A struggle of historic signific-
ance for. democratic rights and
freedom against a bloodthirsty
oppression without equal is tak-
ing place at this moment on the
part of the people in what used
to be called East Bengal, then
became East Pakistan, but
whose representatives, in face
of the denial of their demand
for autonomy, and the bloody
terror let loose against them,
have now proclaimed the Peo-
ple’s Democratic Republic. of
Bangla Desh. In face of the
challenge of this situation demo-
cratic opinion needs to be al-
erted everywhere to the horrors
which are being perpetrated
against the people by the armed
forces of the feudal-military
dictatorship of General Yahya
Khan, dominating West Pakis-
tan; the massacres which have
already led to over one million
{mow over four million — ed.)
refugees, according to the In-
dian Government’s statement,
fleeing to India, with the expec-
tation of millions more; the im-
minent menance of mass star-
vation unless rapid international
aid is forthcoming; and at the
same time the justice of the
struggle for democratic free-
dom, in face of this brutal op-
pression, which has found ex-
pression under present condi-
tions in ‘the proclamation of the
People’s Democratic Republic
of Bangla Desh.

AA
Bengal: Centuries-old viction
nt Esmpepalien
La

Bengal has long been, since
over two centuries ago, the spe-
cial target of British imperialist
oppression, plunder and devas-
tation. From the establishment
of the rule of the East India
Company in the middle of the
eighteenth century the systema-
tic and ruthless plunder turned
in a few decades the once pros-
perous region into a desert of
impoverishment and famine. In
the following century the im-
pact of the textile products of
the industrial revolution in Eng-
land bleached the plains with
the bones of the ruined hand-
spinners and weavers.

In the first decade of the
twentieth century Lord Curzon,
as Viceroy, imposed partition
on Bengal, and the national re-
volt of the Bengali people
against this proved so over-
whelming -that within a few
years the partition had to be
cancelled. Finally, in the mo-
ment of the victory of the natio-
nal struggle for independence,
the partition that was simul-
taneously imposed in the name
of religious division (a most un-
realistic approach in face of the
intermingling of religions
throughout India, resulting in
hideous communal conflict and
bloodshed at the moment of in-
dependence) led to the estab-
lishment of an extremely arti-
ficial structure in the state of
Pakistan, with a thousand miles
dividing its two parts, the
Western part or minority sec-
tion dominated by the Punjabi
big landowners and wealthy fa-
milies, and the Eastern part or
majority section, established in
what was formerly East Bengal
with mainly a very poor peas-
ant population.

Colonialist Exploitation
of East Pakistan

From the outset East Pakis-
tan was treated as-a colonialist
appendage of the feudal-mili-

tary clique oni wealthy families

centred in West Pakistan. The.

chief economist of the Pakistan
planning commission reported
in 1968 that 22 rich families in
Pakistan owned 66% of its in-
dustrial assets, 79% of insur-
ance and 80% of its banking
assets. While the jute export of
East Pakistan, with a population
of 75 millions, provided the
main source of revenue and
foreign exchange for Pakistan,
it was West Pakistan, with a
population of 58 millions, which
received 70% of the imports,
70% of foreign aid, monopol-
ized 85% of the central bureau-
cracy and 90% of the army.
While the poverty of the people
in East Pakistan was shown in
one of the lowest levels of in-
come per head in the world,
fourth-fifths of the central gov-
ernment’s development expen-
diture was concentrated on
West Pakistan, with the devel-
opment of industries in the
west using raw materials from
the east, and 20 times as much
was spent on agricultural de-
velopment in the west as in the
east. It has been against the
conditions of extreme exploita-
tion and oppression that the peo-
ple of East Pakistan, who have
had long traditions of democratic
struggle, have conducted in face
of repression and illegality and
imprisonment of leaders their
tenacious striving for democratic
rights and economic and social
advance bound up with the aim
of true self-government.

Birth of Bangla Desh

The sharp social and political
division and instability of the
whole structure in Pakistan has
been shown in the succession of
military dictatorships. After ex-
tending unrest had led to the
fall of the corrupt regime of the
dictator Ayub Khan in 1969,
popular pressure increased in
strength, many political leaders
were released from prison and
the promise was extracted for
the holding of elections for a
Constituent Assembly; and these
elections took place in Decem-
ber 1970. Although the military
dictatorship of General Yahya
Khan maintained the ban on the
Communist Party and Socialist
and Marxist parties, the people
of East Pakistan sought to ex-
press their wishes by rallying to
the candidates of the Awami
League, which, while proclaim-
ing itself a bulwark against
communism, put forward a pro-
gram of autonomy for all the
nationalities in Pakistan in a
Federal Pakistan, where the
functions of the central govern-
ment would be confined to fore-
ign affairs and defense.

