A/35/PV.66 General Assembly

During the sixth emer- gency special session of the General Assembly on the situation in Afghanistan, I stated the views of the Government of Kuwait on that issue. 1 Since then the Organization ofthe Islamic Conference has taken deci- sions to which my country is bound and which it endorses. We regret the fact that despite the efforts of the Islamic Conference for a peaceful solution of the issue, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. 2. The Committee which the Islamic Conference established has not yet received the positive response needed to enable it to carry out its mandate success- fully, notwithstanding, I should say, the goodwill and the constructive spirit shown by the Committee. The Committee of the Islamic Conference tried to prepare for a conference in which all parties concerned would participate. Its efforts, alas, were turned down. It is very unfortunate that there now exist basic disagree- ments between the Soviet Union and the Islamic Conference over this issue. And those disagreements have generated a clash over perceptions and strategic assessment between the Islamic Conference and the Soviet Union. It is not in the interset of either that the two sides should be pitted against each other over this issue. 3. And what does the Islamic Conference want? As a member of the Islamic Conference, my country is of the view that the people of Afghanistan should be enabled to express their will freely as to the political and social system they want to pursue. The people of Afghanistan are courageous and fiercely independent and have always fought alien domination throughout their history. We are bound to them by religion, NEW YORK culture and regional and historical ties. The present Government in Afghanistan is not the authentic voice of the people of Afghanistan. It is imposed upon them against their will by the presence of Soviet troops, without which that Government would have fallen apart. The present political and social system main- tained by foreign troops in Afghanistan is alien to the people of Afghanistan, whose yearnings are for free- dom. Unfortunately, those yearnings have been choked and suffocated by the presence of foreign troops. There is no doubt that the people of Afghanistan reject the imposed ideology brought from without. 4. Kuwait also believes that the withdrawal offoreign troops from Afghanistan is a prerequisite for the will of the people of Afghanistan to be expressed freely and without coercion. The presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan is a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, a breach of international law and politically, legally and morally untenable. The resort to force to install a regime of foreign choosing is a deadly 'blow to the principle of non-intervention in domestic affairs and to the principle of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political inde- pendence of all States. All those cardinal principles are being shredded to pieces in Afghanistan. 5. At the same time, my Government holds the view that it is in the interest of all parties concerned to have a peaceful settlement. In draft resolution A/35/L.12 introduced yesterday [65th meeting] so ably and so eloquently by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and eo-sponsored by my Govern- ment and by my country, there is a request to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to lend his good offices for the solution of the problem, including by the appointment of a special envoy whose mandate may include the search for guarantees on a reciprocal basis for strict observance of the principle of non- interference and the creation of an atmosphere con- ducive to progress. It is imperative in our view to obtain such guarantees for the containment of tension and in order for the crisis to remain manageable. We are concerned by the recent events that occurred as a result of attacks by aircraft on certain areas inside Pakistan. Such events are bound to increase tension and consequently and concomitantly will further deepen the split between the Islamic Conference and the Soviet Union. 6. The situation in Afghanistan is not normal; rather, the country is a tinder-box that threatens peace and security in the region. If no solution is found, there is no guarantee that the crisis will not spread further. We have seen in many instances how a small fire, if not controlled and checked, spreads to engulf adjacent areas and beyond. The crisis in Afghanistan is no different. which is at best window 4ressing. "he mujahedeen freedom fighters are not prompted from without but provoked from' within and are determined.to see the end Qfforeign domination. It is an insult to tbe beroic struggle and to tbe heritage of tbe people of Afgbani- stan to assume otherwise. Tbere is no ·way in wbich tbose people would accept tbe fait accompli and comply'with the present status quo. 9. Tbose who have fougbt all invaders and defeated them cannot be expected.to extend a special welcome to troops that come to impose upon them an alien ideology foreign to their religious beliefs and to tbeir culture and traditions. And 'the argument that the freedom-figbters-tbe mujaJledeen-are being urged on by outside Powers 'has no validity at all. How is it, if all is milk and honey in Afghanistan, tbat most of tbe leading intellectuals, politicians and diplomats are deserting tbeir country in huge numbers and tbat representatives in international forums are one after tbe other denouncing tbe ,regime?How can one say tbat all of them have ulterior motives or have fallen victim t<;» foreign propaganda? Tbeir verdict, wbicb we e'ndorse, is tbat tbe regime in Afghanistan is playing second fiddle to the foreign troops which decide matters in that courageous but hapless country. 