Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
Tarikh/Date : 04/09/89
Tajuk/Title : THE 9TH CONFERENCE OF THE HEADS OF
STATE OR GOVERNMENT OF THE NON-
ALIGNED MOVEMENT
Mr Chairman
May I on behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf
offer you our sincere congratulations on your unanimous
election as Chairman of the Ninth Conference of the Heads of
State or Government of the Non-Aligned Movement. We are
confident that under your distinguished Chairmanship, the
deliberations of this Conference will be successfully
concluded. My delegation would also like to express ou deep
appreciation for the warm and generous hospitality accorded
us as well as the excellent arrangements made to ensure our
comfortable stay in this beautiful city of Belgrade.
Mr. Chairman,
2. My delegation also wish to place on record our deep
appreciation to His Excellency Mr Robert Mugabe for his
guidance of the affairs of the Movement during his
Chairmanship. The Movement's current high standing in
international affairs is a tribute to the dedication and
statesmanship of Mr Mugabe.
Mr. Chairman,
3. It was in Belgrade that the historic meeting of the
heads of non-aligned nations was held in 1961 to usher into
a troubled world a third force to mitigate the effects of
East-West confrontation. In the 28 years of its existence
the Non-Aligned Movement has played a vital role to prevent
the world from being completely split into two warring
blocs.
4. It has been a costly role. Many of us have had our
arms badly twisted, have been subverted, have been wasted by
proxy wars, have had to fight and fight again to retain our
independence--social, economic, political and ideological
independence.
5. But we have also gained. Slowly and painfully the
world has been made a more peaceful place. The East-West
rivalries also served to highlight the needs of poor
countries, and the necessity for helping them.
6. Today we see a vast change in the world's political
scene. Although it is too soon to say that East-West
confrontation is over, the fact remains that the intensity
of the ideological struggle between the two blocs has
abated. We see the two superpowers talking to each other.
We see the elimination of some nuclear weapons and the
reduction of some conventional ones. We see the changes in
Poland and Hungary, the withdrawal of Soviet forces from
Afghanistan, the tendency to compromise and reduce the proxy
fights in third world countries.
7. We see also a trend towards peace. The ceasefire has
been achieved in the Iran-Iraq war, the UN is now overseeing
the birth of Namibia, the problems in Angola and Mozambique
are set to end.
Mr. Chairman,
8. On the economic front, however, we see disturbing
trends toward consolidation of the developed countries into
powerful trading blocs. We see the centrally planned
socialist countries moving away from political affinities in
favour of economic benefits.
9. The lines that divide East and West are becoming
blurred. The first and second worlds are no longer
distinct. If the reason for the Non-Aligned Movement is to
provide a third force to limit and balance the
disruptive influences of the other two, what will be its
role now that its principle raison d'etre is seemingly
disappearing. Should we regard ourselves as no longer
relevant or is there going to be a new confrontation for
which we have to prepare, a confrontation between the
combined East and West in the Northern Hemisphere and
the erstwhile poverty stricken nations of the South.
Mr. Chairman,
10. While we mull over the future of our movement in a less
divided world we have also to consider the realities of the
present. Rapprochement between East and West may reduce
tension between them but many of the pressures we have
been subjected to have not lessened. Indeed in many
instances they have increased and taken new forms.
11. There is a distinct attempt to relegate the United
Nations to an inferior role while new and exclusive for a
have been formed designed to exclude the participation of
the poor nations. The group of seven rich nations have taken
it upon themselves to regulate the world's economy and
finances. One result is that countries like Malaysia have
had their debts doubled by the upward revision of the Yen
we borrowed. The intention is to reduce Japanese exports,
but we have to pay the price.
12. But Japan has not been made any less competitive by the
Yen revaluation. Instead it is now twice as rich and is
buying up businesses and properties belonging to the other
six. This can be regarded as poetic justice but
unfortunately the finances of the poor have suffered as
well.
13. The terms of trade are not getting any better for the
third world. But now protectionism and unfair trading
methods are creating havoc with the economies of the poor.
While subsidies by the third world may result in
countervailing duties by the rich, they themselves subsidise
their industries to the point where overproduction is
encouraged and the markets become saturated. Consequently
the products of the poor nations have become unsaleable.
Surplus food is used to deprive poor countries of their
markets.
Mr. Chairman,
14. The environment is now made into a trade weapon. The
thinning of the ozone layer is blamed on logging of tropical
forests. The fact that the burning of fossil fuels and
release of CFC into the atmosphere occur largely in the rich
countries are significantly ignored. Also ignored is the
logging of vast tracts of temperate forests which is still
going on despite the fact that millions of square miles of
temperate forests have already been cleared for development
of the rich countries over the centuries.
