পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৭৫

47 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড seek to support and not just their bellies. Frankly, I doubt, in spite of many things that I welcomed in the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech, the efficiency of our position as a country on this issue, just as I doubted it over Biafra. Then we were told by the Labor Government what we are now being told by the Conservative Government, that we must preserve our influence for moderation. But what moderation do we preserve? The aid and arms that we give do not give us any influence, Indeed, there is an argument for saying that they give the receivers the wherewithal to ignore our influence. We give them the wherewithal to prolong their oppression just as we did in Biafra. We have to do as much as we can to help East Bengal, but we cannot guarantee that aid given to the West Pakistan government for distribution to East Pakistan will arrive there. I think that the Right Hon. Gentleman has admitted that, although he wishes to do as, much as he can to ensure that it does arrive. In other words, we cannot guarantee that our aid will fill East Pakistan bellies rather than West Pakistan rifles, which is what I fear. The Government have to be very much tougher than they have been. Nonintervention in the affairs of another country is a splendidly convenient principle for any Government. It was the principle that Gladstone had to fight in his Midlothian election campaign. It was a splendidly convenient principle when adopted by Pontius Pilate. But it is no basis for improving the state of the world. I urge the Government not to cling to that principle at the expense of our honor. 1.20 p.m. Mr. John Biggs-Davison (Chigwell): The agony of East Pakistan is grievous to everyone, especially, perhaps, to those like my self-if the House will forgive a personal note-who, having served in administrative and other capacities in both wings of Pakistan and having been invited by the successor Government in Pakistan to help build the new state in the very early, difficult and bloody days, now see the threat of its disastrous dissolution. I welcome, therefore, the speech of my Right Hon. Friend the Minister and applaud the resolve of Her Majesty's Government-supported, as I understood it, by the Right Hon. Member who formerly held office as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs not to intervene in any way in Pakistan's internal affairs. I applaud that policy because it will make it easier for Britain to render assistance, as she did generously at the time of the cyclone, whether that assistance be given through the Commonwealth, as the Right Hon. Member for Fulham (Mr. Michael Stewart) suggested, or through CENTO, as my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Stafford and Stone (Mr. Hugh Fraser) suggested, with the support of my Hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, South (Sir R. Thompson), or otherwise. The task of giving aid will be made much more difficult if we appear to be laying down the law about what should now happen in Pakistan. I was not quite sure, when the Right Hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Healey) was speaking about aid through the United Nations, whether he was aware of the report, which Hon. Members will have read today, that President Yahya Khan has written to U Thant to say that Pakistan would welcome aid