4-A-1S'IT A
IA I
PRIME PAINIgSTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
STATEMENT TO THE PARLIAMENT BY ' THE PRIME MINISTER, MR HANKE
6 S ET. LE 198-3
MR SPEAKER, I SEEK LEAVE TO MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE
HOUSE ON THE TRAGIC EPISODE WHICH SHOCKED THE WORLD
LAST WEEK,
ON THE BASIS OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO IT., THE
GOVERNMENT HAS NO DOUBT THAT KOREAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 7,
EN ROUTE FROM ANCHORAGE TO SEOUL, WAS SHOT DOWN BY
A SOVIET FIGHTER AIRCRAFT EARLY IN THE MORNING OF
1 SEPTEMBER AUSTRALIAN EASTERN STANDARD TIME,
I
MiR SPEAKER, THERE ARE MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
SURROUNDING THIS DISASTER, THE BASIC ONES ARE:
HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE FOR MILITARY AIRCRAFT
9
TO FIRE ON AND DESTROY . A CIVILI. AI AIRLINER
IN PEACE TIME; AND
WHY HAS THE SOVIET UNION BEEN UNABLE OR UNWILLING
TO PRODUCE A COHERENT., CONVINCING AND SUITABLY
REGRETFUL ACCOUNT OF THESE APPALLING CIRCUMSTANCES.
i 2/,
2.
WHATEVER THE ANSWER TO THESE AND TO THE OTHER IMPORTANT
QUESTION OF HOW THE AIRLINER STRAYED SO FAR OFF COURSE
INTO SOVIET AIRSPACE, THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT AN
UNARMED CIVILIAN AIRLINER SERVING NO MILITARY PURPOSE
WAS SHOT DOWN BY A SOVIET FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. THERE CAN
BE NO JUSTIFICATION FOR SUCH A BARBARIC ACT, 269
PASSENGERS AND CREW, INCLUDING 4 AUSTRALIANS, HAVE DIED.
FOLLOWING THIS TRAGEDY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN ACfION
TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT ITS
DEEP CONCERN AND SHOCK AND HAS SOUGHT A PROMPT AND FULL
EXPLANATION OF SOVIET ACTIONS. THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR
IN AUSTRALIA WAS CALLED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS ON 2 SEPTEMBER AND REQUESTED TO PROVIDE A
FULL AND PROPER ACCOUNT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING
THIS UNJUSTIFIABLE ACT. ON THE SAME DAY, OUR AMBASSADOR
IN MOSCOW, MR EVANS, CALLED ON THE SOVIET FOREIGN MINISTRY
AND MADE THE SAME REQUEST.
SO FAR, THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES HAVE PROVIDED NO INFORMATION
IN RESPONSE TO OUR REQUEST. THEY HAVE SIMPLY DRAWN OUR
ATTENTION TO STATEMENTS MADE BY'THE OFFICIAL SOVIET
NEWSAGENCY, TASS, APART FROM THE FACT THAT THE
STATEMENTS SO FAR ISSUED BY TASS HAVE BEEN TOTALLY
INADEQUATE AND DELIBERATELY MISLEADING THEY, HAVE,
FOR EXAMPLE, MADE THE PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM THAT THE
KOREAN AIRLINER WAS ON AN INTELLIGENCE MISSION THEY
ARE QUITE INAPPROPRIATE AS COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS.
THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND I HAVE MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR THE
GOVERNMENT'S OUTRAGE AND CONDEMNATION AT WHAT HAS OCCURRED.
WE WILL MAINTAIN PERSISTENT AND STRONG PRESSURE FOR AN
ADEQUATE EXPLANAT ION.
IHAVE PERSONALLY EXPRESSED OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE B3EREAVED
AUSTRALIA'N FAMILIES. * 1HAVE ALSO SENT A MESSAGE OF
SYMPATHY TO PRESIDEINT CHUN DOO Hj, qAN OF THE REPUBLIC
OF KOREAj WHO WILL BE PAYING AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO
AUSTRALIA NEXT MONTH. PRESIDENT CHUN HAS EXPRESSED TO MiE
HIS COUNTRY'IS APPRECIATION OF OUR SUPPORT AND SYMPATHY.