10. There is no doubt that there is in Afghanistan a national uprising against the foreign troops, no matter how others may try to play it down, no matter how it is blamed on the outside. The truth is that there is widespread and vehement opposition to the Soviet presence in Afghanistan. 11. What can the General Assembly do? In our view, it is very important to reaffirm fu~damental rriildples. Those principles are already reflect,ed in draft resolu- tion A/3S1L.12. But more importanttban reaffirmation is the expression by tbe international community of its dissatisfaction with the present situation in Afghani- stan and its determination to adbere to the right of the people of Afghanistan to .articulate their will free from the coercion of foreign troops. The', moral authority of the General Assembly is vital in isolating the present regime whqse'credentials are total reliance on foreign troops. By isolating this regime, we Qbtain a moral triumph the principle of liberty, for whicb the mujahedeen are bleeding. , 12. We'must also send a strcmg and unequivocal message that resort' to force is a costly exercise the end of which' is uncertain. It is very impooant, in our view, to assist the Soviet Union to withdraw from A.fghanistanpeacefully'. We do not wantSoviet soldiers to bleed aimlessly and wastefully. The Islamic Con- ference is aware of this fact, but we cannot accept that a Moslem country should fall to a foreign ideology that fundamentally clashes with the teachings of our r~Ugion by Soviet or any other troops. The message of .Islam exhorts us to defend its teachings against in,~ruders. And how can we, the followers of the Great Prophet Mohammed, betray his injunctions? It is regrettable that the Soviet Union has not yet under- stood the intensity of indignation in the ISlamicworld. 13. The General Assembly should play a role in this respect by casting an overwhelmingly positive vote on the draft resolution prepared by the Islamic Con- ference and sponsored by a considerable number of Member States, including my own country. 14. Mr.' RAcz (Hungary) (interpretation from French): Once again we have before us a matter which has been the subject of a far-reaching political game on the international scene, particularly here at the United Nations. Mydelegation has fromthe very outset been oppsed to its discussion in the United Nations, convinced as we were that the "Afghan question" as proposed to us was simply non-existent and that the inclusion of such an item on the agenda of the General Assembly would be contrary to the Charter of the United Nations. IS. At the same time, we were aware of the rapid and dramatic developments which had for some years been occurring in Afghanistan and we welcomed the triumph of the April 1978 revolution. Later, we saw in thechanges which occurred in the final days of the past year the possibility of continuing to work on the edifice whose construction had begun after the month of April 1978 and not, as some have tried to suggest, following the events which took place at the end of 1979. 16. The official statement of the Hungarian Govern- ment, dated 10 January 1980, regarding events in Afghanistan is still pertinent and embodies the funda- mental premise on which the Hungarian position on this matter is based. 17. The essence of our position can be summarized briefly as follows: Afghanistan should be assisted to rid itself of hostile foreign interference in the democratic system prevailing there, so that the country can devote itself to' the burning issuesof economic and social construction. We are convinced that, as long as the conditions that would allow a halt to be put to infiltra- tion and armed sabotage controlled from abroad have not been met, it would 'be unjustifiable for the Govern- ment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to request the withdrawal of the Soviet troops pro- visionally stationed in the country-troops which went to Afghanistan at tbe express request oftbat country's Government. .s. It must be concluded that, in spite of consider- able success in its various efforts to develop the coun- try and to eliminate tbe 'vestiges of feudalism, tbe democratic Government ofAfgbanistan isnot yet in a position to give its full attention to purposes of economic progress. It bas to deal witb subversive and military activity controlled from beyond its frontiers and a campaign of defamation orcbestrated by im- perialist and begemonistic circles wbicb do not look favourably on the progressive evolution of a non- that it rejects the fait accompli, that it remains seized 3~. Mr. NISIBORI (Japan): At the beginningof 1980, we were confronted with a problem that deeply dis- turbed the entire world, ~he' so-caller' "Situation in Afghanistan". It was an inauspicious launching of the new decade. 