S/PV.268 Security Council

The last paragraph of the letteraddressed to the Secretary-General by the permanent representative of €hile (document S/694) contains the request that he be permitted topartîcipate in the discussion of tliis matter. It has been our usual practice to accede to such reque$ts for participation, which. is "provided .for in,the.Charter,and. 1 had,hoped that an invitation to take. part·in .the present discussion might be extended.eto the. reoresentative of Chile without a debate or a vote. Since objectionhasbeen raised, towe,er, the Security" Councilwill now vote on the question of acceding to the request submitted by.the representative of Chile. Votes for: Argentina,Belgium., Canada, China, Colombia, France, Syria, United Kingdom,United States of America. . Votes against: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Re- public, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics~ At the invitatiqn ai the President, Mr.Sama Cruz, repre.yentative Qf Chile~ took his pl@ce at the sec~riey Council table. . " . Mr.sÀNT.l' €R"f1,z '(Chile) (translated from Spnnish) : Mr. President, 1 Wanttothank the .The PRESIDENT: r request the representative, of Chil~ to go ahead with his statement. Mr. SANTA CRUZ (Chile) (translated from Spa- nish) : Judging from' certain remarks which bave been made during this discussion, it would seem that the issue now at stake is the- merits or demerits of. the document submitted by the Chilean delegation. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics bas made use -of two argn- ments which are as old as history itself in the service of an unworthy cause: in .ordf(~ to mini· mize our cbarges, he bas fust resorted to 'insults and then tried to cast aspersions on the accuser. As regards the instilts, after the words of the representative of Colombia, the Presiden~ himself and the representative of Francê, r am not going to coyer the same grotind. 1 think that their remarks have sufficiently safegilarded the dignity and prestige ,of the Council and of those small nations which are Members of the United Nations. , The representative of the USSR has aIso tried to defame the country bringing.the complaint. He has said- that we are instruments ; that in this affair ChUe has acted as a puppet State. This, -without any d6ubt, is nothing more than the expression of a. totalitarian concept of the world ; it is a mere repetition of the Soviet Union's lack of respect for the small count.ries which are Members of the Organization. But since 1 do not want this particulùl' aspect of the matter, the good faith of the accuser, to obscure the essence of the question and serve as a smoke-screen to divert the attention of the Council, r am only going to say a few words in this respect. - Chile has made it very c1ear that it was acting in good faith; that it believed in the Organiza- tion and was ready to· do its utmost to help in the establishment and maintenance of peace. We have given numerous proofs of this. Our attitude toward the veto was a demonstration of confi- denc~ in the great Powers. And sa was our attitude on the question of .the _, election of the Members of the Seeurity Council. 1 might say that the factthat the representative of the Ukrainian SSR is now sitting in this Council is due in great part to the attitude ofChile; in spite of the state of its .relations with the USSR. By .:~e{~'p:resentativeof the USSR h~ .1ikewise .~, m,~~~allllsions ~a-' thç internaI' situation ln Chile. ~. will saybri.efiy tlJ.at· Çhile·has tra<liüonâlly.been ·a democrac:Y, and. a virile d~oçracy,one that hés known how to. def~nd itself; a democracy whichhasnot tolerated' the apuse of .guarantees l'rovided bydelllocracy in arder toundermine its own principles, destroy its. liberty· and so·put an end to democracy itself.. We would willingly allow any competent body of the United Nations, such as the Economie and Social Council or the Com- mission on Human Rights, to investigate the intemal situation in oUr country, And there 1 will stop discussing the references to my country, whichcertainly do notserve to illumine the basic questionnow before us, and in fact only obscure the .issue. On 22 February last~ the combined action of the Communist minority in Czechoslovakia and the. Govemment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, developed over the last three