Delhi, Aug 16
Senator Edward Kennedy, who has just completed a five-day fact finding tour of the East Bengali refugee camps, said today that he was now convinced that the Pakistani Army had committed genocide in East Pakistan.

The senator, who was addressing a press conference in Delhi, also indicated that he did not believe that the refugee problem could be resolved within the present framework of a united Pakistan.

Although he refused to outline his ideas on a political solution the senator said that the refugees would only return to East Pakistan in the context of a political solution under which Shaikh Mujibur Rahman is released. But in reply to another question the senator went on specifically to declare that the overwhelming number of refugees want to free themselves of West Pakistani rule.

Surprising his Indian hosts the American senator did not mince words to condemn the international community's inaction and his own government s decision to strengthen the West Pakistanis with military assistance.

He also spoke out strongly against President Yahya Khan's decision to put Shaikh Mujibur Rahman on trial. “The only crime that the Shaikh is guilty of is that he won an election. The trial is an outrage and travesty of every concept of international law”, he said.

After assessing the magnitude of the problem Senator Kennedy said he would return home in an attempt to place the situation in East Bengal in the forefront of United States policy.

Mr Kennedy, who was obviously emotionally moved by the plight of the 7.5 million refugees in India said that he had failed to understand American policy on the subcontinent.

“The United States’ interests do not lie in strengthening the regime in Pakistan but the administration is best able to supply its reasons for such a policy. But it baffles me and on any fair judgment the reasons are singularly unpersuasive. It is difficult to understand it”, he said.

Referring to the costs of accommodating the refugees Senator Kennedy said that the financial burden on India was overwhelming. While he was pleased that the United States had contributed more aid than the rest of the world put together it was obvious that the international community would have to do more to assist India.

He promised his Indian hosts that when he returned to America tomorrow he would do everything possible to persuade President Nixon to cut off both military and economic aid to Pakistan.


Delhi, Aug 16.—There were conflicting reports today about whether the trial of Shaikh Mujibur Rahman had begun.

In Delhi a Pakistan High Commission spokesman said that he “presumed” the trial had begun because he had heard “nothing to the contrary”.

But in Karachi unconfirmed reports said the trial had been adjourned because Shaikh Mujib had refused to defend himself, arguing he was guilty of no crime. – AP, Agence France Presse.