Protect CHT ethnic minorities

Faced with extortion from criminals who demanded protection money from Chak families to continue to live in their ancestral homes in Naikkhyangchhari upazila of Bandarban is an alarming development. The question is how these gangs are operating with impunity in grabbing, looting and basically terrorising the Chak families into leaving their homes. There are some 109 Chak families in the locality who are now in fear of being evicted from their farmlands, and this apparently is not an isolated incident. We find it perplexing to see that the local officials have not even bothered to visit the villages where these gangs are operating.

There will always be certain groups in the locality which will take advantage of the vulnerability of the indigenous people in the CHT, but it is for the state to provide them security and help them enjoy the same rights as all others. What has happened with the Chak community shows a level of apathy of the local administration, especially in light of the fact that tensions have existed in the Naikkhyangchhari area ever since the signing of the CHT Peace Accord in 1997.

The local police refused to take any action as no complaint had been filed. It is precisely because of such apathy that sets the stage for unscrupulous business quarters to hire goons to go after vulnerable communities. We demand action against these gangs of looters and land grabbers because no one wants unrest to ferment in the hills.