Govt urged to ensure rights of indigenous people

29 September 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The Human Rights Forum for Universal Periodic Review (UPR-HR Forum) yesterday called upon the government to take effective measures to ensure the rights of the country's indigenous people. The forum officials made the call at its monthly meeting yesterday, said a press release. The latest constitutional amendment, which termed all the people including indigenous as Bangalee, goes against the sprit of pluralism of ethnicity and multiculturalism, said the forum Convener Sultana Kamal. It undermines the fundamental rights of those who are not Bangalee by ethnicity and cultural identity, she added. She also urged to repeal this amendment and demonstrate equal respect to the citizens. The government has violated its election pledges of giving constitutional recognition to the indigenous people, said the forum officials. Their other demands included full implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, immediate resolution of land dispute of indigenous communities and withdrawal of all army camp from the CHT. The UPR-HR Forum is an alliance of 17 non-government organisations working for promoting human rights.