পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৯২

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64 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড concerned, against which the central Government of that country is proceeding with the use of force-a cry to the rest of the world. "Don't you understand what is happening here? Can't you do anything about it?" Throughout the world, people of good will ask. "What can we in the West do about it?" Governments make traditional statements, and Ministers make statements at the Dispatch Box about the security of British nationals and say that it is an internal affair, and if any protests are made they are too timid, and they come too late to have any effect. Can we in Britain leave it there? What has happened in Pakistan is that arms acquired by the Government of that country for its external defense have been usedwith far greater fire power than could ever have been needed-against their own people. The countries that are involved in supplying arms or aid to other nations—and this is especially the case with the sale of arms-must realize that with those sales and aid go heavy responsibilities. Aid also inevitably involves the donor country in the affairs of the country to which that aid is given. That is not to say that aid should be given with political strings. Many Hon. Members who have spoken today have made the point that it would be a bad principle if donor countries were to give aid to which political srings were attached. But the events in Pakistan are so momentous-one of the six journalists admitted to East Benga! has estimated that over 30,000 have lost their lives, and my Hon. Friend the Member for Kensington. North (Mr. Douglas-Mann) indicated that the true figure could be much higher-as to go beyond any situation in which one could describe the taking of political attitudes by the donor aid countries as pulling political strings. Since this is the second time in recent years in which the world has been faced with this situation, it is clear that countries supplying arms or aid should work but a code of practice which will govern their attitude and actions when these situations arise. Such a code should involve the arms suppliers writing into arms contracts clauses giving them the right to make immediate representations and to suspend existing contracts and reduce the supply of spares if arms are used in any major operation against a country's own population. Many difficulties would arise in framing such a code. There is the black market in selling arms throughout the world, and on top of that there are political difficulties, In that countries like China and Russia adopt different attitudes. But the object would be to establish a framework in which it would be possible for the countries supplying arms or aid to react immediately, rather than to feel in an isolated position, in which they could be accused of interfering in a country's internal affairs. The object would be to make Governments like the Government of Pakistan think seriously about the consequences before they embark on the arms build-up that went on in the 10 days before 25th march, leading to the military solution then put into effect. I agree with my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Leeds. Hast (Mr. Healey) that it would be wrong to suspend existing aid commitments, but I should have thought that aid consortia could establish a code of practice which would make it clear to recipient countries what would be the likely consequences, in terms of their aid programme, if they acted as the Government of Pakistan has done in this case.