40. Since then, voices of concern and appeals for a peaceful settlement of the question have echoed throughout the international community. The clearest expression of world sentiment is contained in resolu- tion ES-6/2, which was overwhelmingly adopted at the sixth emergency special session of the General Assembly held last January and which calls for, inter alia, the immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of the foreign troops from Afghanistan. A similar call was voiced by the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers at their meetings in January and May at Islamabad; at the extraordinary session of the Con- ference held here at United Nations Headquarters last month, the Foreign Ministersconfirmed their inten- tion of continuing efforts for a peaceful settlement of the question. The nine members of the European Community have likewise responded to the situation and at the summit meeting at Venice last June, in which Ja--an also participated, they issued a similar declaratt '''urther, the United Nations Commission on Human .......ghts adopted a resolution" on 14February last which squarely condemns the Soviet military aggression against the Afghan people. 41. The situation in Afghanistan, as has been repeatedly argued, violates the principles of non- interference and .ion-use of force which are contained in the Charter 01 the United Nations and which are basic to international law. The situation has become & source of world indignation and apprehension, and it constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security. We note that during the general debate in the plenary meetings many representatives pointed to a growing tendency to resort to force in dealing with problems and they expressed deep anxiety as they looked ahead to, the 1980s. Needless to say the situation in Afghanistan has heightened their mis- givings. 42. The Government of Japan finds it extremely regrettable that, in spite of all the expressions of concern and appeals from the international community, there are no prospects of a settlement, and the attitude of the Soviet Union remains intransigent. We reiterate Japan's position that the Soviet militaryintervention ir. Afghanistan contravenes international law and justice. Once again, we call upon the Soviet Union to with- J Declaration issued at Venice on 13 June 1~t8f . For the text, see OjJkial Records of the Securit» Council, Thirty-fifth Year, Supplement for April, May and June /980. document5/14003. ..SeeOffidal Records ofthe Economic and Social Council. 1980. Supplement No. J. chap. XXVI, sect. A. resolution 3 (XXXVI). ~ Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic~ on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, signed at Vienna on 18June 1979. life in Afghanistan is gradually returning to normal and that the process of consolidation and stabilization is in the ascendancy, that the counter-revolutionary forces have suffered a resounding failure. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan, Shah Mohammad Dost, stated during the general debate at this session [/1th meeting], it is clear that Afghanistan and the Afghan people do not constitute a threat to anyone. As a non-aligned country', Afghanistan is motivated in its foreign policy by the principles of peaceful coexistence, friendship and co-operation among all countries. 57. We have heard various speculations, of which there is but one source, regarding the political settle- ment which could be achieved in Afghanistan. Com- missions have been set up for dubious purposes and plans have been directed at a so-called neutralization of Afghanistan, in order to give a free field to threats and open blackmail. 58. The People's Republic of Bulgaria remains con- vinced that a political settlement of the situation is possible provided that it is based firmly on the ini- tiative of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan dated 14 May of this year, because those are the only proposals that place all the problems in their proper context. In accordance with those proposals; all the armed incursions into Afghanistan from neighbouring territories by mercenaries of the imperialist and reactionary forces must cease, the supply of weapons to counter-revolutionary bands must be ended and their training camps must be eliminated. It is also necessary that secure guarantees be provided that subversive activities directed from outside will not be resumed in any form whatsoever. The Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has already proposed the beginning of talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan and between Afghanistan and Iran in order to normalize relations and to draw up bilateral agreements that will lay a foundation for good neighbourliness and co-operation and will include the specific obligation not to permit armed activities or any other kind ofhostilities directed by one party against another. Apart from these bilateral agreements, an essential component of a political settlement must be the granting of respective interna- tional guarantees. 59. The People's Republic of Bulgaria fully supports the realistic and specific proposals made by the Demo- cratic Republic of Afghanistan, which are indeed the expression of goodwill and of a sincere desire to achieve a speedy settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and create a healthy political environ- ment in the region. Today more than ever before the people of Afghanistan requires peace and needs to develop normal relations based on the principles of co-operation and non-interference with its neighbours, so that it can devote all its efforts to carrying out a the atmosphere of detente will be re-established and that the policy of dialogue and co-operation from which the whole world has benefited will be resumed.