years, succee~ed-in the most violent manner and bysocialistes means of~ coup d'Etat-in. depriving thiscountry of its political independence andconverting. it into an unconditional .instnÎment of the -Soviet Unio~'s expansionist policy of European domina';' tion. 1 .havé no need to remind the. Council of what happened on 22 F~bruary last. and in' the days that followed. You will findsufficient data on this matter in the letter which Mt. Jan Papa;. nek, the permanent representative of. Czechoslo- v;1kia .to .the pnited Nations, wrote to the Secretary-General and which was distributed as docuyJent S/696, at Our request, and 1 am only going toread you certain points from thîs ·letter : •• The' Goveriunent of the Czechoslovakian Republic, legaIly constituted by the general par- -diamentary elections of May 1946, has. been lindermined and openly placea in jeopardy on F'ebruary 22, 19"tB,through force bya Commu- mstminority. .This ,Commtmist minority was encouraged and given promise of help, if neces- sary, by the representatives of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics who came ~o Pr~a forthat. ptIqlose, lêd by V. A. Zorin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Mairs. ·~.'l'hl'political. indepen~enceof ",Czechoslo- vakia,a M'ember of the Umted Nati()Ds, has thus beèft violated .bv-threat of.use. of .fôrc-e of anôther 'Member of thé" Unit~ff }lfations,. the Union' of ~vietSôcia1ist Rep!1b1ics, in direct infdngement of p~agtaph 4, Article 2 of the Charter." . TheqOCWIl,ent Iurther states: ·'Itis very clearthat the coupbythe Corn;. munist minority,by force was·e1fectuated success- fullyonly. beçatiseof offici.al participation of representatives of the Uniop. of Soviet Socialist Republicsand because of the threat of the use' .. The ConstitUtion of Czechoslovalda, adOPted in 1920, states that the people are the sole source of stat~ power and provides for g~:aeral secret elections through which the people express their will. Masses of people driven by terror and the threat of the loss of their jobs into public squares of Czechoslovak'cities and towns to demonstrate or to strike, cannot De considered as expressing the will of the people. Yet, claiming that' such demonstrations with the participation of official and military representatives of the ..Union of Soviet Socialist Republics express the will of the people, aminority party usurped the power of the Governmènt of Czechoslovakia .and is impos- mg its m1~ upon an the people without regard for the Constitution or the law. ,- .. The President is prevented 'from executing bis constitutionaI powers. Political. parties have been forced to change their leaders. Many regu- larly elected members of ParliaIllynt have been . Nombre. d'entre no~ onIy removed from office, but deprived ..of their Parliamentary îmmunity. Many have been brutally beaten and jailed. University professars, judges, high.officials in aIl. goverhmentaî depart- ments who refuse to bow to the communist dictator ship have been dismissed .or demoted. St1!dents who refuse to pledge loyalty to the new corder' are expelled' from. the universities. The rights and privileges of citizens guaranteed by tlle Constitution are being flagrantly yiolated. " The official lists of ·'.:.am.es of individuals .faithful to the democra~~'_ iT .n.ciples who have be~n arrested without legal glOunds are increasing ~y. PersonaI liberty isrestricted. Many dis- . InlSsed intellectuals are forced to manuallabour. 'f.he right of •private ownership of' property is vlolated. To travel or emigrate is prohibited except for the chosen few. The inviolability Of the home no longer exists. The freedom of" the pre~s has been abolished..Many newspapers and . ,ger penodicals have been discOlitinued,their editors dismissed and forbidden ever to write for any pr~ss!1gain, .among them, Dr. Levy Sycrava, editor-m-ehief of one of the most liberaIinde.. pendent Prague dailies, wbo.fought for Czechoslo- v:Wan. indepen~ence in World War J, spent SlXty-elght .months in concentration camps in Ge~any during World War n, is Czechoslo- vakia's representative on the Sub-Commission ondiale Freedom of Information and the Press, and 1 The pegnanent representative . of. Cz.echoslo- , cvl:lJda 'then'gives a series offacts relatiilgtothe . j wayin which constitutiona1 rlgb.ts were violated, and.heestablishes. thatthe.