Dacca killings no football match: Yahya
PARIS SEPT. 1-President Yahya Khan has said: “What happened in Dacca was no football match …when my soldiers kill they do it cleanly,” reports Reuter.
In an interview published in the daily “Le Kigaro” here today the General said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ‘is in prison …. and alive” and “that one should just take my word for it.”
Asked about the brutality by Pakistani forces in East Bengal, General Yahya said: “ My Army is a professional Army and it is well trained. When one fights one does not throw powers”.
The General, however said he did not know which prison the Sheikh was in.
He said: “ I don’t know Does the President in France know where all the criminals are? If he is capable of knowing it, then you do not have many criminals in your country…. I have had enough to justifying myself. I have said he (the Sheikh) is alive and one should just take my word for it.”
He described the Sheikh as “minor fascist.”
Questioned on the situation in East Bengal the President said the border situation was not all calm.
“ As far as law and order are concerned everything is controlled by my Army except for certain border areas. And I can say I am still firmly decided to transfer the reins of Government to the people.
“I have banned the Awami League but I have not anulled the seats of the representatives of the province: I have chased out the traitors and chosen 89 deputies who will sit in the National Assembly. And even the border troubles will not deter me from going to the end of the democratic processes. The only condition I ask is that I be left alone.”
Questioned on the refugee issue, President Yahya said: “India is using the refugees as a political capital and a capital in itself. She is getting money from the UN. There are many ways to aid refugees. India has only asked for money and is preventing them form returning … the refugee problem is not an Indian problem, it is ours.”
He said the crisis in East Bengal had revealed that Britain was at the head of opponents to his country.
While lauding France and china for their roles he said he had suspicions as to the part played by several other in identified nations during the crisis.
“I want to warn the world that if the Indians imagine they can take any parcel of our territory without provoking a war, they are committing a grave error…. this will mean war , a total war that I hate. But for the defence of my country. I will not hesitate, “he added.
Asked why he banned foreign journalists from the theatre of operations in East Bengal. General Yahya replied: “I wanted to protect them. When one starts a military operation of this size one does not know the end result. I acted as a soldier and not as an easy-going politician. Finally I regret it.
“If a few journalists had been killed by the Awami League, it would have been very use full for me since one would have then spoken of the atrocities committed by the Awami League” he added: UNI adds: The Pakistani military regime today claimed that only two million people had left East Bengal in the wake of the Army crackdown of March.
The figure, mentioned in an Islamabad communiqu and quoted by Radio Pakistan, , is the largest yet given out by the regime.
According to figures released by the Government of India 8.28 million refugees had arrived in India from Bangladesh so far.
The communiqu said the figure was based on census operations conducted recently. It was not explained how the authorities had worked out the figure from census data.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 2.9.1971