TNAG-0883-FCO40-1093-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 33

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By 1974 the main Baluch groups had united to form the Baluchistan Peoples Liberation Front (B.P.L.F.). This was to co-ordinate the armed rosistance and to relieve the hardship suffered by the people. In four massive winter offensivos from 1973-77, the Pakistan army devastated the tribal areas. Crops and grain stores were burnt, hundreds of thousands of livestock woro captured and then killed or sold to Iran. Womon and childron especially suffered in the wanton, indiscriminato helicoptor attacks and artillery bombardments. Thousands of poople wore in concentration camps and jails where everybody was invariably tortured. (At the hoight of the military offen- sives thore wore 30,000 Baluch prisoners in Pakistani jails.)

It was during the war that thousands of families had to floe the mountains. About 25,000 people fled into the rost of Pakistan. Economically ruined and constantly being hunted and harassod by tho polico and army intolligence, thoy okod out a miserablo life in Sind and Punjab doing add labouring jobs and constantly moving to avoid arrost. A total of 4,700 rofugees flod to Afghanistan with just the clothes on their backs. Another 5,000 people flod to the Gulf and Saudia Arabia.

At the time the first rofugoos ontorud Afghanistan during the winter of 1974-75 tho Daud rogimo gavo thom a minimum allowanco of wheat and sholtor. However as moro rofugoos camo over, the Daud govornmont rofused to recognise thom or holp thom in any way. Thus for somo yoars tho BPLF had to boar tho burden of fooding those rofugoos. By oarly 1978 the Daud rogimo had worked out a settlomont with Iran and Pakistan, whoroby ho would rocoivo oconomic aid in oxchango for throwing out the Baluch rofugaos and forcing thom to roturn to Pakistan. Tho rovolution in Kabul in the spring of 1973 upsot this programmo. The now government in Kabul has recognised tho rofugoos and doos not intend to throw tham out by forco. Howovor at the same time, duo to the hardpressed situation in Afghanistan, the now governmont has not boon in a position to fulfill the noods of the Baluch rofugoos.

The situation in the Baluch rofucco camps in Afghanistan

Thoso 4,700 rofugoos are split into two camps. One at Kandhar and ono in tho foothills close to Kalat (Qualat) which is tho Kabul-Kandahar road. rofugoo population comprisos of about 40% childron, 35 womon and 25% mon. For three years the Front was having to food 1000 of thoso rofugoos out of its own resources, bocauso the Afghan govornmont undor Daud was giving nothing. Howovor, the now government is giving a basic allowance to all the refugoos. Evory adult receives about £5 a month, and childron receive half that amount. Thoy are entitlod to somo whoat and sugar at governmont controlled prices but not all, for their monthly noods. Othorwiso this allowance has to fulfill tho noods of all food, clothing, wintor covoring, firowood, building matorials

It is far from adequato, especially whon one considors the high pricos of everything in Afghanistan whoro almost ovarything has to be importod including basic itoms like whoat, sugar, matches, cloth otc.

Housing: Initially the government gavo a fow tonts to the rofugoos, but they woro nover adoquato or roplonishod. Tho rofugoos have had to build thoir own mud huts at thoir own axponso, to combat tho vory long and SOVOTO wintors. Warm covoring is almost non-oxistant and tho majority still sloop with simplo cotton shoots. (The chadr)