Deputy Nora Owen gave me notice of her intention to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of a United Nations vote on the expulsion of the delegation from Kampuchea.
Adjournment Debate. - Kampuchean Delegation at United Nations.
At the outset I should like to state that, with the permission of the Chair, I intend to give some of my time to Deputy Michael D. Higgins of the Labour Party. I should like to thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this issue. Without meaning any disrespect to the Minister of State, I must express my disappointment that the Minister, Deputy Collins, is not present for the debate. He was in the Chamber earlier and I hope he is not trying to avoid being present for a debate on what I consider to be an urgent matter. I trust the Minister of State will convey to Deputy Collins our views on this matter and our call for a change in Ireland's position at the UN.
Between 1975 and 1978 a red flag with three yellow towers flew in Phnom Penh, the capital of Kampuchea at that time, as a symbol of the Khmer Rouge régime who had taken power in Kampuchea in April 1975. It is well recorded that during those three years more than one million people were slaughtered in the most brutal fashion by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Today, to the shame of our country and most of the world, that same flag flies at the UN building in New York. One must question how such a brutal regime as the Khmer Rouge ever found their way to a seat at the UN. From 1979 to 1982 they represented the State of Democratic Kampuchea at the UN. It was not until 1982 that the full extent of the monstrous atrocities of that regime became known to the rest of the world. The recognition by the UN of that regime at that time was a source of great embarrassment to that organisation.
Lest they would lose their seat at the UN, China and Thailand put great pressure on Prince Sihanouk, the former leader, and Son Sann to form a coalition with the Khmer Rouge to give it an air of respectability and so that they could retain their UN seat. That coalition has been represented at the UN since October 1982 and is fully recognised by the UN as the representatives of what is called the Democratic State of Kampuchea. The coalition is led by Thiounn Prasith, one of Pol Pot's former leaders. I do not think anybody can say that that is the soft side of the Khmer Rouge.
Through the years when votes were taken at the UN to confirm the position of that coalition, Ireland and representatives of most western countries abstained. The Department of Foreign Affairs, during those years, in response to queries, stated that Ireland would not change her position so long as there was an invading force, the Vietnamese army, in Cambodia. I find it extraordinary that Ireland, in common with other western countries, can continue to support, albeit by abstension on some occasions, the presence of the Khmer Rouge at the UN, a body founded on peace and humanitarian principles. It is almost as if Hitler, if he were alive, was sent to the UN to represent the Jews. I do not like using that analogy but it is a good one.
On 15 November a draft motion, from the ASEAN countries, will be voted on at the UN. One section of that draft motion causes me concern and it has prompted me to raise this issue this evening. I do not think Ireland should vote for that motion although I understand it is our intention to do so. The section of the motion which causes me concern is as follows:
Noting the continued and effective struggle of the Kampuchean forces under the leadership of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk to achieve the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and neutral and non-aligned status of Kampuchea....
Many of those who have taken an interest in that country over the years, particularly the non-governmental organisations such as Oxfam and Trocaire, contend that if Ireland votes for a motion that contains that section she will be voting for a civil war in Cambodia. The argument that Sihanouk could take over in that country again is nonsense. He is quoted as saying, "my shirt is owned by the Chinese". He is no more than a puppet for Pol Pot and the Chinese.
As far as we can ascertain the Vietnamese Army have withdrawn from that country. Indeed, Mary Banotti MEP, and two colleagues from the European Parliament, witnessed their withdrawal in September. Hun Sen is trying to run that country under extraordinary difficulties. The country has been deprived of all long term development aid from the EC and many other countries. Were it not for groups like Trocaire, Oxfam and other NGOs even humanitarian aid would not be getting to that country. The people of Cambodia have been sent to Coventry by the rest of the World and are suffering greatly. That is occurring at a time when Ireland continues to support the Khmer Rouge as a member of the UN. Shame on us for doing so. Behind all this is a major power struggle. The US and China support the Khmer Rouge and the return of Pol Pot although they deny that vehemently. Russia, and some eastern block countries, support the existing régime. Glasnost and perestroika are on the lips of so many people who should not allow this position to continue.
Ireland should not vote on November 15 for any motion that calls for support for a Sihanouk-Khmer Rouge backed set of troops. I watched a documentary on UTV recently which showed that the Khmer Rouge were marching towards Battambang in the north west of the country. Once again the people there are feeling the terror of that regime. I call on the Minister to refuse to vote for any motion that supports in even the most tenuous way a return of the Khmer Rouge to power in Cambodia. Ireland should take the initiative and table a motion at the UN demanding the expulsion of the coalition that now purports to represent Cambodia. That may mean that for some time the seat at the UN will be empty but at least we will not be asking the people of Cambodia to accept that a murderer should represent them at the UN.
