty so as to expedite its entry into force and its implementation. 38. All those positive events which I have mentioned, despite their great number and importance, should not divert our attention from the vast task which remains to be accomplished.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“On this memorable occasion I should like to extend to those three new Member States the warm and sincere congratulations of the Royal Government of Laos, and assure their delegations that my delegation will always be ready to cooperate with them in our common task and in harmony with the spirit of our Charter. 36. It is true that violence is very often contagious, and that peace is indivisible. The sparks of one conflict may well cause conflagrations elsewhere. The settlement of one conflict always has a favorable effect on general relaxation. Bearing that in mind, the world has taken note of the Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin of 3 September 1971, which makes it possible for a settlement to be reached on the status of the city of Berlin, whose citizens have seen their rights and hopes jeopardized for so long by the "cold war" theory.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“This people has a rich cultural heritage and a vast country of great possibilities. Their achievements deserve our respect and admiration. Of this my Government and delegation are firmly convinced. 34. At the appropriate time, therefore, we will state our support for the admission of the People's Republic of China to our Organization. In accordance with the considerations I have just mentioned, and in harmony with the spirit which prompts us, we would hope that that country would occupy a permanent seat in the Security Council. 35. In speaking of the universality of the United Nations, my delegation is gratified at the admission this year to the United Nations, by unanimous votes, of Bhutan, Bahrain and Qatar.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Regardless of the positions that have been taken in the past, it is better not to recall points of past divergence, but rather to lay emphasis on the present relaxation of tensions and to build for the future for, indeed, this event can no longer be postponed. The main characteristic of our Organization is its universality and, as everyone is aware, that objective can never be attained so long as the 700 million people of China do not participate in its work. This gap is all the more significant, since that country and people not only have the inherent right to have a voice in international affairs, but our Organization can make great progress only if that country and people acting in respect for the Charter and Member States agree to cooperate sincerely and loyally with the United Nations.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Regardless of the subjects that may be discussed and the results that may be attained, we wish to add our humble voice in expressing the hope that those conversations will promote an international relaxation and will help to restore peace in that area. 33. Another encouraging event which in the opinion of my delegation might well promote more positive developments is the long awaited atmosphere of tranquility and realism that prevails during discussion of the admission of a great country to this Organization namely, the People's Republic of China. We believe that there is a general feeling that this debate will produce a positive result rather than an atmosphere of ostracism and confusion.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The progress achieved during the past year, while somewhat slight, has nevertheless been encouraging and leads us to feel that new and positive developments may be achieved and that a better international climate of discussion and negotiation may come about. 31. Amongst the encouraging signs which gratify all those who aspire to peace and security and who quite often are innocent victims of the hostility of others is the prospect of a normalization of the relations between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China. 32. The Kingdom of Laos, an immediate neighbor of China, welcomes the visit that the President of the United States plans to make to Peking.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Edvard Hambro, for the positive contribution which he made in the difficult task of presiding over the twenty-fifth session of the General Assembly. 29. There is another duty which my delegation performs enthusiastically each year: that of reiterating our great respect and admiration for our SecretaryGeneral, U Thant, whose tireless efforts for peace have been manifest throughout the ten years that he hap been guiding this great Organization. 30. My delegation comes to this twenty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly with somewhat more hope than in past years. It is true that the great problems of the world are still far from settled. Universal peace has not yet been restored, and the clash of arms has not yet been stilled in certain parts of the world.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“27. Mr. President, your unanimous election to the presidency of this annual session of the United Nations General Assembly is a just tribute to your ability and to your merits. It is a personal honor to you, Sir, as well as an honor to your great country, whose stability and wise policies elicit our sincere admiration. My delegation is all the more pleased at your election since we have been able on several occasions to appreciate your efforts on behalf of peace and the various initiatives you have promoted in order to achieve or restore peace. We therefore congratulate you most sincerely and wish you all success in your task. 28. In congratulating you, Sir, my delegation also wishes to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“It is by acting in this fashion that "We,' the peoples of the United Nations", will be able "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war", and remain true to the oath that those who wrote the Charter proclaimed at San Francisco.