AUSTRALIA WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THOSE COUNTRIES WIHICH
CALLED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL
TO DISCUSS THIS TRAGEDY. THIS TOOK PLACE ON FRIDAY
2 SEPTEMBER AND WILL RESUME ON 6 SEPTEMBER ( US TIME),
THE AUSTRALIAN ACTING PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE., M4R JOSEPH,
EXPRESSED AUSTRALIA'IS SHOCK AND INDIGNATION AT THE
DOWNING OF THE KAL FLIGHT. DESRIBING THE INCIDENT AS
A MASAR IN THE SKY MR JOSEPH SAID:
" AUSTRALIA JOINS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ' I DEMANDING A* IMMEDIATE
AND FULL ACCOUNTrING FROM THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES.
WE HAVE PUT THIS REQUEST BILATERALLY AND I
REPEAT IT HERE TODAY IN'A MULTILATERAL CONTEXT,
THE EXPLANATIONS SO FAR EMANATING FROM MOSCOW
ABOUT THE EPISODE ARE IN. OUR VIEW ENTIRELY
INADEQUATE. THERE HAS BEEN A REFUSAL THUS FAR
LI
EITHER TO ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY OR EVEN TO
EXTEND A CONVINCING EXPRESSION OF REGRET FOR
THE ACTIONS THIS IS DEPLORABLE, WE APPEAL TO
THE SOVIET UNION., IF THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES
GIVE IN TO THE INSTINCT TO COVER UP, iT WILL
ONLY CONFIRM THE WORST FEA-RS OF THOSE WHO
SUSPECT THEM MOST, WITH REPERCUSSIONS ACROSS
THE SPECTRUM OF I NTERNAT IONAL RELATIONS,"
MR JOSEPH WENT ON TO SAY:
" IN THIS REGARD, MR PRESIDENT, I MUST SAY THAT
ONE CANNOT BUT FEEL PROFOUNDLY DISTURBED BY
THE LATEST TASS STATEMENT WHICH WAS READ OUT
TO THE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON BY
THE DELEGATION OF THE USSR, WE SEE NO ELEMENT
OF CONTRITION IN THE STATEMENTS IT AMOUNTS, AT
LEAST ON FIRST READING, TO BLAMING THE VICTIMS
THEMSELVES, I WOULD REMIND THE SOVIET DELEGATION
THAT SOME OF THOSE VICTIMS WERE AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS
AND I WOULD SAY FIRMLY 011 THE BEHALF OF THESE
VICTIMS, NOW DECEASED, THAT THEY WERE ENTIRELY
BLAMELESS IN THIS APPALL4NG EPISODE. 1qF* R EJECT
THIS LATEST ATTEMPTED EVPASION OF RESPONSIBILITY."
I BELIEVE THAT THIS HOUSE WOULD FULLY SUPPORT THE STANCE
TAKEN BY THIS GOVERNMENT BEFOR'E THE UNITED NATIONS.
* l s 4. j
IR SPEAKER, THIS INCIDENT IS ONE OF THE GRAVEST CONCERN
TO EVERY NATION. IT IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH ACCEPTED
NORMS OF CIVILISED BEHAVIOUR BEfWEEN NATIONS AND
CONTRARY TO PRINCiPLES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. MOREOVER,
iT HAS VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE SAFETY OF
AIR NAVIGATION.
SADLY, THIS INCIDENT IS NOT THE FIRST OF ITS KIND.
HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL RECALL THAT IN 1978 SOVIET
FIGHTERS OPENED FIRE ON AND FORCED TO LAND ANOTHER
KAL FLIGHT, ALSO WITH SOME LOSS OF LIFE, EARLIER,
IN 1973, A LIBYAN AIRCRAFT STRAYED UNWITTINGLY
OVER THE SINAI DESERT AND WAS SHOT DOWN BY ISRAELI
FIGHTERS WITH A LOSS OF OVER 100 PASSENGERS AND CREW.
