12th Anniversary of CHT Peace Deal

Hopes high to finish the remaining task

1 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Shantimoy Chakma, Rangamati

Political as well as civil society leaders of indigenous communities in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) have demanded a specific roadmap from the government for full implementation of Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. Resenting 'non-implementation' of the peace agreement in the past decade, they also expressed dissatisfaction about slow pace of implementation of the peace pact during the current Awami League-led grand alliance government. The government authorities, however, claimed that many provisions of the agreement have so far been implemented and the remaining ones will be executed gradually as they are very sincere about its full implementation. Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) has taken different programmes, including rallies and discussions in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari to observe the 12th anniversary of the accord. This year the anniversary will be observed centrally in Rangamati. A discussion meeting will be held at 11:00am today on the premises of Rajbari Gymnasium in the town. As vital clauses of the accord remained unimplemented in the last decade, many incidents of communal clashes had taken place in CHT between indigenous people and Bangalee settlers, leaving five indigenous people killed, 316 injured, said a report published by PCJSS, adding that 16 indigenous women were raped during clashes. Besides, 625 houses were burnt and 698 houses of ethnic people were ransacked and looted allegedly by the settlers in different areas of Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts during the period, the report said. A total of 39,936 acres of land owned by indigenous people were acquired by the army in the name of setting up new camps and expansion of a brigade office in Bandarban, it added. However, situation of CHT has relatively improved after the present government came to power, indigenous leaders said. After assuming power, the present government has taken a number of initiatives including appointing the chairman of CHT Development Board from indigenous community for implementation of the peace accord. Lawmaker Bir Bahadur is now chairman of the board. Expressing his expectation that the present government will implement the peace deal, Sanjib Drong said, "I believe the government will fully implement the accord. However, it should declare a timeframe immediately for the work." The government should launch a massive campaign by including Bangalee political leaders, intellectuals, educationists, cultural personalities, journalists and indigenous people for successful implementation of the accord, Sanjib added. Ushatan Talukder, a senior PCJSS leader, said the acts of CHT Regional Council and three hill district councils must be amended to activate those local institutions. Mongal Kumar Chakma, information and publicity secretary of PCJSS, said one decade has passed after signing of the agreement. But the political, social and economic rights of Jumma people have not been established yet due to non-implementation of the peace deal. Mongal said suspicion now arises among the hill people for this reason. He stressed the need for a government's roadmap in this regard. "We see a positive sign as the present government has already taken several initiatives for full implementation of the deal," said Gautam Dewan, civil society leader and former chairman of Rangamati Local Government Council. State Minister for CHT Affairs Ministry Dipankar Talukder said, “We just have overcome the deadlock of past seven years. We have reconstituted all bodies -- Land Commission, peace accord implementation committee and Refugee Affairs Taskforce. The government is sincere to implement the peace deal. I hope we can finish the remaining work within the period of our government.” All pro-peace accord forces have to work together for this purpose, the minister added. After signing of the CHT agreement on December 2 in 1997, approximately 1,000 people were killed and 1,500 injured in violent clashes between the activists supporting the peace accord and their opponents, different sources said. Many people were abducted in the region during the period.