পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৪৪৮

420 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ সংঘর্ষের মূল কারণ প্রশাসনকে অবশ্যই সিনেটের কার্যবিবরণী ৭ ডিসেম্বর, ১৯৭১ উপলব্ধি হবেঃ সিনেটর কেনেডী December 7, 1971 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-Senate S 20721 U.S. POLICY TOWARD THE CRISIS IN SOUTH ASIA Mr. Kennedy. Mr. President, the administration's policy toward the crisis in South Asia defies understanding. After 8 months of escalating violence and military repression-after hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed in East Bengal and 10 million refugees have fled into India-suddenly our national leadership recognizes that war has swept over South Asia. But when did this war begin? Who started it? What should be condemned? And what should we and the international community do about it? Perhaps in the mind of many Americans is the thought that India has created this crisis. But the facts, Mr. President, show that this war began not last week with renewed military border crossings, nor last month with the escalating crossfire of artillery between India and Pakistan: this war began on the bloody night of March 25 with the brutal suppression by the Pakistan army of the free election it held in East Bengal. A review of events since March 25-a quick jostling of out memory-reminds us that the problem in South Asia is today, and has been from the very beginning, a political problem between the ruling military elite in West Pakistan and the Bengali opposition elected in East Bengal. The facts documenting the beginning of this war, and who started it, are too grim and well reported to be in doubt, even by an administration that attempts to ignore them. Hundreds in articles have now been written and thousands of pictures have been taken by countless eye witness foreign observers testifying to the bloody terror that has swept over East Bengal since March 25. Indeed, suppressed field cables to the Department of State in the beginning characterized the actions of the Pakistan army as "genocide." Foreign journalists were expelled by military authorities lest they record the holocaust, and film of foreign cameramen was confiscated. It was only after refugees began to pour out of East Bengal in April that the story of repression could be slowly pleased together. Even now, the full dimension of the tragedy is not really known. Nevertheless, as troops descended upon Dacca at night, they indiscriminately shelled residential areas, attacked the university's student hostels, and imprisoned or executed all suspected Awami Leaguers they could round up. Thousands of East Bengalis have simply disappeared and never been heard of again. Thousands died and many Thousands more sought refuge in the countryside. Dacca became a ghost town in less than 24 hours, and remained subdued and empty for weeks thereafter. The Pakistan army followed the people into the countryside. Systematically, troops began-according to a Pakistani journalist loyal to the Yahya regime-to liquidate the