The Australian Government regards this item as one of the most important on the agenda of this year's session of the General Assembly. It involves issues that go to the very heart of the Charter. If the United Nations is to be true to its purposes and principles, it is incumbent on us to examine the situation in Afghanistan ob- jectively, dispassionately and in the light of the,provi- sions of the Charter. 69. The voice of the international community was heard resoundingly at the sixth emergency special session in January this year, when the General As- sembly voted so overwhelmingly to condemn the invasion of the independent and non-aligned country of Afghanistan by foreign forces and to call for their withdrawal. This call was reiterated just as resound- inglyby the Commissionon Human Rightsin February. Yet, nearly a year after those votes, we are gathered here to discuss a situation in which there has been no appreciable change. The vote of 104 members of the General Assembly has been ignored by the offending Power. The violation of Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter, which was condemned then, continues still. The occupation forces, which prevent the people of Afghanistan from determining their own destiny, remain in place. The threat posed to international peace and security by the outside interference in Afghanistan is even more grave now than it was last January. . 70. The past 10 months have seen a disturbing. increase in international tension and an equivalent decline in the spirit of international' co-operation to which all Member States are, by the Charter, com- mitted. This deterioration in the international climate can be attributed directly to the situation that we are discussing today. There is no logic in or factual basis 71. It is apparent from this debate, as it was from the debate during the sixth emergency special session. that the great majority of the Member States have seen through the unconvincing attempts of the Soviet Union tojustify its invasion ofAfghanistan. Mydelega- tion is frankly surprised that the Soviet Union and ~ts friends have again tried to use the same arguments supporting that armed intervention that were dismissed as spurious earlier this year. 72. It is true that the Soviet Union has hinted that its forces, or some of them, might be withdrawn in certain circumstances. But this possibility is hypo- thetical. The Soviet Union has made it clear that it will not contemplate pulling out its army until it has crushed, all resistance to its puppet regime. More than that, the Soviet Union is seeking to bring pressure to bear on others, including Afghanistan's neighboP.~rs, in pursuit of that objective. 73. Other countries could no doubt help if the inten- tion were to join in an arrangement to restore inde- pendence to Afghanistan and to guarantee the preserva- tion ofits neutrality. This possibility has been signalled many times to the Government of the Soviet Union. The Afghan people must be free to choose their own Government. There is every reason for confidence, however, that an independent Government ofAfghani- stan would wish to follow that country's traditional policies of neutrality and non-alignment and to do so in conditions of harmony and co-operation with its neighbours. 74. One especially tragic result of the invasion of Afg~anistan has been the creation of a massive new flow'of refugees. To the boat people of Viet Nam and to the refugees and displaced people of Kampu- chea and Laos are now added the Afghan refugees. Crammed into makeshift camps in and around the Pakistan border are 1.2 million of them, enduring hunger, thirst, heat and cold. Those people have fled their homeland in searcb.of peace, shelter and food. This has placed an intolerable burden ora Pakistan, which is to be commended for the way in which it has coped with this uninvited problem. Some sections Jf the international community have also responded generously, but the main burden still falls on the countries of first refuge. For its part, Australia, in response to appeals from UNHCR and the Govern- ment of Paki!llan, has now provided S.2 million Australian dollars to these authorities-eomprising 4.2' million Australian dollars in food aid and 1 million Australian dollars as a cash grant to UNHCR itself. But what we have here is,yet another example of the creation of vast numbers of refugees as a result of armed foreign intervention. 76~ Even though that call has not been heeded, it remains as valid today as it was when it was made. In that same resolution the Assembly also urged: ••... all parties concerned to assist in bringing about, speedily... conditions necessary for the voluntary return of the Afghan refugees to their homes." Such conditions still do not prevail. 77. There are also other important concerns. As I mentioned earlier, and as other speakers have also emphasized, the Soviet Union's actions in Afghanistan have adversely affected the whole range of issues involved in the conduct of relations between States. Detente has been impaired, arms control negotiations have stalled and, more generally, the level of interna- tional trust and confidence has sharply declined. 78. Needless to say, the Soviet Union is hoping that with the passage of time the international community will come to accept what has occurred in Afghanistan. We believe that the international community has a responsibility to demonstrate that unacceptable behaviour of the kind we have seen in Afghanistan attracts the widest possible condemnation. 