Govt not sincere in implementing CHT agreement: Santu Larma
The government is not sincere in implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts peace accord, said Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, chairman of CHT Regional Council yesterday.
Three lawmakers from the region have been working against the deal, he said while addressing a press conference on the eve of the 14th anniversary of the peace treaty at the council office in Rangamati.
Main clauses of the accord have not been implemented and the socio-economic situation of the hilly people has not improved.
After the AL-led grand alliance was voted to power, the government, within more than three years' time, has only reconstructed the Peace Implementation Committee, reformed the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission and CHT Refugee Affairs Taskforce, and withdrown some 35 makeshift army camps along with a brigade from Kaptai, said Santu.
The accord, signed in 1997 by the pro peace-treaty Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) with the then AL-led government, brought an end to decades of insurgency in hills.
Santu said there is no alternative to solving the hill issues through proper implementation of the accord.
Replying to a query, he said anti peace-treaty United People's Democratic Front is a terrorist organisation.
Criticising Dipanker Talukder, state minister for the CHT affairs ministry, for making derogatory comment on PCJSS, Santu, chief of PCJSS, said three lawmakers from the hilly region including Dipanker are giving shelter to UPDF to destroy PCJSS.
Dipanker, in a press conference on Friday, said the political activities led by Santu Larma should also be banned if he demands for a ban on UPDF. Both pro and anti-peace organisations possess illegal arms, extort people and engage in abduction and killing, the minister said.
It is not PCJSS but those, who support the peace deal and have become frightened of terrorist activities by UPDF, took arms to save themselves, Santu said yesterday.
Santu added that pressmen in hills often give false reports about the conflicts between pro-peace supporters and UPDF men.
The PCJSS leader also demanded repeal of the 15th amendment to the constitution and urged the government to recognise hill people as indigenous.
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