TASS

AS the situation on the Indian subcontinent aggravates, Peking propaganda produces one anti-Soviet statement after another. In the last three days alone there have appeared a Hsinhua statement, an article in the Jenminh Jihpao commenting on the Tass statement, and Chou En-lai's interview with the British Sunday Times. If we add to this the series of anti-Soviet and anti-Indian statements by the Chinese representative at the United Nations Organisation, this will give an idea of the scale of rabid anti-Sovietism in Peking.
Peking propaganda slanderously insinuated that the conflict between India and Pakistan is due to "Soviet incitement" and that the Soviet-Indian Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation is "a means in the hands of India to unleash armed aggression."
Contrary to facts and logic, Chinese propaganda and the Chinese leaders distort the truth, misinform the Chinese people and try to sow discord between the Soviet Union and other countries.
At the same time Peking totally ignores the unanimous support given by East Pakistan's population to the Awami League at the elections in December 1970. Totally ignored is the struggle of the East Pakistan's population for autonomy, for elementary civic rights and freedom, the breaking off by the Pakistan Government in March this year of the talks with the League's leaders, the arrest and trial. of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other leaders of the Awami League, the mass repression and terror against the population of East Pakistan by the authorities and the Pakistani army. Peking propaganda did not say a single word in defence of the millions of East Pakistanis who had to abandon their homes and flee to India in fear of cruel suppressions and killings.

Whitewashing Repression

Pursuing its egoistic aims, Peking propaganda embarked on the road of whitewashing the mass repression and terror of the Pakistani authorities against the population of the eastern part of the country, on the road of protecting the sanguinary suppression of the peaceful population of East Pakistan. Contrary to known facts, it is contended in articles that have appeared in Peking that the problem of the East Pakistani refugees was allegedly created by India's "subversive activity and propaganda".
In their propaganda the Peking "defenders" portray the genuine representatives of East Pakistan's population as "splitters of Pakistan", and those who commit arbitrary acts against East Pakistan's population as "advocates of the people's interests". Small wonder, therefore, that during the discussion on the situation in the Indian subcontinent, the Peking representative at the Security Council objected to inviting the representatives of East Pakistan's population to the Security Council's meetings and hearing their opinion. Together with the American representative, the Chinese delegate at the United Nations voted for the US draft resolution which does not meet the interests of East Pakistan's population, of peace and security in this area.
Accusing India of "enticing" ten million East Pakistani refugees to flee from their country, the Chinese propaganda, in corroboration of its contentions about the refugees, refers to the 1959 uprising in Tibet when, as stated by Jenminh Jihpao, "tens of thousands of Chinese residents" had fled from Tibet to India. Thus Peking propaganda has again exposed itself. It seems that not everything is smooth in China itself, as well as in the circles in whose defence it comes out, if "tens of thousands" Chinese and millions of Pakistani citizens had to flee for political and other reasons to neighbouring countries to seek refuge.
The fierce anti-Sovietism of Chinese propaganda in connection with the Indo-Pakistani conflict, its attempts to justify the mass repression and terror let loose by the military authorities in East Pakistan, the suppression of the movement for freedom and civic rights—this is further proof that the Chinese leadership couldn't care less about the fate of the national-liberation movement and the interests of anti-imperialist struggle. In effect, it joins up with the opponents of this struggle.
Acting in concert with imperialism's forces, the Maoist leadership tries to distort the Soviet Union's clear position in connection with the events in the Indian subcontinent. This position is well known: the Soviet Union resolutely comes out for the speediest ending of the bloodshed and a political settlement in East Pakistan on the basis of respect for the lawful rights and interests of its people.
(TASS, December 8, 1971)