WASHINGTON POST, OCTOBER 17,1971
PAKISTANI PLIGHT ‘DESPERATE’
By Anthony Astrachan
United Nations, October 16. There has been some Progress on humanitarian relief in the East Pakistan crisis but none on the political and military sides, according to U. N. sources, and the situation remains “desperate.”
Forty-seven speakers in the annual U. N. general debate that ended this week called for political reconciliation, but none moved to put the problem on the agenda of the General Assembly or the Security Council.
U. N. officials suggested two causes. One was collective fatigue from involvement in Chinese representation, the Middle East conflict and other was fear of involvement in a great-power conflict. Secretary General U Thant urged the Security Council to take action on this “potential threat to peace and security” last August. Private consultations showed soviet backing for India and American leanings toward Pakistan, and the council refused even to endorse Thant’s expression of concern.
India estimates that 9.3 million refugees had fled from East Pakistan to India as of October 11 Pakistan puts the refugee figure at 2 million U. N. officials are reckoning relief supplies in terms of 6.5 to 8.5 million refugees, with thousands more crossing the border every day.
According to diplomats here and foreigners in Dacca, prerequisites for the return of refugees are a representative government in Dacca, an end to police and military terror in East Pakistan, and more effective efforts by the Pakistan government to repair the damage of the crisis.
The same sources say these prerequisites have not been met despite promises of amnesty and the revival of political life by president Yahya Khan.
In these circumstances, the return of refugees is too small to be called a trickle, according to sources here.
Observers here recently repeated fears that general war would break out between the two countries. At the same time they point out that India has so far refused to do either of the things most likely to precipitate a war, perhaps because of restraint from the Soviet Union. It has refused to give de jure recognition to the Bangladesh government in Calcutta on Indian soil, and it has refused to give the guerrillas the logistic support and air cover that would enable them to seize a piece of East Pakistan territory.
The Indians have apparently armed and trained the guerrillas. The guerrillas mukti bahini have severed the main rail line in East Pakistan. Every week they blow up roads and bridges Frogmen have damaged foreign ships in East Pakistan harbors and craft that ply the Province’s waterways.
This prevents relief supplies from reaching needy Pakistanis. The guerrillas have not attacked U. N personnel or facilities, but appear determined that relief activities should not appear to support the Pakistan government, according to U.N. officials on the scene. Sine food is often distributed through schools; this may soon make local food and education authorities prime targets.
U. N. reports emphasize the cooperation of the Pakistan government in relief programs. Yet when the U. N. East Pakistan Relief Operation (UNEPRO) wanted to bring portable radios in to make it possible to communicate with field agents and keep track of relief supplies, both civil and refused permission. They expressed fear that the mukti bahini would capture the radios.
U. N. officials have had to take over transport dispatching and supervision of vehicle maintenance themselves, but UNEPRO has been able to put only 14, of the 90 U. N. personnel in East Pakistan permanently in the field.
Martin Woolacott of the Manchester Guardian reported from Dacca that only 30 of the 100 trucks UNEPRO had brought in to carry food had left the part of Chittagong because roads to most areas were not usable. He reported that only five out of 17 coastal vessels and seven out of nine “minibulders” had arrived but U.N. officials here claim all have reached Hast Pakistan.
The Indian government insists it can manage its own relief efforts without foreign help-except for funds. IJ.N. officials report that in refugee camps they were allowed to visit food, and shelter materials were getting to, the people though sanitation was terrible.
Officials are suspicious, however that things are worse in areas they were not allowed to visit. Some cite examples to show that the problems are the same in west Bengal as in East Pakistan. For instance, the Indians failed to provide the drivers and maintenance men promised to keep. 1,000 U.N. supplied trucks operating.