B : U.K. HOME : YAHYA MEN ATTACKED OUR OFFICES
WEST PAKISTAN troops attacked British Council offices during their operations against East Bengali rebels, Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home disclosed yeasterday.
No casualties were sustained but Sir Alec said Britain already has advised President Yahya Khan’s Government it would claim compensation for the damage.
Britain intended maintaining a hands-off policy in the crisis.
“Everyone abhors violence,” Sir Alec told the House of Commons. “The President was faced with a situation, as we understand it. In which his country might be divided into two. We must allow other countries to deal with their affairs whithout intervention.”
Overspilling
Behind this formal non-interventionist posture, however, British authorities have been consulting urgently with other friendly governments. Out of these exchanges with fellow members of the Southeast Asian and Central Treaty Organisations- Seato and Cento- a common attitude has emerged.
Pakistan’s allies will attempt for as long as possible to treat the trouble as a problem internal to Pakistan.
But the perils of the crisis overspilling into neighbouring India have not been overlooked. There have been some highly confidential communications, involving Britain, the United States, India among others- designed to head off any possible outside intervention.
Abhorrence
A former Labour Cabinet Minister, Mr. Peter Shore, urged Sir Alec at one point during the exchanges in Parliament to express Britain’s abhorrence to the Pakistani Government at what he called “the brutality and repressive measures” being taken against the East Bangalis.
sir Alec insisted however, comment at this moment would not help.
The British Council is a state-sponsored body assigned to promote an apprectation of British culture and values in foreign lands.
Reference : The Straits Time, 31.03.1971