S/PV.672 Security Council

Before taking up the matters on our agenda, it is with a great deal of pleasure that l extend the wholehearted thanks of the members of the Coundl to the President for the month of May, Sir Pierson Dixon. He is particularly to be admired and congratttlated for his ability to master the intricacies of Council proceedings so skilfully and so soon after taking up his duties as the United Kingdom representative. 1. que notre que du dence notamment laquelle si représentant 2. l'anglais) obligeantes souhaiter il

l should like to thank the President for his kind words in respect to me and to wish him aIl possible good fortune in his term of office this month. Adoption of the agenda 3. listes qu'il de jour l'attention de de menacer nationales. 4. cependant, sentant en 5. question actuellement Ministres des 3. Ml'. TSARAPKIN (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): In the letter dated 29 May 1954 from the representative of Thailand ta the President of the Security Coundl, which is subrnitted for inclusion in the agenda of the Security Council [S/322D], the Council's attention is drawn to a situation which, in the view of the Government of Thailand., represents a threat to that country's security the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security. 4. Although Indo-China is not specifically mentioned in the letter from the representative of Thailand, it is clear to everybody that it is lndo-China to which the letter refers. 5. In this connexion l must point out that the question . of the restoration of peace in Indo~China is at the present time being considered by a conference of the Foreign Ministers'Jf the Soviet Union, the United States of America, the People's Republic of China, France and the Unit~d Kingdom ~ the countries which ~e 1. 11. Accordingly, there can be no doubt that ther~ no compelling reason for the Security Council to consider the question submitted by Thailand. Consideration of this matter in the Security Council would not only not contribute to a settlement of the question of the restoration of peace in Indo-China, but might prevent the successful solution of the problem at the Geneva conference. 12. For these reasons, the delegation of the Soviet Union objects to the inclusion of the ;':::m proposed 15. Within these strict limits, to which, in the view of the Frt.lch delegation, the Thailand request is confined, l see nothing in it that is not completely natural and proper. 16. Moreover, 1 am confident that in the course of the discussions in which the Couneil is about to engage, aIl members, without exception, will make it their constant concern not to extend those limits and to say nothing that might embarrass in any degree those who are negotiating at Geneva, or might interfere in any way with their work. In these circumstances the French delegation will vote in favour of the inclusion in the Council's agenda of the request addressed to the Conncil by the Thailand representative. 17. The PRESIDENT: Since no other representative wishes to speak, the Council will vote on the adoption of the agenda. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Brazil, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Lebanon, New Zealand, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. Against: Union of Soviet 50eialist Republics. 1~..Mr. TSIANG (China): 1 have asked for per- mISSion to speak merely in order to explain my vote. 1? .. The Security Council has the primary respon- slblllty for the maintenance of peace a,nd security in the world. This is the proper place to whi..:h the Govern- ment of Thailand should send an appea1. The anxieties of the Thai Government are reasonable and natural. That is the reason why 1 voted in favour of the adoption of the agenda. cett~ du 20. soviétique du 20. In the course of his statement, the representatÏ\re of the Soviet Union repeated that aIl of the five per- manent members of the SeçUfity ÇQundl were par- 3 Letter dated 29 May 1954 from the acting perma· nent representative of Thailand to the United Nations addressed to the President of the 8ecurity Couilcil (8/3220)

Members of the Council will have noted that in the letter from the representative of Thailand to the President of the Security Council he has requested to be allowed ta participate in the discussions of the Council in accordance with rule 37. The Chair considers that since Thailand has brought to the Council a situation under Article 35, paragraph 1 of the Charter, the representative of Thailand should be invited to the table in accordance with rule 37. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Sarasin, rep1'esentative of Thailand, took a place at the Security Council table. 22. Ml'. SARASIN (Thailand): On 29 May 1954, the Government of Thailand brought to the attention of the Security Council a situation which represents threat to the security of Thailand, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security. 23. Although up till now my country has not been directly attacked, the situation in territories bordering on Thailand has become so explosive and tension is so high thata very real danger exists that fighting may spread ta Thailand and the other countries of the area and that foreign troops may effect direct incursions into Thai territory. 24. This is the situation my Government decided to bring before the Security Council for its consideration. For nearly eight years, war has been going on in Viet-Nam, but up to April 1953 its èharacter was not such as ta give great concern to my Government. Much as we have deplored its continuation, it has been largely within the borders of the State of Viet-Nam and had only indirect effect on Thailand's immediate neighbours, Laos and Cambodia. Bands of Viet-Minh gueri1las then operated in remote regions of both countries, while the Viet-Minh regime in Viet-Nam attempted from time to time ta propagate the illusion that it was allied with so-called indigenous national resistance movements in Laos and Cambodia. At that time, however, the effect of these efforts on international peaceand security did not appear critical. 