THAT ACTION WAS TAKEN ONLY AFTER THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED,
BUT DID NOT HEED, THE WARNINGS AND SIGNALS GIVEN BY
THE FIGHTERS. FURTHERMORE, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT
PROMPTLY PROVIDED DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT, ISSUED
A STATEMENT EXPRESSING " DEEP SORROW" AT THE LOSS OF LIFE
AND ANNOUNCED EX GRATIA PAYMENTS OF COMPENSATION TO
THE FAMILIES OF THOSE KILLED IN EXPLICIT DEFERENCE
TO HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS'.
MR SPEAKER, THERE IS A GRIM IRONY IN THE FACT THAT THE
SOVIET REPRESENTATIVE TO AN EMERGENCY SESSION OF THE
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION ( ICAO) IN
FEBRUARY 1973 DESCRIBED THAT INCIDENT AS A " CRIMINAL
ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM" AND SAID THAT " ICAO
COULD NOT REMAIN ALO) F? FROM THE BARBARIC ACT
COMMITTED BY ISRAEL 6/.
IN 1955, COMPENSATION WAS ALSO OFFERED BY THE BULGARIAN
GOVERNMENT AFTER ITS AIRFORCE HAD SHOT DOWN AN ISRAELI
AIRLINER IN BULGARIAN AIRSPACE KILL. ING 64 PASSENGERS
AND CREW'. THE BULGARIANS OFFERED TO PAY COMPENSATION
TO THE FA* IILIES OF THOSE KILLED, TO PUNISH " THOSE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CATASTROPHE" AND TO TAKE MEASURES
TO PREVENT A REPITITION OF SUCH INCIDENTS. THERE ARE,
THEREFORE, MR SPEAKER, PRECEDENTS FOR THE KIND OF
RESPONSE WHICH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS EVERY
RIGHT NOW TO EXPECT OF THE SOVIET UNTION.
MR SPEAKER, THERE IS ANOTHER DIMENSION TO THIS TRAGEDY,
TO WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THE HOUSE.
THE INCIDENT IS A REMINDER OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF
CONTINUED HOSTILITY AND LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND DIALOGUE
IN THE KOREAN PENINSULA. AUSTRALIA HAS RECOGNISED TWO
STATES AND TWO GOVERNMENTS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA
SINCE 1974. OTHER WESTERN NATIONS WHICH HAVE RELATIONS
WITH THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA ( SOUTH KOREA) HAVE MADE CLEAR
THAT THEY WOULD BE PREPARED TO RECOGNISE THE DPRK
( NORTH KOREA) IF THE DPRK AND ITS FRIENDS, INCLUDING
THE SOVIET UNION, WOULD COME TO TERMS WITH THE REALITY
THAT THERE HAS EXISTEI? IN SOUTH KOREA FOR OVER 30 YEARS
A SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA,
V
IT IS OUR FIRM CONVICTION THAT THE CONTINUING FAILURE
OF THE SOVIET UNION AND OTHERS TO RECOGNISE THAT REALITY,
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DENY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA ITS
LEGITIMATE PLACE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND ITS
RIGHTS IN INTERNATIO'AL LAW HAS CONTRIBUTED T-0 THE CIRCUMSTANCES 7/
IN WHICH THIS APPALLING ACTION HAS TAKEN PLACE,
MR SPEAKER, CABINET DISCUSSED THIS MATTER YESTERDAV
AND EXAMINED POSSIBLE FUTURE ACTION WHICH AUSTRALIA,
TOGETHER WITH OTHER NATIONS PRINCIPALLY AFFECTED,
MIGHT TAKE, IN ITS DELIBERATIONS THE GOVERNMENT
WAS MINDFUL OF THE CALM AND DEEPLY MOVING WORDS
I
OF MR RAY GRENFELL, THE BROTHER OF ONE OF THE
AUSTRALIAN VICTIMS, WHO AFTER EXPRESSING HIS SHOCK
AND DISBELIEF AT THE DESTRUCTION OF AN UNARMED
PASSENGER AIRCRAFT SAID " BUT WE DON'T BELIEVE
THERE SHOULD BE ANY FURTHER VIOLENCE OR RETRIBUTION
ONE ACT LIKE THAT DOES NOT DESERVE ANOTHER ACT".
