04021948  Text of the Speech made by Mr. Arce (Argentina) in the Security Council Meeting No. 240 held on 4 February, 1948

Text of the Speech made by Mr. Arce (Argentina) in the Security Council Meeting No. 240 held on 4 February, 1948

Article 1, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations lays down the following as one of the purposes of the United Nations: "To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace."

Now that the disputes between India and Pakistan have been submitted to the jurisdiction of the Security Council, the delegation of Argentina will not be able to vote in favour of any draft resolution which does not leave the solution of the problem to be decided by a plebiscite, freely prepared, freely conducted and freely scrutinised under the authority of the Security Council.

This matter having been referred to the Security Council, the Council is perfectly free to decide as it thinks fit, on the sole condition that it acts within the framework of the Charter. This is the legal point of view But even from the factual point of view, there can be no other solution. Both the Maharaja, as absolute monarch of Kashmir, and the government or governments established by him, have already shown themselves biassed in favour of one of the parties and cannot therefore preside over a free plebiscite. Even if they could, they should not do so, because the opposing party would not recognize the fairness of this plebiscite, even if it had been fairly conducted

It is worthwhile noting that, at this stage of the evolution of humanity, it is not possible, at least as far as the United Nations is concerned, to accept a regime absolute monarchy. Non-Self Governing Territories report to the Trusteeship Council through the agency of the Administering Authorities upon a certain number of their activities.

The Governments of India and Pakistan should hasten to obtain from the Indian princes, whom they have joined to themselves, an assurance that they will grant representation rights to the peoples acts whom they rule. There are, if I remember slightly, 562 such princes and they rule over some 13 million human beings, whose living and working conditions and cultural and economic advancement cannot be a matter of indifference to us.

Some discussion has taken place, in my opinion, mistakenly, on whether the order for cessation of plebiscite and the order for the holding of the plebiscite should be issued successively or simultaneously. In order to solve a problem, and especially a problem of this nature, it is necessary to show the underlying causes. It is worth while mummering the Latin proverb, which says sublata causa, tollitur effectus, or, in other words remove the cause and the effects will disappear. In this case, the cause of all the disturbances, whether from India or Pakistan, or from the tribes, lies in the rebellion of the people of Kashmir against the absolute monarch who rules them as if he were running a farm and the 4 million inhabitants were so many heads of cattle and not human beings.

If, therefore, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter already quoted, we assure these human beings that they themselves will be able to decide their own fate freely and without pressure from any quarter, I am sure that they will by down their arms, I am sure that the tribes will withdraw to their own territories and I am sure that India and Pakistan, having submitted to the decision of the Security Council of the United Nations, the Organisation to which they both belong, will be able to come to an understanding and maintain the friendliest relations was the another, thus proving that they are really "developing peoples".

The me and only resolution voted by the Council should, therefore, heed the cry of a people in arms which is not represented here and thereby serve interests of the two dominions of India and Pakistan. Finally, it must not be forgotten that the people of Kashmir may decide, if they so prefer, not to belong to either India or Pakistan, but to remain an independent State.