Editorial

Implementation of CHT peace accord

Remove the bottlenecks

THE plights of the indigenous people are being continually expressed. And one of the main reasons for that is the non-implementation of the CHT Accord signed in 1997. The indigenous people remain deprived of many of their basic rights. So much so, that the treaty actually seems to many like a 'deception' on the part of the government.
The question is what is or are the impediments to the implementation of the Accord? If it relates to the Constitution then the issue should be addressed urgently. The High Court verdict of April 12-13, 2010, which found that the CHT Regional Council Act violated some articles of the constitution, was stayed by Appellate Division in March 2011. The CHT Peace Accord is at present under the Appellate Division's stay order.
The accord was formed in the hope of bringing peace to the hill tracts, which had suffered from violence and insurgency since independence. The root cause of hostility remains land, its ownership and occupation. The land commission formed over a decade ago to settle land disputes has all but failed. The amendment to the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act is still waiting to be passed by the parliament.
'Deception' is a strong charge to make against the government, but, until and unless the CHT Accord is implemented in full, and its people ensured their basic and cultural rights, doubts will remain regarding the sincerity of the government both at the time of signing the treaty and now.