Indonesia, 1969

99. Madam President, on behalf

of my delegation, I wish to extend my heartiest congratulations

to you on your election to the high office of President

of this Assembly. Your election is not only a recognition of

your personal qualities and accomplishments, of your

outstanding professional qualifications, but also a tribute to

your country, Liberia, as well as to the whole continent of

Africa which is playing an increasingly prominent role in

our common pursuit of freedom, peace and progress. I am

confident that under your enlightened Presidency, our

deliberations will be guided to a successful conclusion.

100. Permit me also to express my delegation’s profound

regret at the passing away of your eminent predecessor,

Mr. Emilio Arenales, whose dedication to the cause of

world peace is well known. We wish to convey to the

delegation of Guatemala our deep sense of sorrow at the

loss of one of Latin America’s most articulate advocates of

the lofty principles of the United Nations.

101. I should like furthermore to pay tribute to the

Secretary-General and assure him of the continued support

of my country in all his endeavours for the cause of world

peace and for his untiring devotion to the service of

humanity.

102. Today is the first of October. On this day, the

Indonesian people commemorate the Pantjasila, the five

principles of our state philosophy. It is a day of rededication

to those five principles, the source of our political and

social thinking from which emanates our independent and

active foreign policy, now known as non-alignment. Non-alignment

is inherent to the Indonesian nation and its desire

to be friends with all nations that reciprocate its sentiments

for friendship and co-operation, for progress and world

peace. It was on this basis that Indonesia participated in the

Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned

Countries in Belgrade in 1961 and in Cairo in 1964.

We participated in the Consultative Meeting of the Representatives

of the Governments of Non-Aligned Countries

held in Belgrade in July 1969 and in the meeting of foreign

ministers and heads of delegations of non-aligned States

here at the United Nations last Saturday. We will continue

to join forces with other non-aligned nations in the search

for peace and a better world to live in.

103. In reviewing some areas and events which have

occupied our attention since the last session, I will first

refer to the prolonged war in Viet-Nam which has caused

great concern to the Government and people of Indonesia.

The continuation of the talks in Paris, the de-escalation of

the fighting and the announced withdrawal of American

troops from Viet-Nam have given us grounds for hope of a

settlement. But progress has been painfully slow and is all

but overshadowed by the spectre of the battlefield.

104. Nevertheless, we continue to cherish the hope that

new initiatives will brighten the prospect for peace in that

area. Indonesia is willing to assist in whatever way it can, if

requested by the parties involved, to turn this hope into

reality and will support all practical measures — particularly

through the United Nations — which may bring real peace to

the region. We must not forget that for nearly thirty years

the people of Viet-Nam have suffered unceasingly the terror

and scourge of war. The people of Viet-Nam highly deserve

the peace that will enable them to decide for themselves

what their future will be without outside interference.

105. During the last year the Government and people of

Indonesia have also been greatly concerned over the

discouraging course of events in the Middle East and in

southern Africa. Both questions have been the focus of

United Nations attention since the early years of its

existence. Both areas are still the source of conflict

involving Members of the United Nations itself. The annual

discussions by the General Assembly have left the ultimate

responsibility for both questions up to the Security

Council, and thus have challenged the very heart of the

United Nations. When developments in each case reached a

stage of extreme crisis, the Indonesian people felt strongly

about the situation. My Government deemed it therefore

necessary to participate actively in the search for a solution

in the Security Council although we are not a member of that body.

106. With regard to the Middle East, my country is

alarmed and deeply concerned with the deteriorating

situation, especially of the last few months. Explosive as

the situation has become, we are afraid that it may lead to a

larger war, endangering the peace and security of the world.

107. The behaviour and designs of Israel since the last

session have given us little cause for encouragement or

grounds to entertain hope for an improvement in the

situation. The arson committed against Al Aqsa Mosque, so

sacred and dear to Indonesian Moslems as well as to the

entire Moslem world, under the responsibility of the illegal

military occupation by Israel, has made the situation even

worse and demands immediate action before it develops

beyond all hopes for a negotiated settlement.

108. Our position on the central issue remains unchanged

and I can only repeat what I said last year to the General

Assembly [1680th meeting]. We cannot condone acquisition

of other people’s territory by military force. We

believe that a just solution can be reached on the basis a

Security Council resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November

1967. The withdrawal of Israeli forces to the lines they

occupied before the war of June 1967 constitutes an

essential element for a negotiated settlement.

109. As the country with the largest Muslim majority in

South-East Asia, we feel that our vital interests are involved

with the outcome of the struggle of our Arab brothers in

the Middle East.

110. We also regret that the unarmed members of the

United Nations group of observers now find themselves in

the grip of virtual war. My Government fully agrees with

the Secretary-General’s assessment of the seriousness of the

situation, and hopes that adequate safeguards will be

provided for the lives of those men of peace.

