UN General Assembly
1983

99. While the arms race proceeds at an uncontrolled pace it is not surprising that over-reliance on weapons at times leads to tragic results. The circumstances surrounding the shooting down of the Korean Air Lines passenger aircraft have cast a long dark shadow over international affairs. The Government and people of Thailand were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic event and the loss of 269 innocent lives, including those of eight Thai nationals. We participated in the Security Council debate and deeply deplored the Soviet action, to no avail. The Thai Government demands that the resolution recently adopted by the extraordinary session of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization be fully implemented so that the provisions relating to safety of international civil aviation can be strengthened. All parties concerned should give their full cooperation to the ICAO investigation, so as to prevent the recurrence of such a tragic event. We once again urge the Soviet Government to assume responsibility for its actions and duly compensate the families of those who lost their lives. An appropriate humanitarian response by the Soviet Government could help to restore confidence in the safety of international civil aviation as well as in the viability of civilized norms of conduct between States.