The electorate of East Pakis-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1971—PAGE 6

tan returned 167 candidates of
the Awami League out of their
total of- 169 representatives,
thus constituting a majority of
the Constituent Assembly for
the whole of Pakistan. If this
Constituent Assembly had been
allowed to meet a constitution
could have been drawn up along
these lines. But General Yahya
Khan held up the meeting of
the Constituent Assembly, and,
when a general strike followed
in protest against the postpone-
ment of the Constituent Assem-
bly, General Yahya Khan let
loose a holocaust of massacre
and destruction against the
civilian population of East Paki-
stan and the very weakly armed
liberation forces, using against
them all the resources of the
most modern artillery, bombing
planes and tanks. It was in face
of this denial of their democra-
tically expressed desire for

autonomy, and brutal military
assault to defeat their democra-
tic striving that the popular
representatives proclaimed the
People’s Democratic Republic of
Bangla Desh.

ty with the People’s
Liberation Struggle

The calculations of the im-
perialist commentators show
already their fears that the re-
public of Bangla Desh may
prove a powerful factor affect-
ing the whole future in South-
ern and South-East Asia; and
the more extreme commenta-
tors (Economist, April 10) even
conjure up visions of the pos-
sible emergence of a ‘United
Bengal’ which would ‘displace
Pakistan as the world’s fifth
most populous country’ and be-
come ‘a potential third commun-
ist giant.’ These are hypotheti-
cal speculations. The reality is
the just struggle of the people
in what is now the proclaimed
republic of Bangla Desh against
the most brutal repression and
to establish their most elemen-
tary rights. The question of
recognition of the Government
of Bangla Desh is necessarily a
state question involving ques-
tions of state relations. But
democratic opinic 1 everywhere
needs to mobilize support fo.
the just freedom struggle of the
people in this key region of the
world . .

(Labour Monthly, June, 1971)

“The broad base of the Greek people support the regime!”’

— Secretary of Stal#

=

U.S. support for Junta gro :

The criticism of U.S. support
for the junta has continued,
especially since the official re-
sumption of military aid to the
Greek dictatorship.

In a statement made in the
House of Representatives on
the occasion of Greek Indepen-
dence Day, May 25, Congress-
man Mikva said, “For Ameri-

“cans, the grimmest part of the

tragedy of Greece is our Gov-
ernment’s support for this brutal
military junta . . . (that) not
only carries with it the official
blessings and moral approval of
our Government for this cruel
military regime where political
prisoners are tortured and
where many have died, but. also
this military aid strengthens the

junta’s grip on the Greek
people.
“The U.S. is providing 45

million dollars to ,a military
government which maintains
strict controls on freedom of
speech, on the right to organise
and join political parties and
on a free press ... We have
provided Greece with more than
4 billion dollars in foreign aid
since 1946. Twenty years and 4
billion dollars later Greece

Our struggle continu?
say Korean journalis?

The Canadian Tribune has re-
cently received a letter from the
Central Committee of the Kor-
ean Journalists Union on the
occasion of the month of joint
Struggle for the withdrawal of
U.S. occupation forces from

South Korea (June 25-July 27). -

The letter expresses deep
thanks for the active support
and solidarity given over the
years to the Korean people and
journalists in their struggle
against American occupation of
South Korea and for the inde-
pendent, peaceful unification of
the country.

During the 18 years since the
end of the Korean war, the
Government of the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea has
continually advanced proposals

{if
ent?
stands without a repres

government.”

ened
Conditions have wos? i
several of the wome? ne
opponents of the Be 4
were not freed put sen el aor
pelo? of
Those ill include former We
deputies, :
Thanasekou an
dou (whose husband ai ye '
a political prisoner
ago.) iv wit
Very sick prisoners aKo8 é
include: Gregory aS io al |
Professor Karagiors o
CORFU Prison, argyt®
in CHALKIDA Pris0”

Reports from Athens; es
and other regions © ni
show that a close Wa”
ing kept on politica %
recently freed. They nel
new arrests and tha
tary trials are beiN& “onl |
Inhuman conditions wert if
for the scores wh cet
freed from the orn Pe
camps or are still hel to °
All reports combine stil
that the regime iS Stic
lessly pursuing its P
ponents.

for achieving the unifict
North and South |
Korean eop a
“without Poe outside 12
ence,” and by peace
The first step is the occu
of the American :
army in the south.

All such propos an
rejected b
meas | nee nt
of South Korea.
dares speak abou
fication in South
ject to imprison
and execution. “oe

asi!

The letter ends byt ace!

all efforts for the Fag ,
fication of that vount {10

withdrawal of va du

supported, especl@\% y
coming month.

a
ie ea

menh :.

=