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“For all the outbursts of passion, for all the clash of arms and the bitterness of the fighting, my delegation is convinced that the statesmen, on whom the fate of the world hangs will not sign their own death warrant by acts of folly and despair. History has too often left a trail of blood behind it. The time has come to tackle the major problems of hunger, disease, ignorance and under-development. It is high time to turn our full attention to the distressing and tragic episode of Rhodesia, and apartheid, and to destroy the last strongholds of backward-looking colonialism in Angola and Mozambique. 98. It is the duty of all of us, great and small, rich and poor, to treat the peoples who have endured such suffering, lived through such nope and such despair, to something else besides words.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“It is inconceivable because it would destroy the principles of peaceful coexistence and the balance of forces in South East Asia. The interests of peace demand that the broken links be mended and the bridges of reconciliation built so as to create the climate of confidence needed for political negotiations. Deafness here, obstinacy there, merely prolong needlessly the unspeakable sufferings and ordeals undergone by the Viet-Namese people generally for more than two decades. They merely feed the propaganda of those who advocate all-out war. Hence prior conditions and false pretexts are obstacles to initiative and prevent the cooling of passions. 97.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“If this will exists on the other side,, the Laotian question will be settled without any change of instrument; if the will is lacking, then the question will remain unsettled however perfect the instrument. 96. As with the Laotian problem, the road to peace in Viet-Nam must necessarily pass by way of the negotiating table. This conflict, the aftermath of the war in Indo-China and the Geneva Agreements compromise of 1954, must find a solution within the framework of those agreements, which as the parties involved in the war have themselves stated on various occasions, could provide a sound basis for negotiations. Collective common sense calls for a political and not a military solution. A military victory would be a pyrrhic victory, since it would bring us an unreal peace.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The neutral people of Laos only want to solve their own problems, which some people insist on linking with those of Viet-Nam; for their fate Was settled as far back as the Geneva Agreements of 1962. As I have stated more than once here and elsewhere, Laos, whose spokesman I am, is always ready to engage in talks with its errant compatriots, whatever their political labels, with a view to reaching a modus vivendi through which peace in national reconciliation and concord can gradually be rebuilt. The Royal Government over which I have the honour to preside is ready to seek with its neighbours, especially with North Viet-Nam, ways and means of safeguarding and maintaining the neutrality status patiently worked out, recognized and guaranteed by thirteen Powers.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“As I speak here, skirmishing, ambush, battles, are going on in the north of my country and all along the famous Ho Chi Minh road, over which from north to south move the convoys of men and war material, and all this panoply bears the escutcheon of death. 95. The Laotian people, for years the victims of a war imposed from outside, longs fervently, not for an uneasy peace, a peace between two cease-fires, but a real peace. More than anything else, the Laotian people wish to break out of the circle of stagnation in which for years they have been forced to live. They have no desire to pay the price of other people’s quarrels with the blood of their own sons, even in the name of an ideological crusade.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“For years we have seen treaties concluded with us violated, agreements trampled underfoot, our neutrality challenged, our soil invaded. For years, in the name of a so-called national war of liberation, a neighbouring State, in its revolutionary and ideological zeal, has been sending troops into the Kingdom of Laos to back a many-sided rebellion, sometimes doffing the mask, sometimes in disguise, but always like a robot activated from abroad. It is again through this "revolutionary doctrine", which actually hides a will to expand and to dominate, that our people is torn by prolonged strife, our country atrociously mutilated and our national conscience disturbed. The war in Laos is forgotten by the world’s Press, but its ravages nevertheless go on in my country, creating unrest, causing more and more bereavement, bleeding the economy white.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“My delegation is not given to undue pessimism, but we are also not afraid to look things in the face, however disagreeable they may be. If there, has been war in the Middle East, it is a warning. If Laos has not known peace for twenty years, in spite of solemn treaties and international guarantees, that is another warning. If the disastrous war in Viet-Nam goes on, that is a third warning — of something which I fear could lead us all into a catastrophe of world proportions. 94. My delegation has no inclination today, any more than at previous sessions, to lecture anyone. But it must be recognized that we have some cause for complaint and bitterness, when for more than twenty years we have been the victims of subversion, violation and armed aggression.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The United Nations, which has to its credit so many peaceful settlements, so much progress, achieved in the course of its twenty-two years of experience, must adapt itself to the complex realities of today if it is not to disappoint the hopes of millions of men for long acting as if in obedience to conditioned reflexes. Its work will be what we wish it to be; either it will flounder in the mud of the sterile past, or it will prove that it is still a useful tool at the service of mankind. In this connexion my delegation is pleased to see that the United States and the Soviet Union have produced a joint draft treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. This event, the outcome of years of patient effort, is a miracle of achievement and understanding. 93.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Recurrent quarrels are dangerous; we are nevertheless convinced that peoples born in the self-same land, nurtured in the self-same cradle, whence the noblest of all messages of peace and love have come, can reach understanding within the framework of the principles embodied in the Charter. Settlement of disputes by force, and military conquest, are poisoned dead sea fruit. In an age when the indivisibility of peace is evident, only dialogue and political negotiation can lead to fruitful understanding and co-operation. Otherwise international morality, which U Thant has spoken of so often, would be only a publicity slogan. 92. The problem of war or peace concerns us all, whatever we are, great nations or small, since we are destined to live together on this now shrunken planet.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“In our opinion, this burning issue, pregnant with the seeds of lust for power and racial fanaticism, which United Nations bodies have had before them for twenty years, must necessarily find a solution within the Organization and not outside it. 90. The United Nations, a stronghold for the small States and a factor tending to consolidate their interests, must guarantee the territorial integrity of all States and more especially all Members States, and not tolerate the occupation of the territory of one State by the military forces of another. We feel that the right of every State to exist should be recognized by all, that every State must be able to live in complete security within its frontiers without interference of any kind. Otherwise, the law of the jungle would prevail. 91.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“My delegation had occasion to express its views on this grave episode during the emergency special session. It returns to the subject today, not with any intention of laying the blame and responsibility on any particular State, but to ask the Powers concerned not to retreat into a verbal and legal jungle but to silence the hymns of hate, so that the area which in twenty years has seen hostilities three times may at long last enjoy peace. For experience has shown that if grievances are stifled or approached from the wrong angle or patched up by temporary expedients, they will frequently break out at the slightest tilt in the balance of forces caused by the whims of some and the stubbornness of others.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The sacred principles of the United Nations Charter are abused and flouted to the point where the Organization, as it enters upon its twenty-second year of existence, has become a weak vessel surrounded by malevolent forces. Pollution, disorder and violence have thus for three years poisoned the international atmosphere and hampered any inclination to act and to seek compromise solutions for the many complex problems troubling the conscience of the world. 89. Distinguished representatives speaking before me at this rostrum have expressed their apprehension and disquiet in the face of the increasing danger. A war which should never have broken out has just recently played havoc in the Middle East, causing profound dismay for several days throughout the world.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Manescu in this high office may lessen the effects of this to some extent — at any rate we sincerely hope so — since this session is likely to be dominated, more than any other, by the fundamental problem of war and peace. 87. I must also take this opportunity to pay a tribute to Mr. Pazhwak for his valiant efforts and for the skill with which he presided over the most recent sessions of the General Assembly; for this he deserves our thanks and our gratitude. 88. The past year has been marked by outbreaks of violence and hatred everywhere in the world. The escalation of war is paralleled by an escalation of hate, resentment and distress. Violence, as Secretary-General U Thant pointed out in his annual report [A/670l/Add.1] is no longer the exception but the rule. Millions of human beings are worried about their future.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“85. I should like to add my delegation's sincere congratulations to those already offered to the President on his election to preside over this twenty-second session of the General Assembly. We are particularly happy that this annual session has as its President, for the first time, an eminent figure from a socialist country. We would like to feel that this election is a sign, and even more, an augury, of harmonious understanding and closer co-operation between countries with different political systems. 86. For some years the Organization has been much criticized, and harshly criticized, because of certain amenities which in our opinion are in fact distributed satisfactorily. The presence of Mr.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“However, we shall take the liberty, although he has recommended extreme moderation in eulogies, of expressing to him again the regrets, the esteem, and the admiration of the Laotian people for the contribution he has made in his post to the relaxation of tension and the promotion of peace and international co-operation.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“We have known his devotion to the cause of peace, his high-mindedness, his personal modesty and his keen sense of responsibility too long not to feel that his departure will be a great loss to the United Nations at a time when the world situation requires the greatest cool-headedness and the greatest wisdom. Because of the • crises afflicting the United Nations in recent years, we for our part should have liked to have U Thant continue to serve as the guardian of the world’s conscience. But if his wish is otherwise, we can only defer to it.