CHT deal not implemented in 19 years [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

CHT deal not implemented in 19 years

Local December 02, 2016

Major features of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord remain unimplemented even inside 19 years of its signing allegedly because of the subsequent governments’ indifference to the implementation of the deal.
There is no progress so far in the establishment of political and constitutional rights and land rights of the hill people, withdrawal of all temporary military camps from the hill districts – Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari – and rehabilitation of refugees as stipulated in the 1997 deal.
The delay in implementing the accord in its entirety has piled 15,969 applications from aggrieved people for resolution of land disputes before the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission.
The commission, ineffective CHT Accord Implementation Committee, CHT Regional Council, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban Hill District Councils could neither establish peace in the hill tracts nor bring any change to the life of the hill people.
Hill tracts-based regional parties and rights activists questioned government’s sincerity in implementing the accord
Denying the allegations, ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and CHT affairs minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, secretary Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura said that the government was cent per cent sincere.
‘Each and every issues of CHT Peace Accord will be materialised before the next national election,’ said Obaidul Quader, also road transport and bridges minister.
‘The government had already implemented 75 per cent features of the accord,’ claimed Bir Bahadur, adding, ‘the rest are in the process of implementation.’
Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti president Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, widely known as Santu Larma, also the regional council chairman, who signed the deal with the government on December 2, 1997, however, alleged, ‘In fact two-thirds of the features have yet to be implemented.’
Without taking effective steps to implement the accord, the government is propagating falsehood, said Santu Larma.
The accord between the PCJSS, the political wing of the armed Shanti Bahini, and the government was signed ending 22 years of guerrilla warfare.
Establishment of political, constitutional, land and economic rights, withdrawal of all temporary military camps including Operation Uttaran, rehabilitation of refugees and other major features of the accord still remain unaddressed, Santu added.
Hill people alleged that the government amended hill district council laws only to tighten its grip on the three hill district councils as part of its anti-accord activities.
Ethnic minority leaders alleged that the government transferred hill people in the police to plain lands and engaged army in coordinating law and order situation in the region keeping regional council and district councils ineffective.
They alleged that hill people’s common lands had been leased out by the government to influential people ignoring their traditional land rights.
According to the accord, 33 government responsibilities have to be handed over to the three hill district councils.
The CHT affairs ministry claimed that the government had handed over 30 of the responsibilities to the councils, while hill leaders alleged that only 17 tasks had so far been transferred barring the law and order and land management.
The hill leaders alleged that successive governments continued to appoint partisan people to the regional council and district council without holding elections to the bodies in violation of the accord.
The accord said that all temporary military camps in the hill tracts would be withdrawn, but the government had so far withdrawn only 65 of about 500 camps, said PCJSS organising secretary Shaktipada Tripura.
Hill people said that at least 15,969 applications from aggrieved hill people for resolution of land disputes before the land commission.
‘Government is propagating falsehood regarding implementation of the accord in order to confuse people in home and abroad,’ said Santu Larma.
It proves that the government is not interested in establishing political, economic, social and cultural rights of the hill people, he added
United People’s Democratic Front senior leader Sachib Chakma termed the accord incomplete and deceiving and said that the government was indifferent to the implementation of the incomplete accord and lacked political will.
There are no peace and security in CHT. Arrest, harassment, torture, rape, land grabbing, communal attack have become daily chores. None can protest these as there are no democratic right for anyone in the region, he said in a statement.
When asked Bir Bahadur said that all those were political speech. He urged all to work united leaving behind ‘blame game’ for prosperous CHT.