111. That virtual state of war in the Middle East is a grave

setback for the United Nations and a continued threat to

international peace and security. Both the Security Council

and the General Assembly have adopted resolutions in clear

language regarding the situation. Only firm action now to

implement those decisions can save the situation from

getting out of hand.

112. On the questions of Namibia, and apartheid in South

Africa and Zimbabwe, we have frequently expressed our

abhorrence for the policies and tactics of the racist

Government of South Africa and the illegal white minority

régime in Zimbabwe, which are rapidly tightening their

harsh grip on the majority of the native population in the

whole area.

113. The Government of Indonesia feels very strongly that

ways and means should be found to enforce United Nations

decisions demanding South Africa’s withdrawal from

Namibia and granting independence to that Territory as

early as possible. As a member of the Council for Namibia,

we shall continue to exert every effort to reach that goal.

114. As for the situation in Zimbabwe, almost four years

have elapsed since the unilateral declaration of independence

of 11 November 1965. No progress has been made in

our search for a solution. The illegal minority régime of Ian

Smith is still in power. The question has become more

complex in view of the already condemned collaboration of

States Members of the United Nations with that illegal

régime, in open defiance of United Nations resolutions.

115. We fully endorse the spirit and ideals of the Charter

of the Organization of African Unity, which was reiterated

in the Lusaka Manifesto on Southern Africa adopted by

the Fifth Summit Conference of East and Central African

States held from 14 to 16 April 1969, particularly in its

assertion that without a commitment to the principles of

human equality and freedom there can be no basis for

peace and justice in the world.

116. Facing the danger of a racial war, my delegation

believes that the time has come for the United Nations to

take strong action against the illegal régime of Ian Smith,

including all possible measures under Articles 41 and 42 of

the Charter, and to impose effective sanctions on South

Africa and Portugal.

117. We are equally concerned about the situation in

Angola, Mozambique, Guinea (Bissau) and other Territories

still under colonial domination. We continue to support the

Struggle for freedom and independence of the peoples of

those Territories.

118. The continued defiance of both South Africa and

Israel of Security Council decisions has brought the United

Nations to a crisis which must be faced squarely and firmly.

If we miss the opportunity to demonstrate our determination

to uphold our principles, we will undermine our Organization.

119. In South-East Asia a dissonant element remains in

the strained relations between the People’s Republic of

China and most of its South-East Asian neighbours,

including Indonesia. We have followed with great interest

the developments within the People’s Republic of China.

We have not, however, noted a constructive change in its

attitude, at least towards my country. Apart from this

problem, the question of the representation of China as the

only Asian country to serve as a permanent member of the

Security Council is, beyond any doubt, important. As a

matter of principle, Indonesia maintains its view that the

People’s Republic of China should be represented in the

United Nations.

120. As far as our bilateral relations with China are

concerned, we are not in a position to reconsider our

attitude vis-a-vis that country as long as it continues to

pursue a policy of extreme and active enmity towards

Indonesia. Normalization of our relations with China can be

considered only if China shows a non-bellicose attitude and

ceases to assist and encourage subversive and rebellious

activities in our country.

121. Let me now turn to the highly complex and sensitive

issue of disarmament. I shall not review the results achieved

thus far. In 1960 my Government welcomed the establishment

of the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee as a

result of the two-Power agreement in Geneva, and now

welcomes the increase of membership in the Conference of

the Committee on Disarmament from eighteen to twenty-six

members. Although the General Assembly has not yet

been concerned with the election of the members of the

Committee, it is our hope that the increased membership

will be of help in achieving more positive results.

122. We are happy to note the substantial increase of

non-aligned nations represented in this Committee. We

hope that, as suggested, the membership — of its Committee

will rotate on an elective basis in accordance with the

representative character of all major United Nations organs.

123. We welcome the discussions during this session on

chemical and bacteriological weapons and their possible

use. We share the hope of the Secretary-General that

discussions on this important matter will lead to specific

decisions facilitating political and legal action to eliminate

those inhuman and barbarous weapons of war.

124. On the question of the preservation for peaceful

purposes of the sea-bed and ocean floor beyond present

national jurisdiction, Indonesia adheres to the principle of

the common heritage to be used for the common benefit of

mankind. Therefore, the establishment of an international

régime to govern the exploration and exploitation of the

sea-bed and ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction is a

basic step to prevent the use of that area for purposes of

other than humanitarian nature.

125. In this connexion, my delegation would like to stress

the importance of the demilitarization of that area. My

delegation welcomes the idea put forward by the Soviet

Union and the United States before the Conference of the

Committee on Disarmament in Geneva. We hope that an

agreement can be reached on the demilitarization of the

sea-bed and ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction.