25. The first unmistakable signs b~gan to show in early 1953 that the conflict which had been raging in Viet-Nam could not be contained but was to spread westward. In the spring of 1953, the situation described above changed drastically for the worsè when regular units of the Viet-Minh armed forces entered Laos. In early 1953, one Viet-Minh division and elements ,,' two other divisions crossed the northern border of Laos. Later inlhe month, these forces were reinforced by still other Viet-Minh units. AlI of these forces were composed of Viet-Namese personnel. At one time, these .forces came as close as 15 miles from the Thai frontier and no one would then have dared pn:d.ict that 26. This withdrawal of v-iet-Minh forces and the resulting diminution of their threat to Laos and to international peace and security proved to be only temporary. In late December 1953, Viet-Minh regular forces, cO!l1ing primarily from the Vinh area in north central Viet-Nam, again launched a drive into central Laos. This operation was initiaUy successful and Thakhek, a Laotian town on the bank of the River Mekong, which serves as the border between Thailand and Laos, was seized. French Union forces, however, succeeded in reoccupying Thakhek and the Viet-Minh units began to expand their operations southward toward the Laotian-Cambodian frontier. They conducted propaganda, recruiting and guerrilla operations, the latter being directed primarily against national route 13 and the Mekong River lines of communication. 27. This created a situation of great danger to Thailand, which was aggravated by the fact that 60,000 . persans of the Vietnamese race live within Thailand along the Laotian-Thai frontier, in the area fronting the scene of this military operation. The presence of this group has made it possible for Viet-Minh agents to infiltrate these Viet-Namese communities. 28. In late January 1954, a further military operation was undertaken by the Viet-Minh in the north of Laos, again directed against the city of Luang Prabang. Approximately eleven battalions of regular Viet-Minh troops, previously located in the vicinity of Dien Biea Phu in north Viet-Nam, moved south across the :u.0tian .b<;>r?er. These troops engaged defending forces ln the Y1C1mty of Muong-sai and Luang Prabang. The bulk of these Ioreign forces retreated to the north toward the end of February 1954.. 29.. The Viet-Minh troops in the centre of Laos continued southward, and in April of 1954 moved for ~he ~rsnimé against the Kingdom of Cambodia, which lS sltuated on the eastern border of Tha:iland These V!et-Minh units, made up entirely oi Viet-nal11~se, are stl11 engaged in operations in northeast Cambodia. 30. The Viet-Minh troops remain in Laos and Cambodia, continuing their military operations against th€. armed forces of these two reighbours of Thailand WhlCh have received sup\lQrt iro.n the military forces 5 37. Faced with a threatening situation, elementary reason dictates that we should first and above aIl do all that is necessary to provide for our own safety. This dutY has not been neglected. We have taken, and are continuing to take, aIl the precautionary measures within our power. We have done this in the hope not only of safeguarding our own security but also of preventing the spread of the conflict which has ravaged neig1.J.bouring territories for the past eight years. 38. The. question which. my Government has been obliged to resolve is whether the measures it can take by itself are for the time being sufficient and whether we should let the matter rest in the hope that no actual incursiem into our territory will take place. My Government has come to the conclusion that such a decision would not be in keeping with the obligations my Government has deliberately and voluntarily assumed in becoming a Member of the United Nations. 39. The provisions of the Charter, from the Preamble to its succeeding Chapters, clearly show that the primary and paramount objective of the United Nations is to preserve the peaœ and not to delay our united efforts until the peace has been actually breached. 41. In these circufl1stances, when a threat to peace begins to appear, it is the duty of Members to calI the attention of the Organization to the existence of such a threat. As far as we are concerned, my Government is of the opinion that, even if it has adequate means at its disposaI ta cape with the danger, the problem of a threat ta the peace should be the concern of all Members of the Organization and should not be considered as a problem particular to a certain country or group of countries, for no one can say for certain how such a threat will develop or whether it Gan be confined to a limited area and not extend further to engulf the whole region. 42. Consequently, and because of its firm belief and faith in the United Nations, my Government is confident that if this great international body takes into consideration this problem, it will not fail to produce certain deterring effects upon those who may be bent upon disturbing the peace of the area. The expense wi.ll be infinitely small compared with the incalculable loss in human lives and material resources which might be a consequence of letting events take their own turn without taking steps in advance to curb them. 43. l do not think any objection can be raised by anyone ta the general proposition that the United Nations requires an adequate system of observation if it is to function most effectively to prevent outbreaks of violence. That general thesis is embodied in section B of the General Assembly "Uniting for peace" resolutian (377 A (V» which established the Peace Observation Commission of the United Nations. 44. AIl great Powers have accepted this part of the resolution. In fact, three of these Powers, Fra!1ce, the United Kingdom and the United States, were among the co-sponsors' of the resolution. 