79. It is in all our interests that these negative factors be removed and that a climate be restored which will allow the international community to resume working together in a more confident and more co-operative spirit. Over the past 20 years we have seen that substantial benefits can emerge from such a climate of confidence and co-operation. That climate has been dissipated by the situation we are discussing today. The Soviet Union can do much to help to restore it by heeding the call of the international community as previously expressed by this Assembly and as reiter- ated in the draft resolution now before us. Only after the restoration of a spirit of international trust and co- operation can we begin again to move forward towards the establishment of a stable international environment. 80. The considerable efforts of the Islamic Foreign Ministers to bring about a resolution ofthe Afghanistan crisis have been closely followed by many members of the, international community. Australia welcomes the contribution ofthe Islamic countries to the achieve- ment of a settlement and trusts that their sincere efforts will be able to bring about results which will guarantee the freedom of the Afghan people and thereby promote the cause of international peace and security. 81. The General Assembly has before it draft resolu- tion A/3S/L.12 which reaffirms the essential provisions of General Assembly resolution ES-6/2. It calls for the immediate withdrawal of the foreign troops from Afghanistan and it appeals to all States to extend humanitarian reliefassistance with a view to alleviating

In January of this year, at the sixth emergency special session the General Assembly called for the immediate, uncon- ditional and total withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in order to enable its people to determine its own form of government. That call was supported by an overwhelming majority of Member States and constituted a solid manifestation of the will of the international community. It was a call from hundreds of millions of people who, through their governmental representatives, expressed their indignation over this behaviour on the part of a super-Power. 86. Today, more than 10 months later, Soviet troops are still present in Afghanistan. They show no signs of leaving. On the contrary, Soviet efforts to force the Afghan people into submission continue unabated. 87. The Soviet intervention and continued presence in non-aligned Afghanistan is a clear violation of international law and should be condemned as such. The invasion violates principles which are fundamental to the Charter of the United Nations. It violates in particular the principle of self-determination, the prin- ciple of non-intervention, the principle of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principle of the non-use of force. 88. States Members of the United Nations have special reason to react when a permanent member of the Security Council overrides its obligations under the Charter. The Charter bestows a special respon- sibility on the permanent members for maintaining international peace and security. Naturally, we there- 89. A political settlement of the situation in Afghani- stan based on self-determination and respect for terri- torial integrity requires that the Soviet Union withdraw its troops and enter into appropriate, ne! ~tiations with all concerned. The Soviet Union m:..st ta•. 'iese steps in recognition of the unquestionable ri&:·)f every nation and every people to determine its 0\'\, ;,·)litical, economic and social future without any outs: J~; inter- ference. Only universal acceptance and apphcation of the fundamental principles of non-interference and non-intervention can bring the situation in Afghanistan closer to a solution. 90. In this connexion, we wish to support and encourage the Secretary-General in his efforts to facilitate the search for a solution to the problem. The United Nations also has a clear task in assisting the countries in the area to deal effectively with the problem of refugees, a problem which causes great suffering to more than a million human beings.

The Federal Republic of Germany welcomes the initiative taken by 32 non-aligned States in bringing the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan before the forum of the General Assembly again. The rights of an independent, non-aligned country and its people have been violated. Silence and resignation can never be an answer when military intervention and use of force are maintained. 92. My colleague from Luxembourg, acting as spokesman for the nine States members of the European Community, has just expressed the grief and concern felt by the people of our countries about the still unresolved situation in Afghanistan. The Federal Republic of Germany fully supports this position and would like to reaffirm its attitude on this important issue which has cast a dark and lasting shadow on peace and co-operation. 93. Almost a year has elapsed since the General Assembly met in emergency special session in an impressive effort to unite for peace. A very substantial majority-l04 States-took a clear stance on the inva- sion in Afghanistan and that flagrant violation of the Charter. In resolution ES-6/2 the Assembly called for the immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of the foreign troops from Afghanistan in order to enable the people of that country to determine their own form of government and choose their economic, political and social systems free from outside interven- tion, subversion, coercion or constraint of any kind whatsoever. 94. In the process leading to that urgent appeal, non- aligned States played an important role. My country has also been pleased to note the continuing efforts ofthe Islamic States and many other non-aligned coun- tries in trying to find a solution to the Afghan problem. We share their conviction that the Soviet intervention is a dangerous blow to the principles of the non-use of force and non-intervention-which are also pillars of non-aligned policy. i:63. Mr. KATAPODIS (Greece): The question of ,Arghanistan is one of the most important items on the agenda of the General Assembly. It involves some of the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and, for that matter, of the rules that should govern the relations between members of the international society in general. 