•interference of the USSR was a flagrant violation of the provisions of the Treaty of Peaçe·and.Friendship concluded between the two countries. . The tepresentativeofthe Soviet Union has saidthat this letter is thework of a traitor to hispeople. ' , In the:fitst':p~ace, I.shouldlike toplace on record ...thatat),the time when. Mr.. Papanek ',r~eliveredthis J~ftet to the.United Nations he was . sti1I,.the legal ~'~epresentative of the legitimate Goy~rmnentof Czechoslovakia and his credentiaJs c;h~dllotbee~revolc(l<,l ...Iam notgoing to intro- dp~e.t,Jtti;:.qu.estion.of theJegality of Mr. Papanek's cred~n.ti.~So,jnto. .the~discussion. because. in .due coÙrse.the United Nations Will have to. décide on thlltpQillt.. ~iJoniy. want 10 state that there is an<?~~"rea~Qn,'arid this a moràl. one, for plac~g a:ce.rt~,:vïilll~ 'c~;>n Mr.Papanek'sstatement. This ,mlW-,;,. ~1l()tp. •..the'representativé of 'the USSR has çrd1.~<l.lltrattor,w:as.a hero of the. First World 'Wat;latêr·he was" a leader. of .the resistance l:lg~~t •.·th~i.Na~iny~ion. and h.c was President J:J(l~ê~:,ieprêsentaijvein WasQington.. Sinçethen forïWo.yeais weliaye $een bim at work with the pnîted Nllti9ns.~waysloyal, honestanddignified, and he hasoccup~eçlsome of the highest postsin theyaIious orgatts of oui'international Organiza- ti()ÎlO..The.repres~ntative .of the .Soviet .Union , l1ims~if must hav~been.able. t9appreciatehow Mr.Pal'anek on morethàn one oécasion actecl wttll. exemplarvloyalty WÏthin the framework of the Tieaty of Peàç~ and, Friendshipwhich eXisted ,.b_etween.. .his,~J)l1l'lttY~9', the Union of. Sovi~t S,ocialisi Repüblics:And thfs "personal factor is one whIch.}y~~h9uldtake seri01J.slyinto account, unless webelieye tbaftheprifiéiples of .political morality which we should apply c~ be divorced from the principles of a sound inctividual1Ilorality. Jt must berecpinüzed at oncethat the charges ~d"'ançedby Mr. Papanek inims letter have some coloJ)r of truth.. Has;not J)J1l>J!ç OQ!llÏo,n be,en ~eatly distqrbEid bYo~v~n.ts in Czechoslovalda? Can".delegates be 0 unaware .of the. joint,protest made py thecGovemmen~s of tlle JJnitedStates, pranc~, and the United Kin~dom~f~w days 8ftero,dieeventS took pl~êe-?-The(Jové~m.e:n~(}f thesê'countries said: ' , ,; ., The" Goverfiments .O(i the "UI1Ît~d .' States,:, Francea.nd GJ:eat Britain'have'-8ttentively fol- low~:d the course..oftheevents"which have Just taken plàce in 'Czechoslov-akia andwhich' place injeopartty the very existence of the principles' (Jf',.liberty' towhichall democratic nations are attaèhed. ',' A few hours ago the President of the United States said that"the world was overshadowed by , the tragic fate of Czechoslovakia, and the Secre- tary of State, Mr. Marshall, stated a few days ago that Czephoslovakia' was under a reign of terror. Similarstatements have been made by statesmen · like MI. Bidault and other leadingfigures in various countries. The accusation made by Mr. Papanek has, therefore, apart from the fact that · it is made by an authoritative person worthy of respect, every app~arance of truth. .As a further tact justifying an investigation, it may not be superfluous. to quote what appeared in. yesterday's newspapers. A dispatch from Prague ,:stated that one of the new ministers, Mr. Antonin Gregor, said that .. We mllSt thanIc our Slavallies, and mainly the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, for the fact that we succeeded in overconling all obstacles and defeating reac- tion ". If this statement is accurate, we have here a confession that, as Mr. Papanek said in his letter to the United Nations, foreign aid and the tbreat of military pressure played a part in recent events in Czechoslovakia. ministres l'Union des sa intervenues pression The Security Council has concÎucted investiga- tions of some events which in its upinion endan~ gered international peace and security. It, has dealt, for example,With the case of Kashmir and with the case of Indonesia which were, in fact, situations endangering international peace and security. And l ask you, gentlemen, whether, if the allegations of Mr. Papanek, supported as they are by the other available information, are 'proved, there will not be a much more serious tbreat of a breach of world peace, especially when it is realized that the evellts with·.which we are now dealing took place in the self-same part of the globe