many documents I have cited, have led to the present chain of gruesome events in East Bengal. Until late in March this year our hope was that these man-made difficulties would be removed by taking into account the freely expressed wishes of the East Bengalis. But this was not to be the entire democratic process was reversed and a military campaign was launched to wipe out the political consciousness and activities in East Bengal. In broadcast statement on March 26 the President of Pakistan said, among other things:
“I have decided to ban all political activities throughout the country. As for the Awami League it is completely banned as a political party. I have also decided to impose a complete press censorship. Martial law regulations will very shortly be issued in pursuance of these decisions.”
In this context I should like to draw the attention of the Committee to the main provisions of the Declaration of Human Rights, a document fully accepted by Pakistan. Article 3 of this Declaration reads: “Everyone has a right to life, liberty and security of persons". The repressive measures adopted in East Bengal have denied this right. Article 5 reads: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, in human or degrading treatment or punishment”. The reports which have appeared in the international press prove conclusively that this right has been flouted. Provisions of article, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 have similarly been brushed aside. I could, Mr. Chairman, select any document relating to Human Rights to which Pakistan has given its support in different degrees and show without a shadow of doubt that almost all its principal provisions have been broken.
The wild destruction of life and property of the people of East Bengal who belong to different ethnic, linguistic and cultural background, by the West Pakistani army has been in contravention of Article 2 of the Convention approved and proposed for signature and ratification by the General Assembly on 9th December, 1948 [Resolution 260-A-(III)] Pakistan is a party to this Convention without reservations. Similarly the declaration of Martial Law, with its most stringent regulations which could inflict death penalty almost on any East Bengali who does not strictly adhere to their draconian severity, has extinguished freedom of opinion, freedom of association and other freedoms which have been considered fundamental by the United Nations.
Article 3 of the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949 deals with protection of civilian life in conflicts not of international character. It specifically prohibits violence to life of any person in particular, murder of all kinds, mutilation cruel treatment and torture. It also forbids outrage of personal dignity in particular inhuman and degrading treatment. It further bans “the passing of sentences and the carrying out executions without previous judgment pronounced by regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensible by civilized peoples”. All these provisions of the Convention have been callously violated. It is strange that Government of Pakistan have not even paid the slightest heed to the appeal made in this regard by the International Commission of Jurists. I should like to read to the committee texts of their telegrams. The telegram of April 2, 1971 states:
