http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/01/06/d40106011414.htm
The Daily Star, Tue. January 06, 2004
Staff Correspondent
The New Year may see the situation in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) turn
more volatile than any other year since the 1997 peace accord as three
regional contesting groups plan to launch 'tough' action programmes to
drive their demands home.
Of them, the Parbatya Cha-ttagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), led by
Jyotirindria Bodhipriya Larma alias Shantu Larma, has warned the
government of launching a new movement early this year demanding full
implementation of the 1997 CHT peace accord that ended two decades of
bush war in the region.
Shantu had asked the government to implement the peace pact within
December 31 last, a deadline that ended without any response.
The United People Democratic Front (UPDF), another platform of hills
people that opposes the peace pact, on the other side is building up its
strength to start a movement seeking nothing but full autonomy for the
CHT.
The third group -- Parbatya Gana Parishad (PGP), an organisation of
Bangali settlers in the hill districts -- has also threatened the
government of a road-blockade programme if its demands including
disarmament of both the PCJSS and UPDF are not met by January 16.
The parliamentary standing committee on the CHT affairs ministry is to
visit the region this week in a bid to thrash out a permanent solution
to the problems.
"We are waiting for the visit of the parliamentary committee. After the
visit, if we do not see any hope, we will announce a fresh programme,"
said Rupayan Dewan, vice-president of the PCJSS and a member of the CHT
Regional Council.
Meanwhile, as the UPDF is opposed to the PCJSS programme, it has again
started engaging in direct confrontations with the latter, with
activists of both the parties using firearms.
Though both the PCJSS and UPDF have some common issues and are fighting
for the hills people, they have been at each other's throats since long.
More recently, these two groups have embarked on a fresh bout of
tit-for-tat abductions and killings. Over the last couple of weeks, 20
persons were abducted by their rival groups in Rangamati and
Khagrachhari districts.
Since the peace accord, clashes between these two groups have claimed
more than 300 lives and injured many more. But the government
initiatives to solve the CHT problems and correct the situation have
moved on a snail's pace.
At a public rally last Friday, the UPDF claimed that the PCJSS activists
had so far abducted 253 of its supporters and activists and killed more
than 200 others. The PCJSS sources, on the other hand, claimed more than
50 of their supporters and activists to have been killed and 100 others
abducted by their rivals.
In the latest spate of abductions, the PCJSS activists allegedly
abducted 20 UPDF supporters and their relatives last Tuesday from a
remote village of Khagrachhari. All of them were released later.
Next day, the UPDF members allegedly abducted eight PCJSS supporters
from Naniarchar of Ranagamati in retaliation. Again, last Friday, three
more UPDF activists were kidnapped.
Meanwhile, a 14-member PGP delegation met the parliamentary committee on
the CHT affairs last week seeking a peaceful, arms-free atmosphere in
the hills region.
Led by Jalal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury and Moniruzzaman Monir, president and
secretary of the platform, the team met the committee members at the
Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban and expressed dissatisfaction at the activities of
the other two rival groups.
"We are feeling insecure. Both the groups demand toll from us. If we
refuse to pay, we are tortured by them," Jalal Uddin told the
parliamentary committee, while placing 18 demands, including safety and
security of the CHT people. The team requested the parliamentary body to
take immediate actions to disarm both the groups.
The PGP leaders also urged the government to meet some of their demands
by January 16. Otherwise, they warned of a road-blockade programme from
January 17. They also voiced their support for Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan, the
local member of parliament, who they claimed was working for their
interests.