http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/12/10/d31210020126.htm

The Daily Star, Wed. December 10, 2003

Editorial
CHT peace
Stakeholders must work together

The hartal called by the PCJSS in the CHT on Monday passed off peacefully without any major incident of violence. This was cause for some relief. However, that alone does not give a complete picture of the situation prevailing in the hill districts. In recent weeks, there have been bloody clashes between the supporters of the PCJSS and the UPDF, which opposes the 1997 peace accord.

Although the peaceful observance of hartal might have been a psychological booster for the PCJSS leadership facing strong opposition from the UPDF, the overall scenario remains murky. The PCJSS demands include, for understandable reasons, full implementation of the peace accord. But Shantu Larma has to contend with the fact that his removal from the position of the chairman of the CHT Regional Council is what his rivals are demanding. The signs of divisions among the indigenous groups are rather pronounced and obviously they are an obstacle on the way to peace.

Another point to be noted here is that other stakeholders in the peace process like the major political parties also appear to have divergent, or at least not the same views on the issue. The CHT chapter of the four-party alliance actually opposed the hartal with a counter programme of its own, while the Awami League extended support to it. But we feel the two major parties should work in tandem to remove the sharp divisions among the indigenous groups through working diligently on the basis of the principles laid down in the peace accord.

Some thorny issues need to be addressed before the accord can be implemented fully. For example, the land disputes, and the resultant difficulties in preparing a voters' list, have to be resolved.

Mr. Larma looked beyond the immediate horizon, in a sense, when he met the ambassadors from some countries and sought their support for the implementation of the peace accord. Clearly, he wants to enlist international support for the peace plan, but we believe that he should be equally serious about converting a chunk of his own people in the CHT who are opposing the plan to the ways of peace.