NEUES DEUTSCHLAND, EAST BERLIN-DECEMBER 9, 1971
RESPECT THE WILL OF THE BANGLADESH PEOPLE
The war on the Indian sub-continent, by which millions of people are affected, is continuing in all its acuteness. The world public is alarmed about the bloodshed and also the people of the German Democratic Republic watch the conflict with great concern. Now, as before progressive forces the world over demand a political settlement of the Bangladesh problem.
With this demand as a basis, the U. S. S. R. spoke before the United Nations, and with this demand as a basis, the U. SS. R. Prime Minister expressed his views during his visit to Denmark. There, he repeated that “for the relaxation of tension on the Indian sub- continent, it is necessary’ first of all to eliminate the dangerous inner political crisis which arose in East Pakistan as a result of mass, reprisals of Pakistani authorities against the population”.
The Yahya Khan regime was well aware of the fact that the flood of refugees and their persecution up to Indian territory would entail grave problems for India. That is why Pakistani authorities prepared for armed conflicts and unleashed the war……