http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/dec/04/04122003mt.htm#A2

Unrest in CHT deepens

NURUL AMIN, CHITTAGONG

Dec 3: The situation in Chittagong Hill Tracts region is becoming tense as the Parbattya Chattagram Janasanghati Samity (PCJSS), the signatory to the CHT Peace agreement signed on December 2, 1997 has already enforced its agitation programme demanding full implementation of the accord.

The blockade programme in all three hill districts of the CHT was successfully observed yesterday with the spontaneous participation of the tribal people.

Besides, PCJSS has declared a day-long hartal in three hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari on December 8 next. PCJSS has warned that tougher action programme would be taken from January next if the government did not proceed to implement the Peace Accord signed six years back.

On the other hand two tribal rival groups are confronting each other.

The two main political organizations of the region, Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) and United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) are opposing each other.

PCJSS, the main signatory to the peace accord is demanding full implementation of the agreement. On the other hand the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) is demanding full autonomy of the CHT by scrapping the peace accord.

Now the CHT crisis has been worsening day by day following the agitation programme of two organisations against the government in the one hand, and their internal conflict on the other.

After long two decades of tribal insurgency in the three hill districts of the CHT, signing of Peace Agreement in 1997 eased the situation remarkably. But the failure of the concerned party to implement the peace accord disturbed the peaceful atmosphere in the region.

Killing, abduction and other criminal activities in the CHT have alarmingly been increased following this political turmoil.

Nine hill villages including Babupara, Sawmill Para, Pahartali, Kerenganal, Ramesu Karbari Para, Lemuchari, Noa Para, Bhuyatek and Thalipara of Mahalchari upazilla of the Khagrachari district were allegedly gutted down by Bengali settlers on August 26 this year.

Sources said, various armed organisations and armed wings of political parties of the hill people are reported to have organised a special force and imparting training to their hard-line activists in the remotest areas of the CHT.

The two main political parties of CHT, Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) and United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) blamed each other for the underground training activities.

Sources said, several top leaders of JSS had left their organisational posts in the seventh congress of JSS held in November last year. Sources said these leaders went under-ground and started to reorganise the armed wings of the party.

The major political party of hill people, JSS started to organise the arm wing which they said "Shanti Bahini" recently, local people alleged.

On the other hand, JSS and local people alleged that the UPDF was providing the underground-armed training at hill areas. Several hundred activists have already been imparted training with modern sophisticated arms.

Besides, the UPDF has been demanding full autonomy of the CHT and clashed with their arch-rival JSS resulting in the killings during the last four years. Prashit Bikas Khisha, former leader of the JSS formed the UPDF formally on December 26, 1998. He accused the JSS chief Santu Larma of deceiving the hill people through signing of the peace agreement. The UPDF leaders also urged the hill people to boycott the JSS leader Santu Larma for conspiracy against hill people, sources added.

According to sources, a total of 35 persons were killed, around 120 persons abducted and more than 140 persons injured this year. Around 32 incidents of clashes between two main political parties, Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) and United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) had occurred during this year. Besides, the miscreants were engaged in gun battle with army and police for 11 times in the current year. Around 31 times in this year, the armed cadres of both JSS and UPDF set fire to tribal villages and markets of remote hilly areas of CHT.

Many tribal people were killed, thousands of houses were burnt, fighting continued since 1975, after the autonomy movement began at CHT.

The agreement was signed on December 2, 1997 in Dhaka between the national committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts constituted by the government and the Parbattya Chattagram Janasanghati Samity.