126. As we are approaching the twenty-fifth anniversary

of the United Nations, I believe it is very fitting indeed to

reflect on some of its achievements so that we may be able

to adjust the Charter, as well as our activities, in accordance

with the changed circumstances and conditions in the world

today. It is for this reason that my Government attaches

great importance to efforts to relate the twenty-fifth

anniversary of the United Nations with the question of a

general conference to review the Charter which, in accordance

with Article 109, has been on the agenda since 1955.

127. Although we can congratulate ourselves on some of

the achievements of our Organization in the past twenty-four

years, there is little room for complacency. The world

has changed. Science and technology have created new

horizons in man’s lite; man has reached the moon.

Membership of the United Nations has more than doubled

and political systems and attitudes of Member States have

changed. New approaches and platforms have been created

to solve world problems and accelerate the economic and

social development of the world. It is with these changes in

mind that a stock-taking should be made, so that the

achievements of our twenty-five years of labour can be

fully reflected in our Charter. My delegation has in mind

particularly the principles and institutional bodies pertaining

to the three Ds: development, decolonization and

disarmament.

128. I shall now turn to questions relating to economic

development. The political tensions and conflicts which

frequently preoccupy our attention have come from unresolved

social and economic inequities. Recognizing this

fact, the Members of the United Nations, in an effort to

remove the roots of poverty and under-development,

launched the First United Nations Development Decade.

Today, as we are approaching the end of this Decade, it is a

matter for serious concern that we have been unable to

achieve even the modest objectives set in 1960.

129. It has been widely accepted that one of the major

factors responsible for the slow rate of development has

been the inadequate contribution of external financing to

assist the developing countries in the mobilization of their

own domestic resources. As a result, these countries have

had to meet their essential requirements for capital equipment

and raw materials by depending, almost entirely,

upon their export trade earnings. Yet it is precisely in the

field of trade that these countries have been on the losing

end vis-a-vis the developed countries. Not only do they face

grave obstacles in entering the export market, but they have

also been plagued by a continuing decline in the price of

many major primary export commodities including rubber,

coffee, sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa, and so on.

130. In the light of this situation, it is essential that we

should not delay the re-examination of current international

economic practices designed to meet adequately

the future needs of the developing countries. The developing

countries themselves realize that they bear the primary

responsibility for the achievement of national development.

They also recognize, however, that they can succeed in

mobilizing and utilizing their domestic resources more

effectively if they are assisted by increased and accelerated

international action. Once again my delegation urges the

international community to intensify its efforts to reach

agreement on policy measures in the main areas of trade

and finance.

131. As regards international co-operation, I wish to state

that the Indonesian delegation is of the opinion that

international action can be better approached through

multilateral co-operation at the regional and sub-regional

levels. Such co-ordination offers greater possibilities for

concrete action through joint undertakings within the wider

scope of an international development strategy. In its

efforts to accelerate progress in this vital area, my Government

has joined with the neighbouring countries of

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines to form

ASEAN, the Association of South-East Asian Nations.

Although still in its infancy, we are hopeful that with the

aid and co-operation of other countries and general

international support, the objectives of the initial sponsoring

members will be realized.

132. No one can deny that the benefits to be derived from

solving the problems of social and economic development

will be shared by all countries of the world and will

contribute greatly to the creation of world prosperity and

international peace and security. We are now on the

threshold of the Second United Nations Development

Decade. This new United Nations Development Decade

differs from the First in that we embark upon it better

prepared. It is my delegation’s fervent hope that the

industrialized nations will join with us in accepting the

challenges of development so that we may enter the new

era, armed with a sense of common purpose and an agreed

plan of action. In this manner the frustrations of the First

United Nations Development Decade may be turned into

the successes of the next.

133. Such international co-operation is particularly important

to us in Indonesia as we are concentrating our efforts

on the achievement of internal economic and social

development. Three years ago, all of our energy and

resources were being directed towards curtailing the excessively

high rate of spiralling inflation which plagued our

economy. Such action was necessary before we could

embark on the rehabilitation and further development of

our economy. Having succeeded in this painstaking effort,

last April we launched a five-year development plan which

is the first in a projected series.

134. At this time, our limited domestic resources require

that we take a selective approach. Consequently, we have

placed major emphasis on the development of the agricultural

sector and on the achievement of self-sufficiency in

the production of food for our population of about 115

million. In view of our limited domestic savings, however,

we are dependent on our export earnings and on external

financial resources, both public and private, bilateral as well

as multilateral. In this connexion, permit me to express

Indonesia’s appreciation of the financial and economic

assistance that has been extended to us by the developed

countries — particularly by the countries which constitute

the Inter-Governmental Group for Indonesia — and by the

United Nations and other multilateral agencies.

