Longing for lasting peace: CHT violence leaves around 2,000 still hiding in Baghaichhari forests

Source: The Daily Star News

An indigenous woman gathers burnt rice from the ground where her house used to be before Bangalee settlers set it on fire Tuesday last. The photo was taken yesterday at Satbaiyapara in Khagrachhari. Photo: StarEmran Hossain, back from Baghaichhari

Over two thousand adivasis were still hiding in deep forests in Baghaichhari yesterday, although a peace process had begun in the ethnic violence torn hill districts of Khagrachhari and Rangamati through formation of peace committees, and bringing out of peace marches.

"Let peace return, we will return home. I haven't heard yet that normalcy has returned, and we all are staying in the jungle. We don't feel that peace has returned," Kishore Chakma told The Daily Star over the phone last evening, whose house was set on fire by Bangalee settlers.

In Baghaichhari of Rangamati around 1,500 adivasis became homeless as their 357 houses situated in Rethkaba, Surunala, Jarulchhara, Hazachhara, Deepu Para, Dane Bhaibachhara, Bame Bhaibachhara, Gangaram Mukh, Naya Para, and Panbari villages were set on fire by Bangalee settlers. All of them fled to the forests in search of safety.

Many other adivasis fled as well, fearing similar attacks.

Around 100 houses of the settlers were also set on fire by adivasis in retaliation, in the same villages, making around 400 Bangalees homeless.

"We want to return home, but we are afraid. If the government ensures our safety we will return home right at this moment," said Bhanga Chakma on Wednesday, coming out of hiding to get government relief distributed by Rangamati district administration at Gangaram Mukh.

"We are living under trees in forests where we think it is safer. We don't have a single penny in our pockets, as we left our houses only with the clothes we were wearing. I had only 600 taka as my savings inside the house, but that was burnt in the fire," said Sujan Chakma of Gangaram Mukh over the phone yesterday.

Many adivasi families got separated as they fled to the forests. Many survivors do not know where there family members are. Some do not even know where their injured relatives had been admitted for treatment, whether they are still alive or not.

"We don't know how he is in the hospital. We can't go there, but heard at first he was admitted to Baghaichhari Hospital and then transferred to Khagrachhari Hospital," said Shantimoy Chakma over the phone yesterday, younger brother of Bharat Jyoti Chakma who had taken a bullet to the leg on February 19.

Not a single house is standing in the affected villages of Baghaichhari except some charred wooden pillars.

From hill tops, the villages look like ugly black spots in a lush green landscape. Banana orchards were also not spared, they now look like they were trampled by herds of wild elephants.

The River Kasalong also seemed lifeless on Wednesday, as bamboos cut down by the adivasi people for transporting to Karnaphuli Paper Mills, remained abandoned and floating on the river for miles, since the people who would transport those had gone into hiding.

"I wonder whether I should go back to Mizoram or somewhere else far away from this place, since I have been repeatedly made homeless here," said Hridoy Ranjan Chakma, a 68-year old resident of Gangaram Mukh, as he looked at his burnt down house on Wednesday.

Hridoy lost his first home at Mainee of Rangamati in 1979 in a similar riot and fled to Mizoram. He lived in Mizoram until 1997 when the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Treaty was signed.

After the signing of the treaty he returned to Gangaram Mukh where he had grown up, thinking finally peace would be established on the beautiful hills that he loves so much.

But his dream was shattered when he lost his house once again to ethnic violence in 2008. And this month he lost his home for the third time.

Hridoy is now hiding in a forest, and thinking hard whether another self exile instead of a dream to live in the homeland would be a wiser choice for him.

Video Report on Sajek Messacare 2010: Attack against Indigenous people of CHT, Bangladesh

Civil society rallies round ethnic people

Source: The Daily Star News

Civil society members yesterday gathered on the Central Shaheed Minar premises in the capital raising their voice against the recent aggression by Bangalee settlers towards the indigenous people of Rangamati and Khagrachhari hill districts.

Addressing a gathering organised by Nagorik Samaj (citizens' forum), they warned that the atrocity is a threat to democracy and the state.

Demanding punishment of the perpetrators, speakers also emphasised the need for settling land dispute terming it the main cause behind the hill district crises.

They also demanded immediate implementation of the CHT Accord, constitutional recognition to indigenous people, cancellation of land leases in the hills, protection and compensation for the affected families.

A series of clashes between indigenous people and Bangalee settlers started on February 19. The six-day violence claimed three lives and injured 70 while more than 500 houses were set on fire, over 400 of which belonged to indigenous families.

Even Buddhist temples, church, mosque and schools were not spared from the arson attack.

The brutality displaced 3,000 adivasis and 500 Bangalee settlers from their homes.

Justice Golam Rabbani in his speech said whenever the nation steps in to build a democratic society, it faces obstacles from fascist segments.

Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon described the incident as a scheme planned to foil the peace process in hill land. He blasted the role of military and local administration for their failure to ensure security of indigenous people. He also stressed the need for activating the land commission and resolving land dispute.

Lawmaker Hasanul Haq Inu insisted on immediate parliamentary-level inquiry to find out how such atrocity took place in presence of army.