As spokesman on Foreign Affairs for the Labour Party I am grateful to Deputy Owen for giving me the opportunity to support her call in regard to this UN motion. I recall that in the 25th Dáil Deputy Peter Barry and myself on a number of occasions drew attention to the position that prevailed in relation to Ireland's attitude at the UN on this question which is far from satisfactory. In supporting Deputy Owen I should like to say, lest the Minister of State responds by saying that Ireland's abstension procedure up to now was more progressive than that of those who supported the seating of the coalition at the UN, that the time has come for something more worthwhile. There is a need for an Irish initiative, an Irish draft. There is a need for an abstension by Ireland in the face of the immoral misrepresentation of the Cambodian people at the UN. What is required is more than a washing of the hands on the issue.
It is unthinkable that we would wash our hands at the prospect of a civil war, of atrocities by the Khmer Rouge. I am disappointed that we have not had a report either on Ireland's behaviour or on the behaviour of the Twelve in relation to the difficulties that this will place in the way of the Kampuchean people. We have isolated the Government that is in place in terms of aid despite the fact that they have requested aid, medical and other facilities. At the same time we have gone on looking at a murderous misrepresentation at the UN. We have taken no practical initiatives, nor have the Twelve suggested them, in resolution of the border issues. This is an opportunity in this vote for us to either initiate or support new diplomatic initiatives. We are not doing it. I say we would be thanked at the UN for it. There is no greater tragedy, no greater disgrace of diplomacy than the question of Cambodia. The West has disgraced itself. The UN cannot act with credibility in terms of aid, the border issue, representation in its own assembly. The time has come for us to move beyond that extension and to take a positive initative.
I thank Deputy Higgins and Deputy Owen for their contributions. As Deputy Owen said, the United Nations General Assembly is due to hold its annual debate on the question of Cambodia on 15 and 16 November. At the end of that debate, the assembly will be asked to decide on a draft Resolution setting out the Assembly's view on the current situation regarding that country. That draft resolution has not yet been submitted to the Assembly.
The issue of the representation of Cambodia at the General Assembly is not due to be voted on on 15-16 November or at any other time during the current session of the General Assembly. In the past, the issue has been raised in the form of a challenge to the credentials of the delegation of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea. Such a challenge has not been made at the current session of the General Assembly. As Deputy Owen suggested, whenever such a challenge has been made in the past, and that goes over the period of the last Coalition Government, Ireland has abstained on the vote on the grounds that neither the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea nor the Government headed by Mr. Hun Sen have received any form of endorsement by the people of Cambodia.
That was before the Vietnamese withdrawal.
Neither of them received any endorsement from the people of Cambodia. Ireland unreservedly condemns the inhuman practices of the Pol Pot-led Khmer Rouge régime which governed Cambodia prior to the Vietnamese invasion of that country. We consider that the international community must do everything in their power to ensure that there will never be a question of a return to power of such a barbarous régime.
Along with our partners in the Twelve, we have welcomed the decision by Vietnam to withdraw its troops from Cambodia. We consider that this has provided an opportunity to move towards an overall political solution to the conflict. We feel that if pursued with the necessary determination, we are confident that an approach based on political dialogue can lead to an overall settlement which guarantees the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia and offers the Cambodian people the right to self-determination through participation in free and internationally supervised elections. Any resolution presented at the General Assembly which advances the prospects of such an overall political settlement will have Ireland's support.
The Minister can take it, it will not have Ireland's support.
We consider that the recent international conference in Paris made some useful progress towards reaching a political settlement. What is now important is that the process initiated be vigorously pursued. This requires that all the parties resist the temptation to seek to advance their objectives by force of arms and instead devote themselves to the search for a solution by peaceful means.
Leaving the seat vacant would be a help.
The Cambodian people have suffered for long enough. It is time to give them the opportunity to put the past behind them and to elect a Government who can lead the country on the difficult path to national reconstruction. To achieve this aim, the international community must prevent a return to power of the discredited and barbarous Pol Pot-Khmer Rouge régime. I can assure the Deputies that, contrary to what Deputy Owen says, Ireland will continue to do whatever it can to assist this aim.