where two world wars broke out. faits et l'Indonésie mettant diales. Conseil si, qui possédons, là du les sément dans deux The representative of the Ukrainian SSR has said that my countryhas no direct interest in ,events in Czechoslovakia and that it cannot bring forward any evidence regarding them. It is quite true that we have no direct interest and it is equally true that we cannot bring forwârd .. any ·fresh facts. But we believe that the facts aIready known, together with the authoritative and res- ponsible evidence by Mr. Papa1Îek andcorrobo- rated bythe other authorities 1 have cited, are que dan~Jes saurait concernant que affaire pouvons croyons rendus foi, borés j'ai ~ore than sufficient to justify the Security Coun- ,cil in conducting an investigation under Article 34 of the Charter in order to ascertain whether the It must also be saidthat recent histery shows that failure to act on the part of the international organizations responsible for keeping the peace serves only to precipitate war and to strengthen the .aggressors. 1 shall cite a noteworthy example. On 16 March.1939 President Benes ·of Czechoslo- valda sent a telegram to the League of Nations communicating a message which he had sent that same dayto the heads of the Governments of the United States, France, the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The message read as follows : .. The Czech and Slovak peoples are vIctims .of a great international crime. The people ofCze- choslovakia cannot protest todayand because of the happenings of'the 'last month cannet defend themselves. Therefore; 1 as ex-President of Cze- choslovakia address this soleron- protest to you. .. Last September the Franco-British proposais, and a few days afterwardl.l the Munich' decision, were presented·to me. Both of these documents contained the promise of the guarantee of the integrity and secmity of Czechoslovak ter.ritcîry. Both these documents asked for unheard-of sacrifices by my people, in the intetest of peace. These .sacrifices were made by the peoples of Czechoslovakia. .. Nevertheless, one of the great Powers who signed the agreement of Munich is now dividing our territory, il; occupying it with its army and isestablishir.ga 'protectorate' under threat of force and military violence. .. Befere -thê conscience of the world and before history, 1 am obliged to proclaim that Cze.chS and Slovaks willnever accept this un·' bearable imposition on their sacred rights. And they will never cease their struggle for defence bf these rights and for re-integrationof their beloved country. ., 1 entreat your Government to refuse.to recog- riize this crime and to face the consequences as .. l am. now sending the telegram to the' Pre- sident of the League of Nations Council. 1 invoke the •relevant articles. of the' Covenant and, in particular, Article 10.: ~I~am convinced that no member of the League of Nations will accept this crime, and l trust that aIl·members of the League will in due time fulfil the.obligations imposed upon them by' the Covenant." ' We aU know and remember that this request from President Benes was· thrown ·ioto the was~e~ paper basket, and we all. lmowwhat the result was. Shortly afterwardsthe war came, and with it the death, of the League of Nations, unwept and unmoumed. Chile does not wish this. Organiza- tion, created after great sacrifices in order to maintain peace, to suffer the same fate. Chile has faith in the United Nations but believes, that if the United Nations, through empty formalism Iike that.which led to the rejection' of Mr~ Pap~­ nek's accusation, refuses to conduet an"inv:~stiga­ tion of these events, it· ean hope for no other furture than that of fl1.e League of Nations. The United Nations has no military force to ensure that its rulings are, carried out. That is one of the .points on' which it has been impossible to reach agreement. The" Organization therefore relies only on the moral force of worM public opinion, and the force of public opfuion will support the United Nations only if the Organiza- tion completely fu!fils the_obligations laid upon it by the Charter, one of which is the obligation to jpvestigate and take action in cases in which international peace and security are endangered. We cannot accept the suggestion that this event, which has so disturbed public opinion, wit~ ,which '.the whole world is preoccupied, which has led to statements from Governments and from the press and which has plunged Europe in deep. despair, should be passed over in silence. It is for. this reason that Chile, which has no direct interest and which is perhaps the country .farthest removed from the theatre of , events, has aptreared .bèfore the United Nations to request an investigation. The investigation will not be difficult. Nor do 1 believe ,there will be any need for the United Nations to send a fact-finding commission-.