45. In setting up the Peace Observation Commission, the General Assembly provided that the Commission was to "observe and report on the situation in any area where there exists international tension, the continuation of which is likely to endanger the mainten~nce of international peace and security." The underlymg idea of the proposaI was that the Commission should be used wherever there is an area of tension. It has been the hope of the authors of the proposaI that the observers would function as a "peace patroI" ready ta deal with problems anywhere in the world where ~here is. a real state of tension and a real danger of mternabonal conflict. These observers should represent the calm and impartial judgment of the world commu- 47. It was with this objective in mind that in the letter addressed to the President of the Security Council it was suggested that the Security Council utilize the Peace Observation Commission with respect to the situation described in my letter. 1 have no doubt that such action would contribute materially to the maintenance of international peace and security. 48. In consequence, 1 would suggest that a sub-commission of the Peace Observation Commission be established with the authority to dispatch observers to any part of the general area of Thailand on the request of any State or any States concerned but only to the territory of States consenting thereto. The Commission should also have the authority to visit any area in which observation is being conducted. 49. The selection of the observers and the establishment of the observation machinery with the necessary transportation and communications equipment takes time. For this reason, my Government requests the establishm~nt of the observation machinery now, so that the observer teams will be present in the area and become familiar with the terrain and local conditions as soon as possible. 50. 1 have stated the reasons of a positive character which prompted my Government to make this request. 51. 1 wish to emphas!ze that the Government 1 have the honour to represent does not in any way seek any political or psychological gain by making this appeal to the United Nations except that which may result from the removal of the threat to the peace and security of its Dwn country and the area surrounding it. 52. Furthermore, to suggest that the consideration of this matter by the Security Couneil might hamper Oï have adverSe effects on the negotiations now going on at another international gathering is to misrepresent the true object of my Government's request which aims only at obtaining observation under the Peace Observation Commission. In our view this request cannot and will not under any circumstance produce any detrimental ei'fects upon the efforts which are being and have already been exerted for sorne time but which so far have yielded no solution. It is h<i.rdly necessary for me to point out that these efforts are independent of, and by their very nature different from, my request to this Organization. The successful conclusion of efforts made elsewhere may therefore be reached irrespective of whether or not this particulal:" request is considered by the United Nations. On the contrary, and in the unfortunate event of a failure of the above efforts, the con- 53. Finally, it is the firm conviction of my Go~..:rn­ ment that, in asking the United Nations to provide authentic and objective observation and reports, it is its earnest hope that the world organization will successfully accomplish one of the main purposes for which it has been established, namely, ta protect the peoples of Southeast Asia fl'om "the scourge of war". 54. l feel convinced that all Members of this Organization are deeply conscious of the grave responsibility they have assumed in respect of international peace and security and are not prepared to take chances when the sta..1<:e is so great. 55. l, therefore, submit that this is the time for the Council to act. In acting in this manner the efforts which are being made elsewhere to ensure peace in the same region will not be unfavourably affectert Rather the adoption of measures designed to obtain true facts about the situation will contribute toward the desired peace settlement and also toward the re1ieving of international tension elsewhere. In this spirit, my Government has submitted its request ta the Security Council and my fervent hope is that the Council will share the apprehensions of my Government and will see fit to adopt the proposed measure which no one can doubt will greatly help in the maintenance of international peace and security. 56. Ml". Charles MALIK (Lebanon) : It is refreshing ta me that, for the first time for about a year now, l do not find myself "on the spot" in this Council. l can, therefore, sit back and relax, relatively speaking. l say "relatively speal., 'lg" because we are aU interested in problems of peace and security wherever they arise, and ~lso because, belonging as we dl? to a country which is 10 the westernmost part of Asta, we would certainly be m.ost cieeply interested in problems of peace and secunty that arise anywhere else in that vast continent. But it is refreshing to discover there are problems in the world other than those in which we, in my country are most directly interested. ' 57, l find another reason for satisfaction in the quickness with which the agenda has been adopted. l have not been used to that speed in rriatters ir ,.rll:h we are deeply intereste~. l hope that this will ,-:·'at·: a precedent and that whenever a Member of the (T,lÎted Nat!ons, in good order, brings its own complaînts or quest~ons ~o the attention of the Security Council, the Councd WIll act with the expedition with which it acted this morning. 58. It has always been the feeling of my Government !hat, whenever a Member of the United Nations, or Ind~ed any .recognized sovereign State in the world, des!res to s~lze t~e United Nations or any organ of the Umted Nations, 10 accordance with the rules of procedure of the organ concerned, of questions of deep concern.to it ~nder the Charter, such matters ought to be put unmedtate1y on the agenda and considered in the proper manner. That was the reason why we voted in favo,ur of the adoption of the agenda th,is morning. 9 A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Brazil, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Lebanon, New Zealand, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America. The motion was adopted by la votes ta none. The meeting rose at 11.40 a.m.