পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৩৯৯

371 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ অস্ত্রের জোরে ক্ষমতাসীন সরকারকে মদদ সিনেটের কার্যবিবরণী ২৩ জুলাই, ১৯৭১ যোগানোর বিলাসিতা আমাদের সাজেনাঃ সিনেটর ম্যাকগভার্ন July 23, 1971 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE S II.945 THE SITUATION IN EAST PAKISTAN Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. President, the present situation of bloodshed and repression in East Pakistan should concern us all. After the cyclone disaster of last year, this devastated land has been victimized by official violence. One need only read the report of the mission of the World Bank to be moved by the sufferings of the Bengalis, For example, in the town of Jessore, where 80,000 lived a few months ago, only 15,000 to 20,000 people remained; 20,000 have been killed and the rest of the population has fled into the countryside. As we have learned in Southeast Asia, however, this Nation should maintain official neutrality during internal conflict and civil strife. But neutrality does not mean we must support the unjust policies of West Pakistan with further shipments of aid. At this time, American aid to Pakistan, which goes to West Pakistan, is continuing. This month the Pakistani freighter Padma is carrying 2 million of American military equipment back to Karachi. This Nation cannot afford the luxury of subsidizing a government which holds power through the use of force to suppress the majority of its population. In addition, as the World Bank mission reported earlier this months the economic disruption in East Pakistan has been such that economic assistance to this region is bound to be ineffective. This Nation should follow the lead of the Bank and discontinue aid payments until the situation is stabilized. The damage wrought in East Pakistan by civil war cannot be healed by financial aid which will be diverted to the West. However, two emergency situations in the area demand immediate attention. The present chaotic state of East Pakistan, where much of the population is in hiding in the countryside and where over 7 million people have fled the country” raises the very real possibility of famine. Crops have been left untended and the commercial life of the nation has been devastated. Communications and transportation are haphazard. The most appropriate American response would be shipments of medical supplies, grain and other foodstuffs to the Bengalis under the auspices of the Red Cross, or some other international organization, not a continuation of financial aid. This would guarantee that American assistance would only be granted to those suffering under the heel of Pakistani repression, and would hopefully avert at least-one tragedy for the Bengalis.