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Statement by the Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee on USSR Appeal
Manila, 27 March 1981 |
- In my capacity as chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee, I am releasing the ASEAN's response to the appeal made by the Soviet Union concerning recent proposal made at Ho Chi Minh City for a conference between ASEAN and the other states in Southeast Asia.
- ASEAN maintains that the crux of the problem is the continuing conflict in Kampuchea resulting from Vietnam's unlawful occupation of that country by force in violation of the fundamental principles of the non-aligned movement and the principles enshrined in the UN. charter. Those UN principles animate the declaration of ASEAN Concord and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation which sere as the bases for active cooperation and friendship among the ASEAN member states. Foremost among these principles are mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states, non-interference in the internal affair of states and non-resort to force or threat of the use of force in the conduct of relations between states.
- ASEAN cannot agree with the Soviet appeal, because, in similar as the, Ho Chi Minh City Proposals, the appeal ignore the root cause of the problem, namely the breach of the previously-mentioned fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter. The views of ASEAN on this matter are well known and have been upheld by world opinion, as decisively demonstrated by an overwhelming majority of votes for the UNGA resolutions on Kampuchea adopted in 1979 and 1980 and more recently reiterated at the Non-aligned Meeting in New Delhi. In the decade of the eighties, one of the most important issues which confront the members of the international community is how small independent states are to protect their territories from invasion and occupation by foreign forces of militarily stronger power.
- It is in this content that ASEAN reiterates the need to resolve two issues of vital importance to the people of Kampuchean, to ASEAN, to the, parties concerned with the Kampuchean issue and to the overwhelming majority members of the United Nations which have supported UNGA resolution 35/6. That. resolution spells out two issues the withdrawal of foreign forces from Kampuchean within a time frame and the exercise by the Kampuchean people of their sovereign right to self-determination free from outside intervention or interference. ASEAN is convinced that until these two issues are resolved, tensions in Southeast Asia will not be reduced and efforts to achieve durable peace, cooperation and stability will not succeed.
- The normalization of the situation in Southeast Asia cannot be achieved so long as the Vietnamese Government claims that the situation in Kampuchea is "irreversible". The Kampuchean situation is reversible and for this reason ASEAN urges Vietnam and the Soviet Union to tale part in an international conference to be convened under UN auspices as a first step towards a political settlement of the Kampuchean problem.
- ASEAN strives to build peace and stability based on an acceptance of the principles which form the foundations for a system first, orderly and peaceful relations among the member-states of the international community. ASEAN takes this position out of its own deep conviction. ASEAN must defend and champion the principles it believes in without fear of intimidation or coercion.
- ASEAN is willing to have consultations in the interest of building constructive and peaceful relations with countries in the region with aspire, as the ASEAN member states do, to strengthen their political independence by developing their national economics,
- ASEAN therefore urges a prompt response to its call for a just and enduring political solution to the Kampuchean problem. it urges all parties concerned to participate in the international conference as proposed in UNGA resolution 35/6 which could lead to opportunities for developing a regional environment of peace and stability to which all countries and powers in the region would have the political will to contribute to and to maintain.
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