104. A small, independent country was invaded 11 months ago by foreign troops, which still occupy it. Or rather, they occupy the part of that country which they were able to subdue by force; because the resistance of the Afghan people continues. With whatever means it has at its disposal, and often bare-handed, that proud nation continues to oppose its invaders, asking only for what is its lawful due: the right to live in peace and independence and to determine freely its future and the political system that best suits its aspirations. 10S. My delegation is not interested in recriminations against or in condemnations of anybody. Our concern is not with the past but with the future. Several very commendable efforts have been made in the last 11 months to find a political solution to this problem. I stress the word political, which means that the first prerequisite for such a solution should be the total withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Once that is effected, several options remain open. The General Assembly, at its sixth emergency special session, last January, set out the framework of a possible settlement. The Organization of the Islamic Conference has also undertaken an initiative towards that end. And ..he General Assembly at its present session will have to pronounce itself on draft resolu- tion A/3S/L.12, which, in the view of my delegation, has much to commend it. The fact that it is sponsored by some 40 members of the non-aligned movement lends it the weightofa widelyrepresentative document. 106. One of the ideas contained in the draft resolution is the appointment of a special representative of the Secretary-General, who would assist the parties in the search for a solution guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of all tbe countries in the region and providingthem with appropriate safeguards against the use offorce. The same objective could be achieved through an international conference with the participa- tion of all concerned. 107. Another very serious aspect of the problem of Afghanistan is the more than 1 million refugees who had to flee their homes as a result of the invasion and the continuing hostilities and to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The international community has a special duty to work towards the creation of conditions which would enable those unfortunate people to return to their homes, 108. The situation in Afghanistan has had wide repercussions outside that country. It has generated a feeling of anxiety among Afghanistan's neighbours, problem, because its active participation in the proce~s of detente is a conditio sine qua non of ultimate success. 109. What happens to Afghanistan in the next few months may well determine whether the over-all world situation takes a turn for the better or the worse in years to come. It will show who believes truly in the principles of the Charter and who pays them only lip-service, for propaganda reasons. 110. Our world is already too full of peoples which are deprived of their freedom because of internal oppress-m. Let us not add to them peoples which have to put up with foreign occupation as well. 111. Mr. TAYLOR (Grenada): Even before the triumph of our people's revolution of 13 March 1979, the people of Grenada, led by the New Jewel Move- ment, acted in solidarity with the oppressed peoples the world over in their struggles. 112. We have constantly supported liberation struggles in Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world. We have fought against apartheid and all other forms of racial discrimination. We have consistently been on the side of the democratic and progressive forces in the entire world. 113. That is why Grenada fully supports the April 1978 revolution of the Afghanistan people. We note that, from the inception of the revolution, external forces hostile to the democratic and anti-feudal character of the revolution, manipulated and utilized local counter-revolutionaries in the interest of main- taining the status quo as a way of keeping the Afghanistan people poor, backward and oppressed. 114. Since November 1979all evidence has confirmed that those elements, hostile to the 1978 revolution, have stepped up their acts of aggression. They have escalated their campaign to discredit and destroy the democratic revolution of the Afghan people through increased military measures and hostile propaganda. 115. We in Grenada, faced with continued hostilities in the building of our own revolution, are fully able to understand the difficulties of the Afghan people in their struggles for social justice, peace and democracy. . 116. I crave the indulgence of members if I depart from my text for a moment to say to the Assembly that literally minutes before I came to the rostrum I received news from my capital that five members of our People's Revolutionary Militia were murdered last night. That is why we understand the difficulties of the Afghan people. We arerevolutionartes and we are not cowards. 117. On the basis of those principles, we reaffirm our support for the valiant people of Afghanistan and wish to record our opposition to draft resolution A/35/L.12. 118. Mr. MOUMINI (Comoros): The delegation of the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros in its 119.. Those cardinal principles are laid down clearly in Article 1 of the Charter, which provides for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace. Article 2 prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political inde- pendence of any State. 