By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 5.9.83:
DAP Calls on Malaysian Government and other ASEAN country to ban all Aeroflot and Soviet Union vessels from the region in protest against the cold-blooded murder of 269 people on board the South Korean commercial jet
Four days after the despicable and dastardly Soviet Union crime against humanity in shooting down an unarmed commercial South Korean jet and killing in cold-blood the 269 people on board, the Soviet Union is still not prepared to acknowledge its responsibility and to tender an unconditional apology to the victims, their nations and to humanity as a whole.
Soviet Union probably think that as a super-power, it is strong and powerful enough to defy humanity and world opinion. If this is Soviet Union’s attitude, then the peace-loving countries which want to see international relations and life conducted in accordance with canons of decency and civility must make their revulsion against the Soviet arrogance clear and loud.
The Soviet Union now charges that the South Korean commercial jet was downed because it was engaged in a spying mission for the United States.
Only Soviet Union puppets and agent would believe the Soviet Union story, and it is for the Soviet Union to prove and substantiate its charges if it want to repeat this version. However, even assuming that the South Korean unarmed commercial jet was engaged in spying activities, it is also no justification for the Soviet Union to shoot down and kill 269 innocent persons on board.
The Soviet Union has sufficient air capability to force the commercial airlines to land on Soviet territory and then to expose to the world the alleged espionage activities of the airlines, and in the process gain immense political advantage.
The fact that this was not done shows the hollowness of the Soviet explanation.
Another aspect that comes to mind is why should the Soviet Union authorities be so sensitive about its military establishments on its Eastern borders unless the Soviet naval, air force and military build-up to carry out its expansionist plans to impose hegemony in Asia-Pacific region has reached a critical stage.
Regardless of the reasons, the action of Soviet Union in shooting down an unarmed commercial airliner is an act of hostility, not only to South Korean, the nations whose citizens are victims of the shooting, but to all humanity, for such actions are a dire threat to international peace and stability.
The United Nations Security Council and General Assembly must act with resolution to put the Soviet Union in the dock of international opinion, and put the Soviet Union on trial for its crime against humanity, regardless of whether the Soviet Union is going to co-operate or otherwise.
Nations individually should also make their horror, indignation and condemnation know, not only in speeches and statement, but also in deeds. Unless, the Soviet Union bears full responsibility for the cold-blooded murder of the 269 people on board the South Korean airline, it must be treated as an international ‘pariah’.
For a start, Malaysia and other ASEAN nations should ban all Aeroflot and Soviet Union vessels from the region in protest against the Soviet butchery and barbarity to let the Soviet Union know that although it is a super-power, it must conform to civilized notions in the international comity of nations.