21 years on, core issues unsolved
The Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) yesterday alleged that the government had been working against the Jumma people and the Hill Tracts Peace Accord, instead of implementing its core conditions.
Although the accord was signed to peacefully and politically solve the situation in CHT, two-thirds of the treaty had remained unimplemented even after 21 years of its signing, it said.
“So, the problems in the Chattogram Hill Tracts were not solved,” Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, president of PCJSS said at a press conference at a hotel in the capital.
About the upcoming election, he said the Jumma people were being repressed while the election was around the corner.
“Such a condition is not suitable for a free, fair, acceptable and participatory election,” Santu said, alleging that drives against their organisation's activists had intensified after the polls schedule was declared.
PCJSS organised the briefing marking the 21st anniversary of the accord signing on December 2, 1997.
The government and PCJSS, on behalf of the Jumma people living in CHT, signed the accord for restoration of peace in the region, ending a two-decade long insurgency.
Reading out a written statement, Santu said although the Awami League government came to power in 2009, it had not taken any “visible steps” to implement parts of the treaty.
The government claimed that 48 out of 72 sections of the treaty were fully implemented, but Larma said the actual number was only 25.
He said the government did not amend the law related to CHT in line with the peace accord.
The CHT Regional Council and three CHT district councils were established to introduce a special ruling system in the hilly districts but that did not take any organisational shape, he said.
The government did not take any step for the election of the district councils instead recruiting the ruling party and unelected people, he alleged.
The CHT Regional Council Act was not made functional and left as a worthless body, Santu, also the chairman of the council, said.
He said the "controversial" provisions of the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001 were amended in 2016 but rule of procedure was not enacted, thus halting execution of the act.
He added that while the CHT Land Commission was established, it did not have sufficient manpower and funding and thus not a single dispute over land was resolved in the last 21 years.
He said at least 20 communal attacks had taken place since the signing of the accord and 11 of them were carried out during the tenure of the present government.
“The main purpose of all those attacks was to drive away Jumma people from their land and exterminate them," he said.
Larma said the overall situation of CHT had become critical and the extent of the repression of Jumma women had increased to alarming levels recently, with perpetrators enjoying impunity.
More than 500 Jumma people from four upazilas of Bandarban left the country for Myanmar due to lack of security, he added.
He alleged that a negative propaganda had been launched against the democratic movement going on for the implementation of the treaty.
Replying to question, Larma said whoever came to power after the election had to implement the treaty to solve the problems in CHT.
Oikya Nap President Pankaj Bhattacharya alleged that CHT was now being “governed by an anti-treaty force.”
“…I think the anti-treaty forces in the government and the state are getting powerful day by day.
“I think a conscious effort is on to make the treaty ineffective, which is regrettable,” he added.
Dhaka University Prof Mesbah Kamal said there was a gradual decrease of political will to implement the accord and urged people to be united against the repression against the Jumma people.
Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and rights activist Numan Ahmed Khan were present at the briefing.
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