CHT Commission Feedback on Himal interview with former Brigadier General Hannah Shah
Himal magazine
Kathmandu
Nepal
Subject: Interview of Brigadier General Hannan Shah
In the October 2009 issue of Himal magazine, an interview of retired Brigadier General, Mr Hannan Shah was published. The interview was taken in view of the Awami League government’s August 2009 decision to withdraw 35 temporary military camps from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and predicted dire consequences of the withdrawal.
On December 2, 1997 an Accord was signed between the government of Bangladesh and the Parbattya Chattagram Jonoshonghoti Samiti (PCJSS), which ended an almost two-decade long armed struggle for autonomy for the region. According to Clause 17a of the CHT Accord “...immediately after the return of the JSS members to normal life, all the temporary camps of military, Ansar and Village Defence Party shall be taken back to permanent installations except the border security force (BDR) and permanent cantonments.” It further says in the same clause, “In case of deterioration of the law and order situation, natural calamity and such other works the army can be deployed under the civil administration like all other parts of the country as per relevant laws and rules.” The withdrawal of the camps is therefore in accordance with the CHT Accord. 200 camps were withdrawn between the signing of the Accord and the
taking up of power of the new Awami League government and in August 2009 the Awami League government announced the withdrawal of another 35 temporary camps.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, which was established to examine the human rights situation in the CHT, respects free expression of the media and respects the right of Himal to publish the interview of Hannan Shah. However, we would like to point out that the interview is a biased view of the problem in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and completely ignores the crisis being faced by the inhabitants in its historical context.
The CHT Accord was signed by the Government of Bangladesh and Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma (wrongly attributed by Hannan Shah to Manabendra Larma, his brother) on behalf of the PCJSS, the hill people’s political platform from which it had waged the political and military movement for the autonomy of CHT. Unfortunately, most of the provisions of the Accord remained either unimplemented or only partially implemented, thereby maintaining the CHT as an area characterized by severe human rights violations and militarization.
Ever since the government of Bangladesh started bringing in Bangalis into the hill tracts and settling them into land belonging to the Paharis (the indigenous people living in the hill tracts), there have been allegations of human rights violations directly by the army personnel and by Bangali settlers under army protection. Land disputes still remain the biggest problem in the CHT today. These issues have not been addressed at all by the interviewer or interviewee. The CHT Commission believes that all problems that exist in the CHT today need a political rather than a military solution. Beginning demilitarization of the region is a positive step towards a peaceful settlement.
In the recently concluded mission of the CHT Commission we spoke to several army commanders who confirmed that there would be no deterioration in law and order as a consequence of the army withdrawals.
The CHT Commission hopes that a responsible publication like Himal will publish a more balanced and objective report on the problems of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and not promote demonizing of an ethnic community that faces marginalization by vested nationalistic groups.
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| Eric Avebury Co-chair of the CHT Commission |
Sultana Kamal Co-chair of the CHT Commission |
Ida Nicolaisen Co-chair of the CHT Commission |
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