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WM I see present international interviews produced with the cooperation of the Overseas Press Club of America this is a series of informal On my first interviews on problems under shoes of international interest between our kind of newsman and our special guest moderator for the series is Seymour and SIEGEL Now is Mr Siegel. How do you do ladies and gentlemen and welcome to international one of you our guest on this edition of IN THE ACTUAL interview is the Palmer representative of South Yemen to the United Nations has actually seen basketball is melanoma is doing best of all welcome to the national interest to question the ambassador or is a distinguished panel of news men who are knowledge of duce themselves. James Sheldon creator of the Overseas Press Club columnist and writer for any. Old thing W. N.Y.C. radio news Peter McEvoy political writer we thank the gentleman the first question from Mr Sheldon and some baster yours being one of a New York conferees I think we ought to locate a little bit for our audience. Just where is the Falchion. Thank you southern Yemen is the southern tip southern tip of the Id been Peninsula which is what formally used to be called the British colony of been under protected so the Republic of southern Yemen occupied exactly the area that used to be called and the property why do you call it self. We call it southern Yemen because of the believe of our people and our government there that we are part and parcel of the Yemeni people of which we are only the southern part and the M one out of the public the no from part of which we look for unity we hope shortly the full name of your country for name of my new country is the People's Republic of southern Yemen I think we've now got our audience straightened around oh one other thing just on the southern Straits one side of the entrance the Red Sea. That's right there is a strategic location right and it's called Babel Mendham problem and yes a feature there isn't a little island they're called but in Island which is. Which is part of southern Yemen to the population the population of that island is about five hundred people I meant of southern Yemen or southern Yemen is about two million thank you question. Mr Ambassador if you could tell us something about the recent history. Of your revolution since the British left southern Yemen or formally audience. How old is the country and what has happened in the in the few months. And in the position. Thank you Mr think we got our independence officially since first December one thousand nine hundred sixty seven after an armed struggle for about forty years. He's the British did not opt to leave peacefully. Ten months so it's about ten months now since we got our independence and the government is. Trying its best in order to harmonize the people of the country of the hinterland and the city says the British have done a little bit only in the city of Auburn and left the hinterland almost obsolete so this that is one of the measure things that my government is trying to do in other words trying to spread indication trying to spread health into the hinterland which have been left as if they were in this eighteenth or sixteenth century. Questions Mr Michael Board member. You described your people as part of the Yemeni people I wonder if you could explain a little further your relationship with. The rest of. The return to Northern Ireland some days ago and what will be the impact. Of your venture will. I thank you Mr McAvoy with regard to the first part of your question the people of Yemen are once. We have been one people one nation since about two thousand five hundred years B.C. before Christ that is the people of all Yemen which we call it now geographically Yemen however says eighteen thirty nine other than became a British colony and so they had to learn became under the particular of the which were then paid him part however the northern part of Yemen of what's now called the Yemen are a public remain independent so this we got our independence on first December one hundred sixty seven and our people as well as our government party and everybody there. Believe in the unity so we have to call ourselves so in Yemen because we still hope that very shortly and as soon as possible two governments will unite says that the two peoples are already united there is no boundary in the real sense of it no past was no visa no nothing just everybody goes there is this is a citizen of each country citizen of the other so the real so the reinstate the finish and for both the image does not really exist with regard to the second question with all due respect to Mr mockable there is not such a thing as a man there's nobody there in Yemen out of the public of which we call the North the man has died politically he's only physically alive he's only with the killer alive because some countries unfortunately. Are still trying to make a picture and some propaganda for him as far as the people of Yemen North Yemen as well Assad him and for that matter out of support he's dead he's dead politically and he has no power there's no support only a minority. Well I was bringing the rock. Also which is to be a republic even as Southern. Yemen out of the public which is not in Yemen is not of the republic it's a perfect system says twenty six the temblor one hundred sixty two when that evolution broke out there and the man was thrown out of his thrown up after he left and his father the country. And violence almost medieval if not completely to be signed so the people of North Yemen not any more believe in the mamma told he only exists in papers and in some local or and some news local T.V. or radio stations that are. Questionable to show well pursuing this last point there is a general feeling that the