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Alas, we are still far from that goal. The situation in our country is a vivid and deplorable demonstration of that fact. Unless we win this fight against war, both the large and the small nations, and mankind itself, will be sounding their own death-knoll. 18. I would not wish to conclude my statement without expressing the keen regrets of my Government and my people at the decision of the Secretary-General not to continue in office for another term. We fully understand the noble and profound reasons for his decision, which reflects a struggle of conscience.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The neutrality of the Laos of 1962 would find in such an expanded neutralization a stronger and surer basis, enabling our people to be safe from foreign intervention and to move towards a harmonious development of their relations with neighbouring countries. 17. I have referred in this statement to general and complete disarmament, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, colonialism and many other subjects on which nations are at odds and by which their genuine desire to collaborate in the building of a fraternal world community can be measured. But all the resolutions concerning such problems cannot be given effect unless the main problem, that of peace, is really settled. International co-operation cannot be fruitful unless confidence prevails among States and they are convinced that a general and definitive peace is certain.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The people of Laos, who are a direct victim of this raging war, appeal, through me, to the parties to the conflict to negotiate. The sooner they sit down at a conference table, the better. 16. In our opinion the Geneva Agreements of 1954, whatever one may say about them, furnish an honourable basis and a valid framework for negotiating peace in Viet-Nan. It is essential to return to these Agreements, to improve the control and supervision machinery in order to increase their effectiveness and to adapt the Agreements to take account of the interests and the wishes not only of the people of Viet-Nam but also of all the other peoples of Indochina. We believe that a guaranteed neutralization of the entire peninsula would constitute a valid framework for laying the permanent foundations for peace in South-East Asia.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Since the war is not producing and will not produce either victors or vanquished, since by its unforeseen consequences and its hidden connexions it poisons international relations and is preventing any progress, both in the negotiations for general and complete disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and in the efforts to achieve understanding and cooperation, why not stop the massacre, the devastation and the chaos? The preconditions and the false pretexts only serve to prolong needlessly the indescribable sufferings of the peoples. Throughout the world voices are being raised with ever-increasing energy and insistence to demand peace by negotiation. Have not His Holiness the Pope, the Secretary-General and many Heads of State made appeals for peace that have impressed the world by their force and sincerity?”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The road to peace leads inevitably past the negotiating table. It would be a tragic mistake, sheer folly, for any of the parties to believe that it can emerge with a complete victory by force of arms or destroy a political regime in the hope of changing the status quo. Such a belief is futile and dangerous to peace, for it serves the interests of those who control the forces of war and, at the same time, undermines the principles of peaceful coexistence.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“They steadfastly seek the friendship of their neighbours in order to arrive at reconciliation and concord as part of the neutrality which has been recognized and guaranteed by thirteen Powers. The Royal Government, over which I have the honour to preside, will spare no effort to destroy the wall of suspicion and doubt, to overcome the obstinate deafness of certain nations and to induce them to find a solution to the tragedy of Viet-Nam. 15. To this end it is prepared to open talks with all its adversaries to reach a modus vivendi permitting the gradual establishment of peace and stability throughout South-East Asia. In the same spirit I solemnly appeal to the opposing parties to seek a negotiated settlement of the problem of Viet-Nam. In this era of interdependence, there can be no military victory.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“My delegation, which is becoming accustomed to these disavowals, will not dwell on the odious character of such practices. Accusations and counter-accusations do not serve the interests of peace. We know that for some the Agreements of 1954 and those of 1962 are nothing but scraps of paper. For twelve years there have been disputes about those Agreements, about words, in order to conceal ambitions, camouflage expansion, incite rebellion, and supervise subversion. 14. That is why the people of Laos, subjected to various pressures and hard hit by prolonged fighting, ardently desire peace. They want an end of interference in their internal affairs, wherever it comes from.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Should the conflict in Viet-Nam escalate, there is bound to be a corresponding escalation in Laos as well. In such an inherently difficult situation, we appreciate the efforts made by the Prime Minister of the Royal Laotian Government, Prince Souvanna Phouma, to steer a middle course." [1432nd meeting, para. 72.] 