পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৭৪৫

717 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড STATEMENT BY PRESIDENTSOEHARTO OFINDONESIA, DJAKARTA December 7, 1971 Following is a report on the Statement: President Soeharto said yesterday (December 7, 1971) Indonesia is ready to act as mediator in the Indo-Pakistan conflict if the two warring parties request it. The President made this statement in yesterday's limited cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha buildingin relation to the current crisis between India and Pakistan. Indonesia, being friendly to both India and Pakistan, is always following with great concern the India-Pakistani relations. "The concern has grown greater with the open war flaring between the two countries at present", President Soeharto stated. Indonesia, through its development process also faced various problems such as rebellions and separatist movements, has realized that war is not the only way to achieve the solution, the Head of State said. War obviously will bring about victims and greater misery to the people, he added. The Indonesian Government, therefore expects the two waning countries to realize the results of war and will seek efforts to find a peaceful settlement, (THE DJAKARTA TIMES-December 8, 1971) STATEMENT BY Mr. LEE KUAN YEW, PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE AT THE 17th CONGRESS OF PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY, SINGAPORE December 19, 1971 Making the first public pronouncement on the issue, Mr. Lee said although West and East Pakistanis belonged to one religion, "they are different peoples with different cultures and the unequal treatment of one part led to the final tragedy". Departing from his prepared text at the 17th Congress of the ruling people's Action Party, of which he is Secretary-General, Mr. Lee emphasized the need for tolerance in multi-racial societies inhabited by different peoples as in Singapore. The Foreign Minister, Mr. S. Rajaratnam, said the conflict in Bangladesh was the most recent illustration of how domestic conflicts could become cold war conflicts. He said during the voting in the U. N. General assembly on the cease-fire resolution, it was cold war realities that determined the line-up, "not the concern for the sufferings of the people of East Bengal, nor considerations of right or wrong". That was why Singapore abstained, he added. (THE STATESMAN, New Delhi – December 20, 1971)