government there which planted the man and one wing revolution you say. Has been more or less a puppet of Egypt or the Soviet Union or one of the other or both which you care to comment on that. Yes Thank you it's not true the young man out a public is a somebody in country and it's not a puppet the for anybody at all with regard to the first part of that is it's a puppet of his another. Not to at all. He or nor Mr Sheldon and said Kill yourself and the other members of the panel to that. The other people are one nation we are one nation in spite of the fourteen countries that still exist among us we are one nation in spite of all the of on spite of the. Temporary differences that do exist between us now among us. But is another as far as the people of Yemen are concerned it was his duty in nine hundred sixty two to intervene and help the government of the Yemen out of good public from outside aggression and I emphasize it from outside aggression. Not from the people of Yemen themselves so he came there just to fulfill his duty which he did and then he came back but he was sent sorry so he sent seventy thousand troops in there in the time when I was constituted a government functioning he sent he sent some troops there and nobody had said and as I mentioned before because there was an outside aggression from the outside boundaries of the human R.P. public those terms that you mentioned were there in order to help the Yemen a public government and its people from outside aggression on leave at that time as you certainly know and I'm sure the audience too we were a colony and the British and the puppet photons were existing in my country there which at that time was called sub South Arabia where spending money and arms in order to help infiltrators cause some trouble and if you allow me at this juncture to I will give you a. Very short incident which happened to me personally after I finished my graduate school in this country in Boston I went home via Europe and I had the great pleasure of stopping in Paris there by accident I met a young Belgian Belgium Belgian person there and we started to talk I discovered that he's a mercenary man is coming from the Congo and he was an honest man by himself and then he asked me where I came from I told him I came from the M. and he said Well as you know I'm going there within few weeks because they really do give gold there he said the real goal that I didn't find even the Congo and going there in order to help the so called Royce is just for information thank you. Question for Mr thing Mr Ambassador. What are some of the problems of a nation that's almost ten months old. Thank you Mr thing this is really a very challenging question it's still the problems of an emerging country or a nation especially of the size of my country I really very much. Because of the fact first that. Being a colony for quite a period and because of the fact that unfortunately the British did not. Allow themselves and did not realize the reality to give a transitional and peaceful independence for us so other first and then the first December we found ourselves in independence what adds to this unfortunate event too is that. Our country that is Southern Yemen was an inflated economy it was just an economy of service of service independent in two main incomes first the British base which employed about ten thousand people about twenty five thousand persons were dependent on that you know the generally speaking in the Middle East and for that matter even the audience about five persons in the family at least so the second man income of the country was the port of others which is very busy or rather which was very busy but as you know unfortunately it's now almost. Not working due to the closure of the Suez Canal what I've said this is that Britain have promised us. Some financial aid during the transitional period of Independence as you know this is almost a moral and perhaps even a legal obligation of the former colonial power to give some financial aid during the transitional period of independence for the old colonized power France gave this to in spite of the bloody war they had there however Britain and unfortunately did not abide by its obligations they promised sixty million sterling pounds to us which they did not pay even a single penny they promised us during the Independence talks in Geneva under the protocol there that they would give us the exit them existing financial aid to the country which used to be twenty five million pounds per year because for information our budget used to be thirty three million sterling pounds per year of which the British paid directly at least twenty five million pounds per year that budgetary. But unfortunately since we got our independence the British did not abide by this they only give us part of the lump sum which they promised in Geneva and the lump sum that they promised in Geneva was twelve million pounds and they are only give us part of that the negotiations that we had in May of one nine hundred sixty eight of which I was a member two of my government were very uncompromising it was an uncompromising attitude from the British delegation says they offered to give us only one million and a quarter powers of ten months this could not in any way be compared with twenty five million pounds so we refused that amount it was. Very significant so we rather opted to live in a very. Austerity life rather than accept the one million. Things. Question of Mr Marshall remember I said or as a member of the United Nations family. You expect Vice. From of the major. Problems of your country. Thank you yes we do. But he after the question raised by Mr thing we do expect some aid we hope from the United Nations even though we fully realize we flew realize that the aid that could be offered to them the United