12. Of course, some delegations will cry down our evidence as fabricated. But we are used to such denials; they will not be the first, for the world is full of them. 13. The General Assembly itself must certainly still vividly recall other, perhaps more dramatic, instances of such an outcry, too noisy to be sincere, when irrefutable evidence — always challenged, to be sure — was produced against those who violate the principles of the Charter and openly mock repeated condemnations pronounced by the General Assembly.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The International Control Commission created by the Geneva Agreements of 1954 and 1962, to which our complaint against the North Viet-Namese intervention was directed, has recognized in its documents that the facts presented are accurate and our accusations well founded. The Government of the United Kingdom, as Co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference, has in a recent statement placed on record repeated violations of the 1962 Agreements by the Hanoi Government- Recently, before this august assembly, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of India spoke of the situation in Laos, which, he said, was closely linked to that in Viet-Nam. He went on to say: "There could be no perceptible improvement in one without a corresponding improvement in the other.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“It is no longer a secret to anyone that entire North Viet-Namese battalions are operating in our country, attacking our forces, killing our women and children, carrying off our crops and our livestock. A number of North Viet-Namese prisoners belonging to regular units have been captured in engagements with our troops on various battlefields in Laos. Documents taken from the dead and interrogations of prisoners have enabled the Royal Government to furnish incontestable evidence of the presence of increasingly large numbers of North Viet-Namese troops on Laotian territory, and of their interference in the domestic affairs of our country — all in spite of the Geneva Agreements of 1962 on the neutrality of Laos.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“General staffs are giving their theories the trial by fire. Troops are being trained and tested; meanwhile, the way to the process of "de-escalation" has not been found. 10. It is said that a balance of terror makes war impossible, but no one can really believe that. We for our part are sceptical, and we believe that the day the die is finally cast, everything will go up in smoke. 11. In Laos we have been suffering for years the immediate effects of the war in Viet-Nam. Through the so-called Pathet Lao forces and in collusion with them, the North Viet-Namese have brought the war to Laos. The celebrated "Ho Chi Minh trail", over which foreign weapons and troops are moved, passes through our territory.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Unfortunately, along with this trend towards the relaxation of tension and peace, there is in Asia a source of grave conflict — one which is localized, to be sure, in the Indo-Chinese peninsula, more particularly in Viet-Nam and to a lesser degree in Laos, but which, tomorrow, could set ablaze all of Asia and perhaps the whole world. I think that world opinion looks at the situation in these areas in the following way: there is every reason to believe that, step by step, through the insidious process of so-called wars of national liberation, the flame sofa third world war will flame up and destroy us all, unless this process is halted in good time. Some are accelerating this process with the idea of realizing their dream of hegemony, while others use it to experiment with the principles and practices of future wars.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The confrontation that had poisoned relations between Indonesia and Malaysia has recently ended as a result of the spirit of cooperation and goodwill that inspires the leaders of those brother countries. The boundary dispute between our neighbours, Thailand and Cambodia, appears to be on the way to a settlement. The Asian Development Bank, whose creation has raised great hopes and opens up new prospects for the economic and social development of Asia, is about to take its first steps. Like the other countries of this region, Laos has great hopes of this new institution, which will become an instrument of progress in the service of co-operation and peace. 9.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea remain in subjection, under the reign of force and violence. The shameful practices of racial discrimination, which are official doctrine in South Africa and Rhodesia, constitute a challenge and an insult to human dignity. In these countries ail Africa is being most cruelly humiliated. In these countries the authority and prestige of the United Nations are being flouted. 8. In spite of all the disorder, rampant hate and exploding racism, there are still grounds for satisfaction and hope, and even for a measure of optimism. Last year witnessed the emergence in Asia of the spirit of Tashkent after the cease-fire agreed to by India and Pakistan, thanks to the personal efforts of the Secretary-General.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The speakers who have preceded me to this rostrum have rightly expressed their concern and dismay at the crises and convulsions shaking our world. The problems of peace, which are the consequences of colonialism, poverty and ignorance, and those stemming from the cold war, whose persistence continues to breed fear and suspicion between States, are still waiting to be solved. Many of these problems, because they have been concealed or approached indirectly or papered over by temporary compromises, are ready to explode at the least disturbance of the balance of forces by the capriciousness of some or the stubbornness of others. 7. In Africa, an out-of-date reactionary colonialism continues to hold sway obstinately refusing to give up its privileges.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)