135. You may recall that this year my Government

completed the implementation of the last phase of the

Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the

Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning West New Guinea

(West Irian), the most eastern part of my country, signed in

New York seven years ago on 15 August 1962. This last

phase of the Agreement was completed with the exercise of

the act of free choice by the people of West Irian and was

conducted in accordance with its provisions by the Indonesian

Government, with the advice, assistance and co-operation

of the United Nations Secretary-General and his

special representative, Ambassador Ortiz Sanz.

136. In Indonesia there has been strong and widespread

opposition, including West Irian itself, against the

implementation of the act of free choice, since people considered

its implementation contrary to the national sovereignty and

territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia. Despite

this political opposition and the technical difficulties

inherent in an area known to be one of the most primitive

and undeveloped areas of the world, the act of free choice

was completed between 14 July and 2 August last, in a

democratic and orderly way. The people of West Irian,

through their elected members of the consultative

assemblies, have reaffirmed their decision to remain within

the Republic of Indonesia, thus upholding the national

sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Republic.

This positive result has been reported briefly by the

Secretary-General in his introduction to the annual report

on the work of the Organization [A/7601/Add.1]. A

complete report by the Secretary-General on this question

will be submitted to the Assembly during this twenty-fourth session.

137. As rightly stated by President Suharto, more than a

month ago on the eve of 17 August, in his address to the

nation at the commemoration of the anniversary of the

Proclamation of Independence, this result of the act of free

choice in West Irian is, in accordance with Article XXI,

paragraph 2, of the New York Agreement, legally final and

irrevocable and cannot be made void by whomsoever or

whatever pretext.

138. I should like to take this opportunity of conveying

the sincere gratitude of the Indonesian Government and its

people for the invaluable assistance and co-operation of the

Secretary-General and his special representative, Ambassador

Ortiz Sanz, in completing the implementation of the

New York Agreement. It peacefully terminated a longstanding

political dispute between two countries, Indonesia

and the Netherlands. We also appreciate the fact that in the

implementation of this important task, my Government has

always had the co-operation and understanding of the

Netherlands Government.

139. The Indonesian Government is now seriously engaged

in the further development of West Irian, not only as a

national duty for the progress of its own people, but as a

task of paramount importance for humanity.

140. In this respect Indonesia is happy to have the full

co-operation of the Netherlands Government which is

prepared to render special financial assistance to a fund,

now under discussion with the Asian Development Bank in

Manila, for the accelerated development in West Irian

within the framework of Indonesia’s five-year development

plan. Needless to say, my Government is ready to welcome

the assistance of all other interested nations, both in and

outside the United Nations.

141. I have now arrived at my concluding remarks. The

year of 1969 will be remembered in that it has offered an

example of precisely how much man can achieve when he is

imbued with a deep sense of dedication towards the

attainment of a desired goal. I refer to the successful

achievement made by science and technology in unveiling

the secrets surrounding outer space and distant celestial

bodies, and especially to the magnificent and daring exploit

which enabled man to set foot on the surface of the moon.

How much greater would be the triumph, however, if such

single-minded and tenacious dedication could be applied to

the solution of the massive problems of peace and security,

of poverty and development, and of the freedom and

dignity of man on earth.

142. Nearly twenty-five years ago, when the world was

still suffering from the devastation of war, mankind began a

collective and commendable effort to start a new life. This

effort was reflected in the United Nations Charter. During

this period we have had successes and failures. Even amid

success, there is continued preoccupation with the United

Nations weaknesses and yet, amid failure, there is continued

confidence in the United Nations strength.

143. All of us remain dedicated to the common pursuit

of peace, progress and prosperity. The section of the world

population most interested in a true and real peace is

youth, whose very destiny is at stake. We have noted the

restlessness among the young in all parts of the world. It is

they who will inherit the world of tomorrow, and we

believe that appropriate steps should be taken in order to

fulfil their aspirations and to help them adjust to a

progressive world outlook that will benefit from our

accumulated experience and knowledge. In so doing, a gap

between generations can be bridged and the future generation

can be imbued with a truly constructive spirit. In this

context my delegation supports the idea agreed upon in

principle by the Preparatory Committee for the Twenty-fifth

Anniversary of the United Nations for supplementing

the forthcoming commemorative session next year with an

assembly of the youth of the world, dedicated to the world

of the United Nations of tomorrow.

144. In conclusion, let me assure the Assembly that

Indonesia will continue to uphold the high principles of the

Charter, and support every endeavour to strengthen the

Organization in its efforts to maintain international peace

and security and to obtain the well-being of people

throughout the world.