Nations is limited however we the United Nations and the people in charge of the United Nations Development Program going to be have realized this fact and their duty and obligations there and they have acted very quickly to open an office for them there so they have already sent to United Nations permanent He's an experienced man Mr Socor and we hope very soon that they will stop and demanding implementing the limited. Programs and to provide us with a few technical experts that we have agreed upon. Questions to shoulder most investor I suppose that aspect of your country's affairs but most immediately concerned American policy. There to the Red Sea where you are on one side but narrow straits. Do you support our policy that has stood for a century of complete freedom of navigation through the right. Spelled out in a free. For So Long thank you Mr Salem. For answer this question I would like to orient yourself on the respected audience with regard to the position of the United States with regard to the to my country before independence and now as you know. We had we had been a colony for about a hundred and twenty six years and the British and we have tried different peaceful passes means to get our independence which we were not successful since the British were very obstinate So we finally and I say finally resorted to war armed struggle. And his fourteenth of October one thousand nine hundred sixty four. And since then our question was introduced to the United Nations and then to stand from the dock to Mr Siegel to that I would petitioners also had a chance to speak here in this same panel. And before we got our independence just two months. She's a nationally Beijing front was pushing it very strongly the British tried to intervene to internationalize the party Mylan which is a very streets needing to be a little in terms of the Red Sea of is sovereign part of it I'd like to tell you that the government that is the United States government did not in any way support our independence then I think it was always voting again with the with the British inside the full committee say they get rid of twenty four which. Unfortunately the American government was also pushing and trying hard to persuade Great Britain and try to influence some members of the United Nations to make rather to take part email and from US However since we got our independence we. Open the new page afresh based not only with your country but also with the government so where we regard the body Mylan and other or offshore islands to as fully a part of us and we have every solving the right for that. Yes but do you are here to the principle of free passage through the Red Sea and up through the Suez Canal assuming it's open this Wisco all countries at all times so it's going to Ali's part of Egypt and it has the full right so I'm not in a position to answer that with regard to the other entrance. We had here my father Mr Mr Dali had said earlier and in his opening speech in the assembly that we do adhere to all international agreements they do find us but you would implement the longstanding principle of freedom of passage through the streets for all countries yes as long as it does not have any political connotations to with them in a time of war as well as space. For treating access to sewers covers well natur except it not is accepted it and it only if only that that treaty eight hundred eighty four which was as you know implemented by the Turkish Emperor at that time only covered a Swiss canal that's all and it's still and that that same protocol to it still gave the full rights to Egypt in terms of for to control its entrance. Now is a dispute about the meaning of. The question of questions Mr Sun. Understand that you or the youngest investor in the United Nations is that correct and how old are you and I'd like to know. How you got the job. Thank you very much. And to send them the youngest member. And so they told the. Embers of brandy was in for I came and the Angus now I'm about twenty seven years and one month now. I I came to this position after I finished my schooling here there's a school in Boston I went home and. I was to the party there and. I was appointed to be the first but I mean to be indicative of my country have been a nation you want to school in this country. Is that affected ours it affected your. Your view your views on this country. Even though I don't quite feel question but I had the pleasure to get my ass quoting here and I do not only see my graduate school here I want undergraduate here too I want to Dickens in college for my undergraduate school and I found the American people in general very hospitable very helpful and. That was my generally not exactly my impression about them when I was home Personally I do believe that. People saw four nations generally speaking very nice and very hospitable especially when one comes to get the chance and their personality to know them closely I still have very good personal things to from here. Question from Mr Michael. As a new country I want to ask you my question. In short how do you define a republic now to oversimplify our country I will say that we are republic which we recognize dirty rule and minority rights. Would you say that this definition concurs with that for the Republic. Thank you. It's true we are of the republic and as you know the term republic. Even though it's in political terms good dates back to the days of Plato and also to the days of the great Islamic civilization that's in the seventh century as you know for a fourth of our Kalish who are actually what you might turn them now without a public because they were elected by the people that's after the. Prophet Muhammad. Died before college that succeeded him where ordinary people they had nothing to do with him directly so they were