DESPERATE PLEA TO U.N.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31765, 23 August 1968, Page 13

DESPERATE PLEA TO U.N.

Czechs Demand Soviet Withdrawal

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

NEW YORK, August 22.

Czechoslovakia, her new freedoms crushed by the swift Soviet troop invasion, made a desperate plea for independence last night in a surprise move in the Security Council, N.Z.P.A.-Reuter reported. In a sudden unannounced appearance just after the council rebuffed Soviet attempts to block substantive debate on the crisis, the ranking Czechoslovak diplomat at the United Nations rejected Moscow contentions that Prague leaders requested the troop intervention.

Mr Jan Muzik, acting leader of the Czechoslovak delegation said he had been explicitly instructed by his Foreign Minister, Dr Jiri Hajek, to protest against the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet and other Warsaw Pact troops.

He' demanded that they withdraw “without delay” and compared the situation to 1938, when the Munich agreement was concluded by the then British Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, and Hitler.

Now, as then, “the question of the sovereignty of Czechoslovakia is at stake,” Mr Muzik declared.

The council, which rejected by 13 votes to two (Russia and Hungary) Soviet efforts to stop debate on the events in Czechoslovakia, talked on for five hours before adjourning till today. Diplomatic sources said Western council members planned to present a draft resolution condemning the Soviet invasion and calling for the troops’ withdrawal. Veto Expected But any such move is almost certain to be vetoed by the Russians. The sources said the possibility of convening an emergency session of the General Assembly if the council were hamstrung by what would be Russia’s 105th veto was being privately discussed. This was the procedure used in 1956 in the Suez and Hungary crises. Six Times

The Soviet Ambassador (Mr Jacob Malik), who spoke six times during the night, defended his country’s action

yesterday as one that was taken only at the request of the Czechoslovak Government to beat back counter-revolu-tionary forces inspired by Western “imperialists”. The Soviet diplomat reserved his most biting comments for Mr George Ball of the United States and Lord Caradon, of Britain. It was “ridiculous”, he said, to witness an American financier and a British lord acting as defenders of communism. Both Mr Ball and Lord Caradon demanded the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops. Mr Ball said Mr Malik’s statement made clear beyond doubt “the cynicism and perfidy that surrounded the attack” against Czechoslovakia.

Lord Caradon said that “when we see what the Soviet Union might do to an ally, we shudder to think what it might do to another State.” France ‘Deplores’ Mr Armand Berard, of France, pointedly used the word “deplore” when referring to the Soviet troops. The events in Czechoslovakia were of “such a nature as to wipe out the European detente which my country has particularly endeavoured to encourage,” he said. The Associated Press reported that Mr Malik, “old stone face,” as he was known during an earlier tour of duty at United Nations headquarters, was impassive and for most of the session yesterday was hidden behind dark glasses. His performance seemed to lack the fire of old and Lord

Caradon commented that the Russian had the council’s, “compassion” because it realised his “disgust at having to defend such a disgraceful act. No wonder he carried so little conviction.”

“Your compassion is in vain, Lord Caradon,” Mr Malik snapped back. “I am proud that here in this council I de fend a just cause.” ‘No Basis’

Mr Malik had declared there was no basis for United Nations action because War saw Pact nations had sent troops into Czechoslovakia at the request of the Czechoslovak Government.

Mr Malik told the Security Council, "it goes without saying” that Russian, East German, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Polish troops “will be immediately withdrawn from the territory of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic as soon'as the obtaining threat to its security is eliminated.”

The 15-nation council went into emergency session at the request of the United States,

Britain, Canada, Denmark and Paraguay after day-long discussion among United Na tions delegates on the best course of action.