Raja Debashis Roy, chief of Chakma Circle, questioned the army presence in the hill districts and also pointed to their inactivity during the fight.

He also said the attack on indigenous people is a blow to democracy, religious forbearance and ultimately, the state sovereignty.

The protest meeting was followed by a procession that circled the Dhaka University campus.

Expressing solidarity with the cause, Pankaj Bhattacharya, presidium Member of Gono Forum, Rokeya Kabir, president of Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha, cultural activist Ali Zaker and Mamunur Rashid, Shirin Akter, chairperson of Karmojibi Nari, Prof Anwar Hossain, Prof Dalem Chandra Barman, Prof HKS Arefin, Prof Mesbah Kamal, Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Prof Robayet Ferdous, Dr Sourav Sikdar, Ajoy Roy of Sammilito Samajik Andolon, Sharif Jamil, joint general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, Rekha Chowdhury of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad also addressed the meeting among others.

Protest Action against Bhagaihat and Khagrachari in JAPAN

Source: Midori Matsuda's Photo album from facebook

The Jumma Peoples Network in Japan, World Jumma Voice and Jumma Net did take action together on 25 Feb 2010 in Tokyo, Japan. About 30 people joined this action and 1 newspaper journalist also came together.

The silence protest procession started from Meguro station toward the BD Embassy in the Meguro town.

Representatives of 3 organizations had a meeting with the secretary in the Embassy. We talked about these violences and incidents in Bhagaihat and Khagrachari now. And hand over the appeal letter for PM Sheik Hasina. He received it and wrote receive sign on the letter.

After that, this secretary man went to the outside and met with all jummas who were waited during this meetng in front of the Embassy. they could talk and appealed directly for a few minutes .

Before that meeting , the participants had the gathering in the park where next to Embassy and made some speechs and stood in silence for a minute pray for all jumma victims.

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Ominous signs in the hills

Source: The Daily Star News

The recent clashes in Baghaichari in Rangamati and Khagrachari are not a law and order issue and would need more than investment of security forces to quell the situation. It has to do primarily with the way progress has been made in implementing the CHT Accord. It will be fair to say that in the 12 years of its signing till 2009, which includes more than four years of the AL rule, and the five years of the BNP's, except for some superficial actions, very little worth the mention has been done.

From time to time through this column we have been trying to underscore the dangers if the state did not, or could not, deliver completely and timely on its commitment to the people. And when there is inordinate delay or the main party resorts to subterfuge and excuses in fulfilling the provisos of an agreement disappointment is bound to manifest, and it does so in many forms. We Bengalis tend to forget the position we were in not long ago and what our reaction was to the Pakistan government not living up to its promises.

As for the current spate of violence in the area, there is very little doubt that whatever may be the immediate cause of the recent clashes, the Tribal-Bengali divide, as well as parochial positions on the Accord of different groups, has been exploited by the vested elements with ulterior motives. An unstable CHT perhaps serves their purpose.

What long years of lack of serious action in implementing a pledge does is that it gives time and means to those opposed to it to strengthen their position to derail the plans. And that is what the long 13 years interregnum, between signing of the agreement and now, has done. Those tribal groups opposed to the CHT Accord have got plenty of fodder to depict the non-fulfillment of the agreement, for whatever reasons, as lack of government's honesty in this regard. Likewise, the Bangalees opposed to the accord have been able to garner more support in the last 13 years for their cause.

What we see happening in the CHT is not only disturbing, it also portends sinister development in the area in the future, if not addressed immediately. Everything boils down to the question of why it has not been possible to execute all the points in the accord? What area the difficulties in implementing those and how can the impediments be removed. And in this regard I, for one, find it difficult to doubt the sincerity of a party that penned the accord, in implementing it.

The AL government since its assumption of office in January 2009 has taken substantive measures to start the process of implementation. However, it should be abundantly clear that all the provisions of the accord cannot be fulfilled overnight, like the work of the land commission, and some of the provisions may need a re-look at the constitution. And this is where the government has not been proactive enough, to identify the possible impediments and devise ways to overcome them.

We all have a stake in permanent peace in the hills. It must be admitted that both the parties in the accord have displayed great deal of flexibility in arriving at an understanding. The original demand of self-rule had been toned down by the PCJSS although not to the satisfaction of all the tribal groups; nor have all the clauses of the Accord been acceptable to all the plains people.

However, there are few things that influence positively on the Accord implementation. For one thing, no major political party is opposed to the idea of peace in the CHT, and given that the BNP, in spite of its call to scrap the Accord in 1997, having neither reviewed nor cancelled it during its term of office, has demonstrated its political obligation towards implementing the Accord.

The fact is that all the governments since 1985 had taken initiative for a political solution of the problem, and it just so happened that the regional and international security and geopolitical circumstances worked towards arriving at a compact in 1997. While nobody should claim exclusivity of the credit of the Peace Accord, on the contrary it would be to discredit of all if it were to fall through

One thing must be made abundantly clear to all which is that the solution does not lie in taking up arms, as some tribal student leaders were seen threatening to do recently, or by use of force. And if Mr. Shantu Larma has been threatening to take to the hills, from time to time since 2004, it is only to be expected because it his credibility as a leader that will be at stake if the compact falls through.

