Urgent Appeal regarding Discrepancies between the CHT Peace Accord and the Rangamati Hill District Local Government Council 　

12 November 1998
Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister,
People's Republic of Bangladesh

Urgent Appeal regarding Discrepancies between the CHT Peace Accord and the Rangamati Hill District Local Government Council (Amended) Act, 1998

Dear Prime Minister,
We wish to congratulate your government for the signing of the historical peace accord with the PCJSS last year, to end more than two decades of civil strife in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. We appreciate the concerted effort and determination that was required to bring about this breakthrough despite interference from the opposition and a long negotiation process. It is our fervent wish that this accord will become a foundation for lasting peace, justice and prosperity in the CHT, and contribute to the progress of your nation as a whole.

In order that the accord may achieve its objective, it is essential that all of its provisions be implemented fully and without delay. In this regard, we are very concerned to learn that the Rangamati Hill District Local Government Council (Amended) Act, 1998, one of the laws which were passed this May in order to effectuate the provisions of the peace accord, contains some serious discrepancies with the contents of the peace accord. In particular, the peace accord's definition of a "non-tribal permanent resident" as a non-tribal person who "possesses land legally in the Hill District and generally lives at a certain address in the Hill District"(Section B, Article 3) has been changed in the amended Act as follows: a non-tribal "who possesses land legally in the Hill District or generally lives at a certain address in the Hill District." This would make settlers who do not legally own land in the Hill Districts eligible to vote in the Hill District Council elections, legitimizing their stay in the Hill Tracts.

The PCJSS and all sectors of Jumma society have emphatically and repeatedly called for removal of this and other discrepancies, which contradict the spirit of the accord. Shortly after passage of the Act, your government promised PCJSS leaders that the amendments necessary to remove these discrepancies would be made at the next budgetary session of parliament, and when this did not happen, it was again promised that the amendments would be made in the Parliament session from November 5th.

We earnestly appeal to your government to amend this law to eliminate all discrepancies with the peace accord during the current Parliament session, as a clear sign of your government's sincerity and commitment to the peace process. This would galvanize support for the accord, creating an atmosphere of harmony and cooperation in the CHT. As Japanese non-governmental organizations / individuals concerned about the issues of indigenous peoples, we will continue to pay attention to the implementation of the peace accord, with the wish for its successo and for lasting peace and prosperity in the CHT.

Sincerely,

Yoshihiko Murata
Japan Committee on CHT Issues
3-35-13-204 Higashi Komatsugawa, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 132 Japan

Endorsed by the following organizations/individuals:
ABE, Ryu-ichiro
Postgraduate of Tokyo University
AbeR@sir.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

AOYAMA Tadashi
Peace Net Project
3-37-3-303 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Tetsu Hakoda
Kobe University Graduate School
3-D Takehara Bldg., 2-4-3 Yamato-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Japan

Yuta Harago
Japan-Brazil Network(JBN)
102 Ohashi Bldg., 1-16 Sakuma-cho, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0002

The Japan Citizens' Coalition for the UN International Decade of the World's Indigenous People
c/o Aoki, 1521-1-201 Ogura, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan 211-0954

Manabu Kitaguchi Banaban Heritage Society Japan (Rev)
948-1-1897-206 Koh-ya, Matsudo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan

Hamako Kitta and Shoichiro Koide Citizen Action of Yamanashi for Peace
Sakaigawa Higashiyatushirogun,
Yamanashi 406-0853 Japan

Kazumi Mazane
Survival International Japan Network
16-20 Matsuhama-cho, Okayama-shi, Japan

James McDonnell
Conference Interpreter
3-8-1 Nishi-Ayase, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120 Japan

(Mr.)NOMURA Tamio
1-40-3, Kamitakada, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164-0002, JAPAN

Kyoko Ohtani, Takeji Ohta and Tatsue Sato
Ethnic Concert Organizing Committee
3-29-1-301 Kami-Jujo, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Rev. Shincho Shigeta
Ayus, Buddhist International Cooperation Network
3-4-22 Kiyosumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135 Japan

SHIGENORI TAKEDA
NATIONARTRUST?CIKORONAI---THE FOREST OF AINU?SISAMU COOPERATION
6-2-6 Imagawa, Higashi-Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka-shi 546-0003 Japan

Noriyuki Ueda
Department of Value and Decision Science
Tokyo Institute of Technology
2-12-1 Ookayama, Setagaya, Tokyo, 152-8552 Japan

Hideaki Uemura
Shimin Gaikou Centre
3-35-13-204 Higashi Komatsugawa, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 132 Japan

Sakaru Ueno
Aoi Sora no Kai (Blue Sky Society)
4-6-16 Chizuka, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi, 702-8038 Japan

Mihoko Uramoto
Sarawak Campaign Committee
2nd Floor, Mejiro Bldg., 3-17-24 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0031 Japan

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