UN General Assembly
1983

136. Intolerance of, and contempt for, human rights and the rights of peoples have characterized the whole period since the beginning of the thirty-seventh session. Throughout the world we are witnessing acts of violence to such an extent that we wonder whether the last quarter of the century has been struck by the demon of hate or of intolerance. If we are not living in a reign of contempt for human rights and the rights of peoples, how can we explain the cold-blooded shooting down by Soviet air forces of the Korean Air Lines Boeing 747, with 269 innocent people on board? Ten years ago a Boeing 707 of Libyan Air Lines was shot down in a cowardly manner in similar circumstances by Israeli air forces. This reveals the same contempt for fundamental human rights and the rights of peoples. What is most disturbing is the silence maintained on all sides in the face of these barbaric acts and the fact that, faced with these tragic events, even the Security Council is lost for words and takes no decision. The paralysis of the supreme body of the United Nations, if it were repeated, would cause serious concern to the smallest nations, which need the Organization's protection.