And it must be made clear too that is the there is no alternative but to implement the agreement. If there is need for a review, it should only be done with the participation of all the stakeholders. There is more than personal credibility that is at stake.

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan ndc, psdc (Retd) The author is Editor, Defence and Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star.

Over 100 tribals arrested in Bangladesh: Visiting Home Minister urged to stop impending violence

Source: ACHR PRESS RELEASE

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) accused the Bangladesh government of only arresting people from the tribal communities. About 100 indigenous tribal peoples including 40 from Khabhampujjya area under Khagrachari district were arrested on the eve of the visit of Home Minister Sahara Khatun in the district.

Yesterday, on 23 February 2010, around 75 persons, mainly tribal people, injured and 70 houses, mainly belonging to tribals, were reduced to ashes after the illegal plain settlers attacked a peaceful demonstration by the United Peoples Democratic Front. One plain settler Anwar Hossain was also killed.

“The arrest of only Jummas under Khagrachari district is not an isolated event. After the massacre of the Jummas on 19-20 February 2010 under Rangamati district, the only people arrested were the Jummas who had sustained bullet injuries in the firing of the Bangladesh Army and when they went to obtain medical treatment at Baghaichari hospital.” Stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights.

The Asian Centre for Human Rights stated that there are serious biases of the law enforcement personnel and the government of Bangladesh has failed to uphold the rule of law and the principles of equality and non-discrimination.

The Asian Centre for Human Rights fears that more violence on the indigenous peoples will occur today as procession with the dead body of Anwar Hossain has been announced.

The non-implementation of the CHTs Accord of 1997 and continuing appropriation of the lands of tribal peoples are the root causes of the ongoing violence. The Asian Centre for Human Rights called for a judicial inquiry to be completed within 90 days into the killings and destruction of properties at Sajek and other districts; conducting an assessment of the properties lost and provide proper resettlement and rehabilitation to the victims; termination of “Operation Uttaran” that authorises the military presence; withdrawal of all the military personnel to the cantonments as provided in the CHTs Accord; stop all progranmmes relating to the implantation of illegal plain settlers on the lands of indigenous Jumma peoples in the CHTs; and fully implement the CHTs Accord of 1997 within specific time frame. [Ends]

Attacks on indigenous Jummas spread to mainland Bangladesh: ACHR PRESS RELEASE

Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR)

PRESS RELEASE

The attacks on indigenous Jumma peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has spread to mainland Bangladesh. At 7.00 pm Bangladesh Standard Time today i.e. 23 February 2010 indigenous Jumma peoples at Oxygen area, Chittagong were attacked by the plains peoples. While many Jummas live in the area, many were waiting to catch buses for Rangamati and Khagrachari district.

Earlier, a procession of the members of the Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) was attacked at Narikul Bagan area, Khagrahcari district by the youths belonging to the illegal plain settlers who began pelting brickbats at the procession. The PCP activists tried to resist but had to retreat. About 50 indigenous Jumma students were hurt.

Thereafter, illegal plain settlers entered Mahajonpara and Milanpur villages under Khagrachari and burnt down many houses belonging to indigenous peoples.

Asian Centre for Human Rights has been informed that the houses of the following indigenous peoples were burnt down by the illegal plain settlers:

1. Jhikkya Chakma
2. Kandara Chakma
3. Kandara Chakma
4. Parimal Chakma
5. Bir Bikram Tripura
6. Babuya Chakma
7. Prabhangshu Chakma
8. Lucky Chakma
9. Pipa Chakma

Inside Khagrachari government school area, the settlers burnt down the quarters of Pika Talukder, Milan Chakma and Tapasi Chakma.

In Narikul Bagan area adjacent to Mahajonpara the settlers targeted Jumma shops and burnt down Sonny Rang's shop and looted the shop of Priya Kumar Chakma and vandalized and looted Ziran Hotel and Bain Textile owned by Jummas. The illegal plain settlers also damaged and looted the house of Mr Tatul Chakma.

The illegal plain settlers also burnt down a students’ hostel Shanti Niketan.

Although army has been deployed following the imposition of section 144, the Bengalee illegal settlers are still roaming the streets in groups holding sharp weapons and sticks.

An estimated 20 to 25 shops belonging to Jummas at Panchari station near Mahajonpara were set afire. Jummas also set fire to a few Bengali shops at Khezur Bagan area.

At 5:15pm Bangladesh Standard Time, the settlers burnt down more houses in Satbheiyapara. Incident of arson has also been reported from Datkuppya.

At 6.00 pm Bangladesh Standard Time, the settlers started burning down MSF para under Sajek Union under Rangamati district.

At 6.00 pm Bangladesh Standard Time, the settlers attacked the indigenous Jumma villages at Dighinala Sub-Division under Khagrachari district.

Three journalists have also been injured. They are Altaf Mahmood of ATN, Mong Sha Prue of Desh TV and Bhorer Kagoj and Dillip Chowdhury. [Ends]