পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বাদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৮৭

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বাংরাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বাদশ খণ্ড
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return of refugees or their continued inflow is due to any other cause except the intolerable and tragic conditions prevailing in East Bengal.

 7. In this background, Government of India must express their total opposition to the suggestion for the induction of a “limited representation of the High Commissioner for Refugees on both sides” and must categorically state that they resent any insinuation that they are preventing the refugees from returning to East Bengal. They allowed them to enter India purely on humanitarian grounds in spite of the most serious impact on her social, political and economic structure. Government of India are anxious they return as soon as possible. The presence of the United Nations or UNHCR representatives cannot help in this. On the other hand, it would only provide a facade of action to divert world attention from the root cause of the problem which is the continuation of military atrocities, leading to further influx of refugees and absence of political settlement acceptable to the people of East Pakistan and their already elected leaders.

 8. The UNHCR has a fairly strong team of senior officers located in Delhi and they have been given every facility to visit refugee camps. In fact Mr. Thomas Jaimcson. Director of Operations of the UNHCR who is the Chief Representative of the UNHCR’s office in India has recently returned from a second tour of the refugee camps. He was allowed access to all the refugee camps and was given facilities to visit these camps including those in the border areas. Apart from this, 1,000 foreign observers have visited these refugee camps and most of them have publicly stated that the refugees have taken shelter in India from the military operation in Bangla Desh and are not willing to return unless suitable conditions are created ensuring their safe return through a political statement with the Sheik Mujibur Rahman, the acknowledged leader of East Pakistan and his already elected colleagues. In the light of the information available to Government of India and to the interested Government add organization they have painfully come to the conclusion that the same is past when international community can continue to stand by, watching the situation deteriorate and merely hoping that the relief programmes, humanitarian efforts, posting of a few people here and there, and good intentions would be enough to turn the tide of human misery and potential disaster.

 9. While therefore, the Government of India have no wish to lend their support to any proposal which will deflect attention from the basic problem or diffuse concern from the fate of the unfortunate refugees, they would welcome any action by the United Nations which would ensure and guarantee, under adequate international supervision, that the refugees lands, houses and property will be returned to them in Last Pakistan and that conditions are created there to ensure the safe return under credible international guarantees without threat of reprisal or other measures of repression from the military authorities of West Pakistan. It is painful to not that even the handful of refugees who ventured to return to East Bengal have not only been not allowed to go back to their homes and village but have been subjected to endless indignities and inequities and even made to do forced labor and face many other difficulties. Government of India should like to draw the Secretary-General’s attention in this context to the New York Times report and photographs published on the 27th July, 1971. In these circumstances it is unrealistic to hope that the circumstances will begin to be hanged by the posting of any