Letter of Protest against Massive Communal Attack and killings by the Bangladesh -army and Bengali settlers of Baghaihat area in Rangamati, Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh on Feb-19~20, 2010
Dated: February 24.2010
To:
The Prime minister of the peoples` Republic of Bangladesh
Honorable Prime Minister,
We are very deeply concerned to learn through the Bangladeshi News-media and reliable sources that a massive communal attack in Indigenous Jumma people by the Bangladesh-army and Bengali settlers took place in 10 villages of Bhaghaihat area under Sajek Union of Rangamati District on the 19th and 20th February 2010. The gruesome attack has resulted to the death of 7 Jummas, missing of several others including Ven.Punabas Bhikkhu ( a Buddhist monk) and burning down of two hundred Jumma houses including a Buddhist Temple (Banani Bana Bihara Temple) and a Christian Church. The brutal attack rendered thousands of Jumma indigenous people homeless. The fascist attack on the Indigenous Jumma people that perpetrated both by the Bangladesh Army and the Bengali Settlers have surpassed the limit of barbarism human society ever experienced in the era of civilization.
Excellency prime minister,
we are very much worried and concerned that the Bangladesh Army have been directly involved in killing and all forms of human rights abuses in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and particularly they had been involved behind the communal attacks on Indigenous Jumma people in Sajek area for the past few years in order to implement the governments` blue print of settling Bengali people as a plot to evict the Jummas from those areas. Retrospectively, on 20th April 2008, the Bengali settlers with the direct support and backings of the Army of Baghaihat military-zone attacked 7 villages of indigenous Jumma people in which at least 76 houses of indigenous villagers were completely burnt to ashes in the same area. The news of the incident was well published in the media. The local Indigenous Jumma people and civil society groups very often sought Government intervention to safeguard the Jumma people from such communal attacks. But, so far no such fruitful intervention could pave its way to solve land disputes and protect the Jummas living in the area. On the other hands, Bangladesh army have distorted the fact and always been operative against Jumma on the pretext of fighting with so called Jumma-terrorist group.
Your Excellency prime minister,
We are aware of your commitment to solve and resume peace and human rights of the Jumma people of Chittagong Hill Tracts that you have given through your election-manifesto. But your election Manifesto has again proved to be contradictory in terms of Human Rights violations in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Thus your Government has failed to protect the rights of the Jumma People. We strongly protest against continuous human rights violations perpetrated by the Military and the Bengali settlers in the CHT against the Jumma people. We condemn you for your failure to uphold your commitment. Hence forth, we urge and Appeal you to take the following measures for the protection of the rights of indigenous Jumma people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
1) To conduct Judicial investigation of the incident and to send a Parliamentary team to enquiry the incident;
2) To Immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the Bengali settlers and Military personnel
responsible for the incident and to provide with due compensation for the all Jumma victims of the army and settler-attack
3) To stop expansion of Bengali settlement and withdraw both Bengali settlers and the temporary army camps from l entire Chittagong Hill Tracts.
4) To stop de facto military rule ‘Operation Uttoran’
5)) Ensure full autonomy in the CHT
Sincerely,
Jumma People`s Network-Korea (JPNK),