Speech #920111013

I would like at this point to emphasize an important premise that underlies the Presidents program. It is unfortunately a premise that has not been adequately recognized in much of the discussion on this floor. All of this assistance is based on the view that one cannot approach this problem by dealing only with the refugees in India. Legislation has been proposed in this Chamber to provide $400 million in assistance for refugees in India. That is welcome. and there will be serious discussion of how best to help those people. But that proposal makes no provision at all for dealing with the root of the problem in East Pakistan. Everyone agrees that we must help the refugees in India. That is not an issue. Anyone who tries to make an issue of it reveals a narrow. onedimensional approach to the problem. The problem of the refugees is only one part of a larger problem. It is woefully shortsighted to talk only about them. If we were to concentrate only on their relief. we would almost certainly assure that they would become permanent refugees. and we would probably assure that their number would increase. I. for one. could not be party to a policy which in effect doomed millions of people to a permanent life as refugees and made no realistic provision for at least trying to create conditions which might permit them to return home. and allay conditions which would create still more of them. Of course. we want to help the refugees. and the President has requested substantial funds for that purpose. But it is the situation in East Pakistan that will determine whether there is an additional flood of refugees or whether conditions will develop which will encourage some of the present refugees to return to their homes. If there is famine in East Pakistan. certainly none of the present refugees will return and. worse yet. millions more people may flee their homes. That is why the Presidents program provides not only for the refugees in India but also seeks the means to alleviate suffering and avert famine in East Pakistan. This is a broad and balanced humanitarian approach to the whole problemnot an ideologically inspired half solution. Second. let me address the general posture of our Government toward the situation in South Asia.