15. In the deserts of America underground water is pumped
up to water golf courses and create lakes to build luxury
hotels on. Yet the water can easily reafforest the deserts
to reduce the gases which destroy the ozone layer as well as
creating the green house effect. Instead poor countries are
being forced not to extract wealth from their forests in
order to keep the environment safe for the rich.
16. The developed countries have now appointed themselves
the arbiter of human rights worldwide. In the name of human
rights they have applied all kinds of pressures on countries
unable to defend themselves. Every now and again new forms
of human rights are invented and any country found
defaulting is subjected to vile publicity and other
repressive measures.
17. Having been responsible for the killing and torture of
millions in the past, they now adopt a holier than thou
attitude and want to impose their new-found ideas on human
rights on the rest of the world. Although the missionaries
have largely disappeared, they have now been replaced by the
equally fanatical 'crusading environmentalists' and
'self-appointed human rights fighters' who would rather have
disruptive civil wars in the poor nations than permit them
to 'violate the latest in human rights'.
18. In Malaysia a campaign is being waged by outsiders to
force a primitive jungle tribe, the Penans, to remain
primitive on the grounds that this is their right. That the se
people live a miserable life, without the amenities that
other Malaysians enjoy, is not given any thought. That
these people suffer from all kinds of diseases and
consequently have a shorter life-span is ignored. The
outsiders want to retain the so-called picturesque way of
life of these unfortunate people forever. They are to remain
museum pieces.
19. The sympathy for the Penans is hypocritical. All these
so-called environmentalists are interested in is to
prevent tropical timber from competing with temperate
softwood.
20. Yet reafforestation is a natural process in the
rain-drenched countries of the tropics. These forests
regenerate without need for replanting and trees grow the
whole year round. The debt for nature offer will still not
solve our long term development needs. Besides, the
shifting slash and burn cultivators whom we are prevented
from resettling will still destroy the forests. The rich
should spend their money to reafforest their own lands and
the world's deserts. Reduce the use of space-wasting motor
vehicles and increase mass transport systems. Ban the use
of CFCs and go back to squeezing rubber bulbs or hand pumps
to spray. All these can be done immediately and there
should be rapid improvements in the environment. Stop making
poor countries to pay for the quality of life of the rich.
Mr. Chairman,
21. Many poor countries are now so much in debt that they
can never repay without surrendering their independence.
When a borrower overborrows, the fault is not entirely his.
The lender is equally to be blamed as he has made an
imprudent loan. He must therefore pay for his indiscretion.
22. Schemes to collect debts from some of the most
extensively indebted countries are simply not going to work.
Refusing to lend anymore and bankrupting countries is not
going to help anyone. Nor should the people of a country be
punished as society punishes debtors.
23. The only real solution to the debt crisis is to
write-off the whole or very nearly the whole of the debts
owing. The lenders must admit they were indiscreet and must
pay for it. Commercial banks and Governments alike must
accept the losses. The Governments of the rich countries
will not be bankrupted because of the write-off. And their
banks can still be rehabilitated.
Mr. Chairman,
24. The countries of the South have formed a South-South
Commission to look into ways of solving the problems of
the poor countries through South-South cooperation. The
willingness of poor people to help each other is limited.
But the potentials of the poor are not so limited. We have,
if nothing else, our huge populations which can be harnessed
for our development rather than being only migrant workers
in the North. Instead some labour intensive industries
should be relocated in the South to provide employment and
contribute towards its economic growth. Induced brain drain
to the North should be stopped.
Mr. Chairman,
25. Democracy is being preached by the liberal democrats of
the West with religious fervour. Everyone must accept
liberal democracy or have their countries destabilized,
civil war fomented or at the very least economic sanction
and vilification by the media.
26. We are all for human rights and for democracy. But
human rights and freedom must begin with the right to be
free from hunger and disease, malnutrition and illiteracy.
Human rights as defined by the West is meaningless if there
is no roof over our heads, no food on our tables and no
schools for our children. The Western liberals must
understand that we cannot practise their brand of democracy
and human rights overnight. Nor do we want a carbon copy in
their own image. The democratic system requires an advanced
degree of sophistication among the masses practising it.
The people must know the limits of freedom if anarchy is to
be avoided. Only a vague boundary separates the exercise of
freedom and the excesses of anarchy.
27. Countries which for thousands of years had only known
authoritarian rule cannot become democratic overnight.