120. The situation becomes even more painful when we note that certain permanent members of the Security Council are among those countries that violate the principles of the Charter and ignore the resolutions of the Genera! Assembly. 121. I say that it is even more painful because permanent members of the Security Council are supposed to be the watchdogs of the Organization, particularly in matters concerning the maintenance of international peace and security. If permanent mem- bers of the Security Council choose to ignore the prin- ciples of the Charter and not to implement resolutions of the Organization, how can they go about making others abide by the principles of the Charter and the resolutions of the United Nations? 122. In stating the foregoing, my delegation has in mind two important recent events concerning a super- Power permanent member of the Security Council. 123.. The first event is the military intervention by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in December 1979, which violated one of the basic principles of the Charter. 124. .~ondly, we have in mind resolution ES-6/2 adopted last January at the emergency special session, in which the Assembly condemned by a large majority the aggression against the people of Afghanistan and asked the Soviet Union to withdraw its forces from that non-aligned State. The Soviet Union has up to now categorically refused to comply with that resolution. 125. The Comoros is a small, poor, non-aligned country. Being small and poor, we cannot afford to maintain a big army to safeguard our territorial integrity and it is therefore in our own interest to be friendly not only with our immediate neighbours but also with all countries. It would be against our national interest to be caught in the press of power contests; however, when the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of other small States are violated by biuer nations, we feel that our own security is endangered, and that is the reason why we are forced today to take a strong position with regard to the events in Afghanistan. Naked aggression cannot be permitted or coadoned, tor such a response would only destroy the fabric of peace and international relations and call into'question the sanctity of solemn obliga- tions under the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the non-use of force and the settlement 128r A brief review of the events in Afghanistan will prove beyond any possible doubt that the assertion of the Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs is what one would call, in polite terms, a terminological inex- actitude. 129. Soviet airborne troops landed at Kabul on 25and 26 December 1979. On 27 December they attacked and captured governmental installations ofthe Government which they claim called them in pursuant to the 1978 Treaty. Amin, who was then President and who, if Soviet claims are true, must have been the one to call them in for help, was assassinated and the Afghan army was disarmed. The Soviet Union then brought in Babrak Karmal, who was not even in the country when the Soviets flew in their airborne troops. They installed Karmal as head of a new government and then announced that they had been invited under the Afghan-Soviet Treaty. 130. The aggression against and the occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet troops have clearly shocked the world, the international community as a whole and the third world in particular, which was subsequently disappointed by the deplorable intransigence and continuous refusal of the USSR to move its troops back to its own territory. 1)2, The events in Afgha~istan, if they are not remedied by an early withdrawal of the Soviet forces in that country, will have a v~ry negative impact on th~ friel.dly relations and sympathy that exist between the Soviet Union and many non-aligned countries. 133. The policy-makers of the Kremlin state that there will not be a Soviet withdrawal unless a political solution is found in Afghanistan; but we of the delega- tion ofthe Comoros are convinced that there can never be a political solution of the Afghan problem as long as Soviet troops remain in that country. We therefore call upon the Soviet Union to heed international appeals and withdraw its forces from Afghanistan immediately.

At the outset I naturally associate my delegation with the statement delivered at this meeting [paras. 27-38 above] hy the representative of Luxembourg on behalf of the nine States members of the European Com- munity. 135. ~n January the General Assembly condemned the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. One hundred and four Member States called for the immediate with- drawal of Soviet troops. Members of the Islamic Con- ference, gathered together at Islamabad a fortnight later, issued an equally firm condemnation. They too demanded that the Soviet Union should go back across its border. 136. The Soviet Union made excuses. It claimed that it was invited in. It attempted to blame others and it spokeofits wish for a political settlement. The pretence that it had intervened by popular demand and that it had the interests of the Afghan people in mind was rapidly shown to be baseless. After 10 months the occupation continues. Today there are over 85,000 Soviet troops in Afghanistan. In addition, 'other troops based within the Soviet Union are involved in military operations inside Afghanistan. The Soviet Union is building permanent barracks and facilities for its forces. That perhaps is a true indicator of its intentions. 137. There is no doubt what the Afghan people think. Many of them are putting their lives at stake to resist a super-Power which does not hesitate to use all the technology of modern warfare. The degree to which Afghans find the Soviet presence intolerable can be gauged from the fact that there are now over a million refugees who have fled into Pakistan. In Iran too there are some hundreds of thousands. Nearly one in 10 Afghans has left his country because of the Soviet invasion. 