United Jumma Internation Memo to John Howard




UNITED JUMMA INTERNATIONAL
P.O. Box. Q470, QVB Post Office,
Sydney, NSW 1230, AUSTRALIA
Tel: 61-2-9518 1541; Mobile: 61-04 1747 3618
E-mail: bhante_international@yahoo.com.au

May 7, 2006,
Sydney, Australia


To
Mr. John Howard
Hon'ble Prime Minister of Australia
Kirribilli House, Kirribilli,
NSW 2061,
AUSTRALIA.


Subject: An Appeal to save the Jumma Nation in the Chittangong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh.



Dear Hon'ble Prime Minister,

The United Jumma International (UJI) draw your kind attention that the systematic Human Right Violation against the Indignous Jumma Nation in CHT are continued even after the CHT Peace Accord in 1997.

On 3rd April 2006, five Jumma villages and a Orphanage school under the Maischari Union, Khagrachari Hill District CHT, was attacked by the Bengali Muslim settlers and Islamic Fundamentalists with full backing by the Bangladesh Army. As a result, 11 jummas was seriously injured, more than 50 minor injured including a Buddhist monk name Ven. Sumana Mahathera, Director of Orphanage School and 2 women were gang ragped by the Islamic Fundamentalists. About 100 Jumma houses were burnt down, looted and destroyed including the Orphanges school.

The CHT is the south-eastern part of Bangladesh, which is the traditional Homeland of the Jumma Nation. Since creation of Pakistan in 14th August 1947,the Pakistani govt. had pursued hostile policy toward the Jumma people. Even after the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the same policy been accelerated to eradicate the Jumma people in CHT.

As a part of the said policy of the government of Bangladesh ( GOB) patronized the program to migration of 6-7 millions Bengali Muslim to change the demographic position of Jumma population in CHT. On the otherhand, the GOB set up military installations, Army, para-military and police forces to commit massive atrocities including massacres against the Jumma people.

Since 1971, the government lauched undeclared war against the Jumma people for their total extermination. As a consequence to it, approximately 35,000 jummas lost their life; 500, 000 jummas were internally displace and 80,000 jummas were compelled to take refugee in Tripura and Mizoram states in India. With an aim to uproot
the Jumma people from their ancestral land, a long series of massacres and genocide were perpetrated by the Bengali Muslim settlers with the direct help of army, Ansar, APBN (Armed Police Battalion) and VDP(Village Defense Party). As such it left a horrible legacy of violence, rape loot, murder, arson, abduction, religious persecution, and forcible occupation of jumma land and property as well as gross violation of human rights for more than two decades.

As per as reports, since 1971-97, more than 15 massacres and 10 communal riots had been committed in CHT by the Muslim Settlers with backing of Bangladesh army.

The UJI, aware of the humanitarian aspect of the aid given to Bangladesh by Australia Governmnet's aid plan in which it states; "support is needed to address the issues in CHT with the population of ethnic minorities".

Therefore, We on behalf of UJI would like to appeal you to stop further aid given to Bangladesh government unless the following conditions are meet:-

· Implement the CHT Peace Accord 1997 fully and properly;
· Rehabilitate Muslim settlers and Islamic Fundamentalists outside the CHT Region as per as Peace Accord;
· Demilitarize in the CHT Region and withdrawl all "temporary para-military camps" and de facto military rule ' Operation Uttaran', as per as Peace Accord;
· Rehabilitate all Jumma returnee refugees according to Peace Agreement.
· Rehabilitate the Jumma affected families in the recent communal attacked and give proper conpensations; and
· Government of Bangladesh should bring all perpetrators to Juslice.


Yours Sincerely,


Sd/-
(Ven. Pragya Jyoti)
President



Sd/-
(Mr. Bishwa Jit Chakma)
General Secretary


CC:
1. Ambassador, Embassy of USA, Australia.
2. High Commissioner, British High Commission, Australia.
3. Ambassador, Embassy of Switzerland, Australia.
4. High Commissioner, New Zealand High Commission, Australia.
5. Ambassador, Embassy of The Netherland, Australia.
6. Ambassador, Embassy of Japan, Australia.
7. Ambassador, Embassy of France, Australia.
8. High Commissioner, High Commission of Canada, Australia.
9. Chairman, Australia Human Rights Council, Australia.




Sources: www.pcjss.org
www.angelfire.com/ab/jumma/
www.ohchr.org
www.jpnuk.org.uk
www.hrwuk.org
www.survival-international.org
Peace Campaign Group, India
Parbatya Bhikkhu Sangha, Bangladesh
www.ausaid.gov.au