WE HAVE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES
FOR A FULL ACCOUNTING OF THEIR ACTIONS. WE ARE
EXAMINING WHAT STEPS MIGHT BE TAKEN TO STRENGTHEN THE
SAFETY OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION. WE ARE
SUPPORTING THE CONVENING OF ANI EXTRAORDINARY MEETING
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION
ORGANISATION IN MONTREAL NEXT WEEK. THERE WE WILL SEEK
k
A FULL ACCOUNTING BY TH! E SOVIET. UNION AND A THOROUGH
IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
9
CHICAGO CONVENTION, r
THE SHOOTING DOWN OF, THE KOREAN AIRCRAFT WAS A CLEAR
INFRINGEMENT OF CUSTOMARY INTERNATIONAL LAW AND OF THE
PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE 194 , CHICAGO CONVENTION ON
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION, TO W. HICH THE USSR IS A PARTY.
S. 8/
8,
IT IS OPEN TO THE GOVERNMENT, UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW.,
TO CLAIM COMPENSATION FROM THE USSR FOR THE LOSS OF
AUSTRALIAN LIVES. WE ARE GIVING CLOSE CONSIDERATION
TO THIS POSSIBILITY. OBVIOUSLY ANY AMOUNT OF
COMPENSATION WILL NOT RECOMPENSE THE GRIEF OF THOSE
FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES IN THIS DISASTER.
THE GOVERNMENT REGARDS THIS TRAGEDY AS AN AFFRONT
TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AS A RESULT, AUSTRALIA
WILL SEEK TO CO-ORDINATE ITS RESPONSE AS WIDELY AS
POSSIBLE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES AND PARTICULARLY WITH
THE COUNTRIES OF THE ASIA/ PACIFIC REGION.
IN THIS CONNECTION, I SPOKE WITH US SECRETARY OF STATE,
GEORGE SHULTZ ON 5 SEPTEMBER AND HAVE CONFIRMED THAT
OUR ATTITUDE TO THIS DISASTER IS CLOSELY CONSISTENT
WITH THAT OF THE UNITED STATES. PRESIDENT REAGAN'S
STRONG, CLEAR AND MEASURED STATEMENT THIS MORNING
EXPRESSES THE PROFOUND CONCERN AND ABHORRENCE FELT BY
ALL CIVILISED COUNTRIES AT WHAT IA'S OCCURRED, WHILE
KEEPING OPEN THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION ESSENTIAL
TO PRESERVE INTERNATIONAL SEC. URITY,
MR SPEAKER, THE SOVIET UNION IS NOW SEEKING TO EVADE
i
ITS RESPONSIBILITIES, TO SHIFT THE BLAME AND TO
CATEGORISE THE JUSTIFIED INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE AT
ITS ACTION, AS CONFECTED INDIGNATION
FOR PROPAGANDA PURPOSES. THE GOV'ERNMENT REITERATES THAT
i
THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT M. UPT PROVIIE A FULL AND ADEQUATE
9,
ACCOUNT OF THIS TRAGEDY, I AM SURE THAT THE HOUSE
WILL JOIN > 1E IN CALLING ON THE USSR TO CEASE HIDING
BEHIND EVASIVE STATEMENTS AND TO ACCEPT ITS
RESPONSIBILITIES BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
FOR THE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES OF ITS ACTION,
U 9
I -f r
MR SPEAKER, I SEEK LEAVE TO MOVE A RESOLUTION,
( WHEN LEAVE GRANTED)
I MOVE THAT THIS HOUSE:
EXPRESSES AUSTRALIA'S SHOCK AND INDIGNATION
AT THE TOTALLY UNJUSTIFIED DESTRUCTION OF
A KOREAN AIRLINES , BOEING 747 BY SOVIET
FIGHTER AIRCRAFT;
EXTENDS ITS DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILIES OF
THE AUSTRALIAN AND OTHER VICTIMS.;
CALLS UPON THE USSR TO GIVE A FULL, TRUTHFUL,
PROMPT AND APPROPRIATELY REGRETFUL ACCOUNT
OF THIS TRAGIC EPISODE;
URGES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO TAKE
MEASURES TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF SUCH
A TRAGEDY; AND
SUPPORTS THE RESPONSE OF THE AUSTRALIAN
i,
GOVERNMENT AS OUTLINED IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S
STATEMENT. i
I
i, i
1