Sudden freedom will result in disruptions, which in turn
will retard the progress towards a more liberal and open
society. The liberal democrats of the west should cease
trying to force the pace. They should let the people
concerned work things out for themselves.
28. Unfortunately instigations by the liberal democrats of
the west have already resulted in bloodshed and retardation
of the progress of some countries. The problem is
exacerbated by the attempts to apply sanctions after the
foreign inspired disturbances are put down.
29. The peoples in the countries undergoing change should
exercise restrain. Demanding too much too soon is
counter productive. The western liberals should be ignored.
With patience and judicious pressure the changes will take
place. Do not be goaded into wild demonstrations which can
only attract repression and delay the very change you yearn
for.
Mr. Chairman,
30. Many of the world's problems are still with us and
among them is the despicable apartheid system of South
Africa. The efforts to eliminate the hideous system and
bring about majority rule in South Africa must be redoubled.
A major socialist country who has always condemned apartheid
would now appear to be soft peddling the need to intensify
the struggle. Negotiations are being attempted when
everyone knows that apartheid has to be eliminated and in no
way can it be reformed. The blacks of South Africa cannot
afford even the slightest slackening of world-wide support
for their cause. The white regime of South Africa must
be ostracised and condemned. Sanctions must be more
effectively applied.
31. We already see some results from sanctions. The white
regime is beginning to make overtures, although some of the
noises emanating from them are hypocritical. In Namibia,
the South African regime have been forced to be more
accommodating. We have to sustain the pressure if we are
going to get anywhere with this throwback of the racist
past. Indeed, we have to increase the pressure for the
process needs to be hastened. Our black brothers in South
Africa have suffered long enough.
Mr. Chairman,
32. The Palestinian problem is another example where the
Movement must insist that the international community
particularly the major powers own up to their
responsibilities and commitments. Israel's policy in
Palestinian and other Arab territories must continue to be
universally condemned. The Intifada has exposed the true
character of the Israelis. They are no better than their
former oppressors. Yet the PLO has been courageous enough to
accept reality and the need for a comprehensive political
settlement. The friends of Israel must now force it to
respond.
33. As regards Cambodia the conflict now has an
international framework. Clearly the Cambodian factions
must be mindful of their responsibilities. There must be a
sharing of powers under the leadership of Prince Sihanouk.
The universally condemned practices of the past must no
longer threaten Cambodia nor can there be foreign armies
transgressing Cambodian sovereignty.
34. As for Afghanistan, it is time that the
unrepresentative Government steps down and the fratricidal
fighting give way to a Government by consensus. The
people of Afghanistan deserve this for their courage and
unprecedented fortitude.
Mr. Chairman,
35. Malaysia has always taken a strong and consistent stand
against drug traffickers. Now that drug barons are not only
able to corrupt and to indulge in violence but also to
declare war on a nation, we hope that the seriousness of the
drug menace to a nation's independence and well-being will
be better appreciated. The war on drugs is far from being
over. We will see more tragedies before the world wakes up
to the need for a truly all out effort.
Mr. Chairman,
36. In the meantime we have to ensure that the
revitalisation of the UN is completed. There can be no
doubt that but for the efforts of the UN we would not see
the more peaceful world that we are seeing today. The
Iran-Iraq war, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the
South African recalcitrance on Namibia, the disturbances
in several African Central American countries and the
problems in Asia would not be resolved or reduced but for
the UN.
37. We have a duty to strengthen the UN as the sole
instrument for establishing a more equitable and just world
society. We must not allow exclusive organisations to
take over. We owe it to ourselves and to the rest of the
world to sustain and support the UN and its work.
Mr. Chairman,
38. Finally we must ensure that the Non-Aligned Movement
remains relevant. The East and the West may patch up their
differences. They may cease trying to drag us into their
conflicts. But there is no guarantee that we are going to
get a fair deal from them either separately or together.
The signs are not yet propitious for a fairer deal from the
North. Released from their preoccupation with each other's
threat, each will have more time to cast baleful eyes on us.
39. It is imperative therefore that we stay together, that
we present a united front, that we continue to strive for a
more just and equitable world. We must be free to choose
our own way of managing our internal affairs without outside
interference. We must not allow ourselves to be harassed by
crusading movements which have now taken over where their
Governments have become unacceptable. No one should have a
monopoly on refining the definition of rights and wrongs.
Free people must be free to refine and redefine basic values
themselves. Unless the deviation from basic values is
flagrant, they should not be interfered with. As much as
human freedom must be upheld, so must national freedom be
upheld. Internal democracy without international democracy
means imperialism will continue to plague this world.
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