বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড)/৫৬
| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
| ডঃ গ্রীনোর উদ্দেশে পররাষ্ট্র দপ্তর কর্মকর্তার চিঠি | পররাষ্ট্র দপ্তর | ২৬ মে, ১৯৭১ |
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington. D.C. 20520
Chief, Infectious Diseases Division
School of Medicine
The Johns Hopkins University Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland 21205
Dear Dr. Greenough:
Secretary Rogers has asked me to reply to your letter of May 6, forwarded to him by Dr. Milton Eisenhower, in which you have expressed your views on various aspects of the situation in East Pakistan.
First, let me assure you that we have read your thoughtful and articulate letter with sincere interest and appreciation. We greatly value receiving from private American citizens assessments of this sort of important aspects of our foreign relations.
Your expression of profound concern over the recent tragic developments in East Pakistan is certainly understandable, particularly in light of the first hand information you have received from your colleagues who have been involved in medical research land training activities in Dacca and Calcutta in recent years. The Department of State has shared this concern and has not been inactive or silent on the subject since the civil strife began in East Pakistan in March. Our spokesmen have addressed various aspects of this subject repeatedly in official statements over the past several weeks. Since these statements have not received all the publicity which we feel they have deserved, it might be useful for me to summarize them for you.
Immediately after the outbreak of civil strife, we expressed concern over the loss of life and damage which have occurred in East Pakistan and the hope that peaceful conditions will be restored there. We extended our sympathy to the victims of these events. We emphasized our belief that it is important that every feasible step be taken by the Pakistan Government to end the conflict and achieve a peaceful accommodation. We declared our willingness to support any international humanitarian relief effort to alleviate the suffering caused by these events. We are already extending substantial relief assistance to many refugees from East Pakistan in India and are prepared to provide emergency aid to the people in East Pakistan when requested. We have also discussed these matters fully with the Government of Pakistan and continue to do so. With respect to particular points raised in your letter, I wish to assure you that reasoned views of this sort are given serious consideration by the Department, I believe the most useful way I can respond is to explain to you the positions which we have considered appropriate to take on various aspects of this complex and difficult problem in our foreign relations, and to mention some of the steps we are taking to meet it.
We are, of course, fully cognizant of the political, military and economic difficulties and dangers inherent in this situation, to which you have referred. As a Government, however, we have to be careful to avoid interfering in the domestic concerns of others just as we would not want them to interfere in ours. The U. S. Government, as you know, maintains diplomatic relations with the Government of Pakistan which exercises de jure and de facto control over both wings of the country. We have therefore, regarded the recent developments in East Pakistan as essentially an internal affair for the Pakistanis to work out for themselves. It is our earnest hope that we can, through our policies and actions, be helpful to all concerned in alleviating human suffering and contributing to a peaceful solution in so far as possible within normal diplomatic practice. Tragic as the loss of human life and destruction has been on both sides of this conflict, I agree with you that we must now focus on what can be done to help improve the situation in the months ahead.
With respect to economic assistance, our programs are designed to accomplish specific development objectives for the benefit of the people of recipient countries. They are not to be extended, or withheld for the purpose of exerting political pressure on other Governments. We regret that many of our aid activities have had to be curtailed in East Pakistan because of conditions there, and we hope to resume them as Soon or, circumstances permit. While we are carrying on existing programs where feasible in Pakistan, we are reviewing them to insure that established development criteria are being met. To the best of our knowledge, our economic aid has not been used to support the military actions of either side in the East Pakistan civil strife.
I agree with you that the highest priority must now be given to relief efforts in East Pakistan to alleviate human distress, avert the possibility of famine and create a climate in which peaceful conditions can be restored and progress resumed toward a political settlement. I can assure you that the U. S. Government has been active in promoting such a relief program. We promptly associated ourselves with the offer of international humanitarian assistance made by the Secretary General of the United Nations last month. We have urged the Government of Pakistan to accept offers of assistance from the international community. We are encouraged that President Yahya has informed Secretary General U Thant that he would welcome assistance from the international community and is currently assessing the needs in East Pakistan. We are following this matter closely, and on a contingency basis are inventorying resources which we might provide for such an international relief effort.
According to the best available information, food stocks in East Pakistan are adequate to meet expected needs for several months and additional supplies can be shipped as soon as port and inland distribution facilities permit. We are preparing with other interested countries to do what we can to help resolve the port and distribution problems so that food can be brought to the people who need it. We are also doing our best to provide assistance for the many refugees who have crossed into Indian territory. To meet immediate needs we have authorized three American voluntary agencies in India to draw on PL-480 Title II stocks in that country to help feed some, 300,000 of these refugees. We are also preparing to participate in an international relief effort being organized by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
As you have indicated, we have a continuing special interest in the relief and rehabilitation of the coastal areas of East Pakistan which were devastated by the cyclonic storm last November. In addition to our substantial PL-480 food grain assistance, much of which is still to be delivered, AID and a number of American voluntary agencies have extended help of various types for the rehabilitation of the cyclone affected area. Many of the programs contemplated were not able to get underway before civil strife broke out in East Pakistan. As soon as access can be gained to that area, we hope to resume the relief and rehabilitation programs already launched. We also hope to draw upon dollar and rupee funds that have been made available to initiate further programs in the area, on which negotiations have not yet been completed with the Government. Meanwhile, we are directing special attention toward getting food to the cyclone area as soon as the international relief effort in East Pakistan is launched.
Regarding military supply, our spokesmen have expressed our concern over the reported use of some American weapons in East Pakistan and we have done so privately to the Pakistanis as well. We have not funded the supply of arms to Pakistan since our military assistance program was terminated in 1965 and we have not sold any weapons to Pakistan since then. We have had a limited military sales program with Pakistan since 1967 for the supply of non-lethal equipment, and ammunition and spare parts for equipment previously supplied. We have been informed by the Department of Defense that no items under this sales program have been provided since the crisis began and that the question of military sales deliveries to Pakistan is being reviewed.
I enclose for your reference a compilation of statements on the East Pakistan situation made by the Department's spokesmen over the past two months. Also enclosed is a statement on the humanitarian relief efforts we are making, and are preparing to make, to assist the refugees from East Pakistan in India and the people in East Pakistan itself. I hope this information will be useful to you in understanding our position and the actions we have taken and plan to take with respect to the situation in East Pakistan.
Sincerely,
Christopher Van Hollen
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Near Eastern and
South Asian Affairs.
Enclosures:
1. Compilation of statements
2. Statement on humanitarian relief efforts.