138. The truth is that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan not to help the Afghan people but because of selfish calculations of what it perceived to be the Soviet national interest. A communist regime to which it had already committed Soviet prestige with men, money and equipment was losing its grip. It had no popular support and the indications were that the Afghan people would overthrow it by force of arms. 140. So far the Soviet Union has shown no interest whatsoever in negotiations on terms that would be acceptable to the Afghan people and their neighbours. Nothing it Of the regime it has installed in Kabul has proposed has contained any basis for genuine negotiation. The five-point plan announced in April did not even address the central issue of the massive Soviet military presence in Afghanistan. On 14 May a further set of proposals was announced in Kabul. These contained the new proposition that the United States and the Soviet Union should give guarantees that no interference or subversive activities against Afghanistan would take place; but a central ingredient was that the Government of Afghanistan would ask for the withdrawal of Soviet troops after relations with its neighbours had been normalized and the so-called rebel activity had ceased. There was no commitment to a withdrawal programme, and no provision for the Afghan people to have a say in theit future. The pro- posals contained another defect. They said nothing about future assurance against invasion from across the frontier with the Soviet Union. We were forced to conclude that the 14 May proposals wer.e directed primarily towards securing legitimacy for the Babrak Karmal regime and not towards a real attempt at a political settlement in the interests of the Afghans as a whole. In that connexion, I should like to underline once again that the absence ofobjection by my delega- tion to the participation ofAfghanistan in the discussion of this question and the fact. that we have raised no formal challenge to the person present here for that purpose should in no way be taken to imply that the United Kingdom Government recognizes the present regime in Afghanistan as the Government of that country. 141. The Assembly should again express its strong indignation and repeat its condemnation of the Soviet occupation. But that alone is not enough. The world must continue to work for an acceptable settlement. The Afghan people should be assured that they are not forgotten. The elements necessary for a solution are clear enough: the borders of the country must be secure; the refugees must be free to return; there must 142. The United Kingdom has no fixed opinion about how those objectives should be achieved. There may have to be interim arrangements ofsome kind. We have noted the constructive lead given by the Islamic Con- ference in seeking a settlement and, we welcome its efforts. We shall listen with interest to realistic pro- posals which satisfy the objectives I have enumerated. We and our partners in the European Community have suggested that the k.ey might lie in the resumption by Afghanistan ofthe neutrality which had been her policy for so many decades. That is only one of a number of possible routes. And it was not put forward as an immutable plan. Neutrality has been the most con- sistent theme of Afghan foreign policy in this century. There can be no question of an imposed solution. it would be for an Afghan Government which reflected the popular will to decide on the acceptability of a solution. The choice must be theirs. But I suspect that the advantages of a structure which could restore and protect their sovereignty and independence would have great attractions for them. At the same time all of Afghanistan's neighbours, including the Soviet Union, should surely have nothing to fear from an independent and neutral State. The idea remains on the table. We are ready to contribute in any way we can to a solution of this gravely worrying problem. Mean- while the British Government condemns the violations of Pakistan's air space and the armed attacks by helicopter gunships described in the letter addressed to the Secretary-General by the representative ofPakistan on ti November [A/35/60.5-S/14245]. 143. We are entitled to ask: is the Soviet Union prepared to seek a political settlement which meets the interests of all concerned and not just its own? The alternative is a continuing war at mounting cost to the Soviet Union and increasing tragedy for the Afghan people, who have suffered enormously in terms of loss of human life, physical injury and material damage in the last 12 months. In a wider context it will mean a continuing strain on international relations. For as long as the Soviet occupation con- tinues, for as long as the Soviet Union goes on defying and flouting the principles on which the Charter of the United Nations is based, the rest of the world cannot afford to act as if nothing had happened. It would be both wrong and irresponsible to come to accept an action which has gravely undermined what- ever climate of international trust and confidence had begun to be established. We should not repeat the past mistake of forgetting too quickly a Soviet invasion of an independent and sovereign country. Our concern must not therefore wither away after this session ofthe Assembly. 144. We should not regard this debate and the draft resolution, which my delegation supports, as absolving us from the further responsibility of seeking an acceptable political settlement and of urging the Soviet Union to end its occupation. The Soviet Union and the Babrak Karmal regime must be left in no doubt about the intense anger and horror felt by the world at what