elected out of their own. Merits so that that about that lasted about sixty years for the public however as you know the recent version of it came eight hundred seventy nine of the French Revolution even though they did it to themselves when Apollyon came so for us Republic. For Republic of southern Yemen and many others of the Third World to the public is that we do not want in any in any way to revert back to the old. Obsolete. Him our more King King rule to us that the Republic is that those who are able to rule should have the chance we do not believe in eternal room. We do believe our president who there will last only as long as we think fit to last. It's true in our party to the National Liberation Front we do believe that the minority should and must have their plight and should exercise their right to criticize the government within the structure of all government. And. I mean in this country. Thank you question. To master We do welcome you back to this country and spite of the fact that I'm asking. The question certain questions here the sixty four dollars sixty four thousand dollar question I've asked. Is what about the Russian missile sites. Which are supposed to be perhaps pointed toward. Oil where the United States is somewhat concerned. Thank you Lynn. I'd like to be very candid with disadvantages that. We do not have any missile sites who do not have any military alliance with any other. Government except I want to neighbor in Yemen. And there are three states are supposed to be annoyed again not in your country then also not in Yemen as I understand. No one normally full sized their own it's not a dentist to do it just passing That's just like you are a NATO ally and I kill a lot of fleets that do visit some place that I know that without any put it is to be so that he and independents will be continued their visiting and that no moves to Bursa we've got to bring this interview to a close I've been taking a great many notes you ptosis out the name of those at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula was formerly the British protectorate and you're looking forward to unification with North Yemen which has been a republic since nine hundred sixty two your own population you told us about two million there's no boundary between the two countries are no passports required this free passage South Yemen you told us got us and the promise on December first nine hundred sixty seven after an armed struggle the government is trying to harmonize the people of the hill in the city you told us it's doing its best to spread the benefits of health and education into the handle and you tell us that the people of Yemen. Burn. One so to speak ever since twenty five hundred B.C. since eight hundred fifty nine they've been was British the British protectorate the am an Arab Republic in the north was independent there's no Inman you insisted you told us that while he is physically alive he doesn't exist politically he has no power the is no support the North Yemen you told us is a sovereign country it's not a puppet of any country. Of the people or one nation you indicate. Even if there are temporary differences among the fourteen different countries you related to us that NASA really had the duty of the helping him in back in one thousand nine hundred till against i've side aggression you describe for us the puppet Sultans which were assisting info traders to come in to cause trouble you told about foreign mercenaries that were employed you have money problems because of your colonial history you told us and also because the British didn't really provide the transitional help. Which led to independence you tell us that you have an inflated or you have an inflated and Connally which is depending largely on services largely on the British base and on the port of Aden this is not working right now because the Suez Canal is closed you described to us a Britain upon a sixty million pounds financial aid in the transition but didn't give you a penny of your budget used to be about thirty three million pounds a year which Britain provided twenty five million so far they've only given you a part of a twelve million MT was the promise to you in Geneva discussions you expect aid from the United Nations largely in the area of technical assistance the UN is already open an office there and you feel very happy about that you tell us that the United States did not support your efforts for independence Unfortunately the American government you said also encouraged but it Britain too will try to internationalize Britain island. You you insist that the Suez Canal is Egypt and you know one described that but you adhere to international agreements of free passage or waterways of all countries as long you said as that that had no political connotations you summed up for us the fact that the National Liberation Front believes that a minority have a right to criticize government you don't have any missile sites so far as you know you have no military alliances Accel. Well one thing and does this most embarrassed on some brief way in the court which removes all that's missing in that is that he. Connect up something simpler one just minor things that that wouldn't win economy since eight hundred thirty nine I'm not a thief and I thank you for correcting my dates and thank you all gentlemen I will see you all again next week. Will be when was he has presented international interview produced in cooperation with the Overseas Press Club of America and a moderator for this series of Seymour and Siegel and his guest for the program was Ambassador Ismail Sayed NORMAN HERMANT representative to the United Nations from selfie game in it with us again next week at this time for another international interview this program was produced by Sylvia Taylor directed by John Baird.