738 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড President. He had discussed Pakistan's intended decisions on the return of the refugees and how these could be implemented. He had then gone to Dacca where he had seen the East Pakistani authorities. He had gone to the east and west borders and seen some of the reception centers and had assessed the chances of people returning and the role of the High Commissioner for Refugees regarding voluntary repatriation. The High Commissioner stressed this word "voluntary". He said it was fundamental to the role of his office that no refugee should be returned to a country from which he had tied or where he feared any persecution. Repatriation had to be free and voluntary. He said he felt very strongly as did the Indian Government and the International Community that the best solution was return of the people to their homes provided conditions allowed this to take place. Prince Sadruddin said the Indian Government had stressed that the refugees could not stay in India. The generous assistance was being given on a temporary basis. There was no question however of their rehabilitation in India and they could not be considered people who would remain in Indian territory. Therefore he continued he had had to examine purely on a humanitarian basis with Pakistan the modalities of the return of the refugees. He had received the full cooperation of the East Pakistan authorities. He said that in the Helicopter in which he had travelled over the area he had been able to ask the Pilot to change course frequently and to go to areas not in the original plan. The helicopter had been Hedgehopping and he had been able to see people cultivating their paddies and in the markets people were selling and buying products. In these parts he could see that life was slowly returning to normal. However he said he could not vouch for all parts of Pakistan since he did not go to all parts. He said that he had also seen villages in which houses had been burnt and traces of the unheaval. He did not see large deployment of troops or concentrations of people moving in any direction. He had travelled in a helicopter which was clearly marked as being belonging to the Pakistan army. Villagers came out to wave and had not scattered at their approach. Children came out and waved to the helicopter as they would do anywhere. The High Commissioner said he could not however claim to give any guarantee for the overall situation in East Pakistan. He could say that the reception centre he saw were well equipped and staffed by Civilians with medical supplies and there seemed to be a well organized infra structure to prepare for the voluntary return of the Refugees. However while the building of Reception Centers the Declaration of an Amnesty an appeal by the Pakistan President for return were excellent these were not enough perse to bring about the return of refugees. In all cases of refugees he said what brought people back was a political solution. He was certain that Pakistan would also agree that this was the case.
