পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৮১৩

785 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড uprooted refugee is a tragic one Undoubtedly, the best solution for u refugee lies, whenever it is possible, in voluntary repatriation back to his home, where he can live again a normal life among his own people. This has been the experience of my office throughout its twenty years of work all over the world and was indeed reiterated yesterday by many speakers in the Third Committee. In our past experience if and when a settlement had occurred in the country of origin a system of mutual co-operation was established with the active participation of UNHCR which facilitated repatriation. Until this stage is reached, substantial and will organized repatriation cannot be a success and the trend is difficult to reverse I should point out additionally that UNHCR has achieved results only when there has been a consensus of opinion between the host country and the country of origin leading to voluntary' repatriation. This consensus must apply not only to the solution, but also to the timing and modalities. It has been with this in mind, and to further the two objectives of our effort to which I referred earlier, that I have travelled twice to India and to Pakistan in the last six months, my latter journey just being completed last week. In India. I had all opportunity of seeing for myself refugee camps in northern West Bengal and in the State of Meghalaya. In the latter, I particularly saw the way in which refugees are methodically registered and issued ration cards and I witnessed the distribution of rations. I then proceeded to Delhi for useful and productive talks with the foreign Minister and his colleagues. I also held detailed technical discussion with senior officials of the Government in regard to the assistance programme. I wish to thank the Indian authorities for the full co-operation they have extended to my representatives in India and to me personally. In Pakistan. I called on the President and met once again with the senior officials concerned. As you know, the Government extended full co-operation in the stationing of my representative in Dacca. He is now working there with a small team of field assistants. During my latest visit, I was informed by my representative that returnees who are seen coming back are sent to forward reception centers some miles inland where they are registered and inoculated. After a-day or two, they are given a bus ticket to their village, clothing if need be, food for fifteen days and five rupees each. I was also informed that they are given a note for the village authorities, asking that every help be given to them for their rehabilitation. The Government of Pakistan has informed us that so far 200,000 refugees, of whom 30 per cent belong to the minority community, have returned to East Pakistan, some 64.000 through the reception centers and the rest on their own When considering my annual report, this committee reacted once again yesterday with understanding of and support for the functions of my office. It was with good reason indeed that the General Assembly, in drafting the statute of my office, called upon the work of the High Commissioner to be purely humanitarian. I must respect this obligation as you would wish me to. Till such time as the refugees return, and they will only repatriate in significant number when here, as elsewhere in the world, they are convinced that real peace and security prevail, I would appeal to Governments and the people of the world to assist them generously. Away from their homes, living in an accumulation of despair that can destroy the fiber of the strongest, these people have suffered many times more than is inherent in normal human false. Words without generosity and generality without a permanent solution that would apply to all of them will make a mockery of their hopes. Need I add that the challenger is