http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/dec/09/09122003pl.htm#A1
STAFF REPORTER
The main tribal organisation in Chittagong Hill Tracts Jana Sanghati Samity enforced a dawn to dusk hartal in the region yesterday amid escalating tensions.
The Jana Sanghati Samity called the hartal to press for full implementation of the CHT Peace Treaty signed in 1997 and withdrawal of army camps from the region.
Tension ran high in the three hill districts centering the hartal.
The authorities beefed up security deploying additional police and army troops to thwart any confrontation between the Bangalee settlers and the tribals.
A tribal child was injured when armed men opened fire on the house of a Jana Sanghati Samity activist during the hartal hours.
In another incident, three tribal girls were kidnapped from an area in Khagrachhari district along the border with Myanmar.
But members of Bangladesh Rifles rescued them after conducting an operation in the area.
Normal life was paralysed in the three hill districts due to hartal.
Troops and police were out in force in the Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati hill districts, which border India and Myanmar, officials said. The hartal called by Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) was opposed by a rival tribal group, the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) and the local chapter of the ruling four-party alliance. Frequent clashes in the past few weeks between the two rival groups have left several people dead.
UNB adds: A 10-year-old school boy was injured in shootout between rival groups at Thakurchhara area of the town. He was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Witnesses said that Jewel Tripura, a student of class III, received bullet wounds while he was playing in the front yard of his home. He was injured when some armed tribals allegedly sprayed fire on a PCJSS picket.
Another report said there had been exchange of fire between United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), the tribal group opposing the CHT peace accord, and PCJSS activists at Tokaichhari and Boddha Monipara in Ramgarh.
At Rangamati, clashes occurred between the pro-hartal and anti-hartal supporters in the town’s Banorupa area. Army troops rushed to the trouble spot and brought the situation under control, officials said.
Meanwhile, three female teachers of Ganosasthya School abducted from Baishfari tribal area in Naikhangchhari of Bandarban during the hartal today were later rescued by BDR-police from the deep forest.
Police suspect that activists of PCJSS that observed hartal in the three hill districts had kidnapped Chin Wang Marma, Mudri Hybom and Thui Baima ? all in their early 20s ? for ransom.
Officer-in-charge of Naikhangchhari thana Noor Hossain confirming the incident by telephone said the rescued NGO teachers were brought to Tumburu BDR camp along the border with Myanmar.
According to Gungdum UP chairman Dipak Barua, the female teachers were kidnapped on way to the school at 9am. On information BDR personnel of Tumburu camp along with police and residents rescued them in the afternoon in a raid in the deep forest. But the abductors managed to flee the scene.
The authorities took adequate steps and deployed army and BDR to help police forces in the three hill districts to fend off any possible confrontation among the rival groups in the region, officials said.
Situation in the three hill districts became tense as PCJSS, United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) and few Bengali groups have been at loggerheads over the issue of the 1997 peace accord.
Bengali groups called Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and Parbattya Gano Parishad ? both backed by the ruling four-party alliance -- called for resisting Monday’s hartal and declared their own hartal and road-blockade programmes on Dec 13 and 15 respectively.
PCJSS is blaming the government for delaying the implementation and violating the peace accord. The Bengali groups ? Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and Parbattya Gano Parishad ? are demanding scrapping of the peace accord and removal of Shantu Larma from the CHT Regional Council.
The tribal group called UPDF has outright rejected the peace accord and demanded autonomy of the region.
Pro and anti hartal supporters brought out processions during today’s (Monday’s) hartal in all the three hill towns, where traffic went off the roads and shops and businesses remained closed. Government 0ffices, however, functioned normally.
Meanwhile, PCJSS leaders from a rally at Bandarban town today (Monday) warned that the tribal people would be compelled to take up arms again if the government made a dilly-dally in implementing the peace accord.
The rally was presided over by Shaduram Milton, a member of the CHT Regional Council.
On the other hand, the BNP-led four party alliance and Parbattya Gano Parishad leaders at a separate rally at Bandarban demanded scrapping of what they said "a black accord" and called for punishing Shantu Larma.
The PCJSS at a rally at Khagrachhari today (Monday) warned that they would be compelled to declare non-stop action programme from January 1 if their four-point demands were not met.
Years of tribal insurgency in CHT claimed had left nearly 30,000 people killed. And after signing of the CHT accord in 1997, at least 300 people have been killed in stray encounters in the hills.
Besides, some 600 people were allegedly kidnapped and 1000 were injured in
sporadic clashes in the region in recent years, according to unofficial estimate.