Action Plan


1. Establishment and role of a Follow-up mechanism.

The Conference should appoint representatives of the Jumma community, Bangladeshi organizations and the international NGOs community to coordinate the follow-up of the Bangkok Declaration.

The role of this mechanism will include:

A- coordination of dissemination and promotion the Declaration;
B- monitoring the outcome of the negotiations between the Bangladesh and the JSS;
C- keeping the conference participants informed of negotiations and related developments, possibly through creating a computer communication system;
D- fostering and strengthening the international network of support for the Jumma peoples;
E- raise funds in order to optimally ensure the necessary follow-up to the Declaration.

Until a long-term solution is to be found, the coordination of the follow-up mechanism will be entrusted to the Asia Pacific Human Rights Facilitating Team, based in Bangkok.

2. Dissemination of Declaration

a. within Bangladesh

a.1. Follow-up mechanism to appoint, and if necessary, resource, a delegation to present and explain the declaration to (a) the Bangladesh government and (b) the JSS, and to ensure that the Declaration is circulated as widely as possible to the media, MPs, NGOs, Agencies, diplomats, the Bengali Community in Bangladesh and the Jumma communities home and abroad (including the refugees);

b. international

b.1. Follow up mechanism to ensure dissemination of the Declaration to (a) the Bangladesh Aid Consortium (b) multi-lateral donors (c) international development and human rights NGOs and (d) UN bodies including the Working Group on Indigenous Population, UNDP, UNHCR and others, (e) the Government of India, and (f) transnational corporations active or interested in exploiting natural resources in the CHT.

b. 2. All Conference participants to provide the Declaration to government, media, development and human rights NGOs, indigenous organization and any other interested or involved in their own country, and, upon coordination by the follow-up mechanism, in those countries not covered by the participants.

3. Promotion of the content of the Declaration

The following action should be undertaken;

a. by all:

a.1. organization of workshops, media attention and any other awareness-raising activities;
a. 2. encourage international media to report on the situation in the refugee camps, especially with regard to an television documentary to be made
a.3. support UN adoption of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

b. by the follow-up mechanism

b.1. organization of a debriefing in Dhaka, with participation of those represented at the Dhaka pre-conference preparatory meeting, and those Bangladesh who were not able to attend the conference

c. by Jumma organizations

c. 1. investigate violation of the cease-fire agreement, and inform the international community on such violations
c. 2. lobby members of the Bangladesh Aid consortium, prior to its next meeting, in order to promote the implementation of the Bangkok Declaration.
c.3. lobby UNHCR and ICRC, humanitarian and women's organizations, and all other NGOs to visit and provide assistance to the Jumma refugees in India
c. 4. ask Bangladesh NGOs to become involves in promoting and implementing a resettlement program
c.5. Campaign for Bangladesh to ratify ILO 169 and the UN Convention against torture, international Covenant on political and civil rights, the Covenant on the economic and social rights and other human rights instrument
c. 6. lobby international donors to fund resettlement program
c. 7. explore the possibility of an alternative report on Indigenous rights in Bangladesh to be considered by the ILO
c. 8 explore the possibility of lobbying and moving a resolution in the UN Commission on Human Rights and its Sub-Commission
c. 9. monitor development aid that is going to Bangladesh and the CHT and lobby for this aid not to negatively impact the Jumma peoples
c. 10. campaigns to be developed toward transitional corporations that exploit natural resources in the CHT, without the informed consent of the Jumma peoples

d. by [Bengali] Bangladeshi organization

d. 1. ask Bangladesh NGOs to become involved in promoting and implementing a resettlement program
d. 2. set up awareness-raising activities in Bangladesh in order to create the necessary space for support to be given to the recognition of the rights to regional autonomy of the Jumma peoples
d. 3. campaign for Bangladesh to ratify ILO 169 and the UN Convention against torture, international Covenant on political and civil rights, the Covenant on the economic and social rights and other human rights instruments
d. 4. dissemination of possible amendments to the Bangladesh constitution which could guarantee the recognition of the rights of the Jumma
d. 5. lobby international donors to fund resettlement program
d.6. explore the possibility of an alternative report on indigenous rights in Bangladesh to be considered by the ILO
d. 7. explore the possibility of lobbying and moving a resolution in the UN commission on Human Rights and its Sub-Commission
d. 8. monitor development aid that is going to the CHT and lobby for this aid not to negatively impact the Jumma peoples

e. by Indian organizations

e. 1. campaign towards the Indian government to improve services, allow agency access, freedom of movement, refrain from forceful repatriation, etc...
e. 2. lobby UNHCR and ICRC, humanitarian and women's organizations, and all other NGOs to visit and provide assistance to the Jumma refugees in India

f. by International organizations:

f. 1. lobby members of the Bangladesh aid consortium, prior to its next meeting in April 1997 on the implementation of the Bangkok declaration
f. 2. lobby UNHCR and ICRC, humanitarian and women's organizations, and all other NGOs to visit and provide assistance to the Jumma refugees in India
f. 3. set up campaigns against the arms trade and training of military personnel
f. 4. publicize the violations of the cease fire agreement
f. 5. lobby international donors to fund resettlement program
f. 6. ask Bangladesh NGOs to became involved in promoting and implementing a resettlement program
f.7. lobby the European commission to convey to the Bangladesh government the willingness of the European union to fund a resettlement program
f. 8. campaign for Bangladesh to report on indigenous rights under ILO 107, and lobby the appropriate ILO committee
f. 9. explore the possibility of an alternative report on Indigenous rights in Bangladesh to be considered by the ILO
f. 10. explore the possibility of lobbying and moving a resolution in the UN Commission on Human Rights and its Sub-Commission
f. 11. support Jumma NGOs to get access to international funding for human rights activities, economic development and other socio-cultural programs
f.12. monitor development aid that is going to Bangladesh and the CHT and lobby for this aid not to negatively impact the Jumma peoples
f. 13. campaigns to be developed toward transitional corporations that exploit natural resources in the CHT, without the informed consent of the Jumma peoples

Jumma Peoples Alliance jummapeoples@sprint.ca