-.which would certainly not be accepted-to .Czechoslo- vakia. The United Nations has the means to investigate the accuracyofthe charges.made in this case in other parts of Europe and even here at Lake·Success. If the facts are not troe, then the whole world, now in thegrip of despair at the approach of another war, cedain to be more bloody than the war endured by mankind during the last decade, will feelprofound relief. U may investigate any dispute or any .situation which might lead to intemational friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the contii1uance of the dispute or situation is !ikely to endanger the maintenace of intemational pence and security". . ln my opmlon. all that is required to bring this provision inti) effect is the existence of suffi- cient evidence to indicate that events endangering peace have taken place. 1 believe that such evidenëe exists. What is more, 1 believe that the COUDcil can, if it desires, be sure of more and even stronger evidence to justify such an inves- tigation if it gives a hearing to the permanent representative of Czechoslovakia, Mr. Papanek. In this connexion 1 would ask the Council, if it is not prepared to grant Mr. 'Papanek the lega] status he claims as representative of Czechoslo- vakia to the United Nations, at least to make use of its right under Article 39 of the mIes of procedure: •• The Security Council may invite members of the Secretariat or other persons, whom it consi- ders competent for the pUL-pose, to supply it with information or to··give other assistance in examining matters within its competence." 1 do not see how the Council could refuse this request from the representative of Chile. MT. Pa- panek has evidence which will throw great lig.'ht on the facts brought to the attention of the Council, and 1 therefore fonnally request that the Council should invite him to sl.1pply it with information. 1 have given sufficient explanation of the motives for Chile's intervention in this matter. 1 have said, and 1 say again now, tbat we cannat bring forward further evidence in .this case. We have fulfilled in good faith a moral obligation and used a right confèried upon us by the Charter. Our intervention therefore ends at this point in so far as presenting evidence or infor- mation is concemed. But if the Security Council does not accept the request 1 have made that the representative of Czechoslovakia, Mr. Papanek, should be heard, and if Mr. Papanek wishes to make use of our delegàtion to bring forward' his evidence, we shall be prepared to act as a- channel for the defence of his legitimate interests. Ai tms point the system of consecutive ïnter- pretation w~ resumed.

The unQ~rstallding of the representatlve of France is correct. The meeting rose at 5.55 p.m. TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY·NlNTH MEETING Held at Lake Success, New York, on Thursday, 18 March 1948, at 2.30 p.m. President: Mr. T. F. TSIANG (China). Present: The representatives of the following countries: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Syrla, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom, United States of America. 22. Provisional agenda (document SIAgenda 2(9) 1. Adoption of the agenda. 2. India-Pakistan question: (a) Letter dated 1 January 1948 from the representative of India addressed to the President of the Security Council conceming the situation in Jammu and Kashmir (document S/628).1 '(b) Letter dated 15 January 1948 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan addressed to the Secretary-General concerning the situation in Jammu and Kashmir (document S/646).2 (c) Letter dated 20 January 1948 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan addressed to the President of the Security Council (document S/655).3 IIbid., Supplement for November 1948, pages 67·87. DIbid., No. 6, 231st meeting.