UPDF to field candidates in 3 CHT constituencies
The Daily Star,December 16, 2006


United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), an organisation of indigenous people opposed to the CHT peace accord, yesterday announced that it would field candidates in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari constituencies in the coming election.

UPDF president Prasit Bikash Khisha will contest from Khagrachhari Jatiya Sangsad seat, its leaders announced at a press conference held at the Tribal Contractors Association office in Khagrachhari town. But they did not announced names of two other candidates in Rangamati and Bandarban.

The two names will be announced within a week by UPDF district committees in Rangamati and Bandarban, they said.

UPDF Khagrachhari district committee coordinator Ujjal Smrity Chakma, Pradipon Khisha and Pahari Chhatra Parishad (student front of (UPDF) leader Kahalaching Marma also spoke at the press confgerence.

"UPDF will contest in the coming election to ensure rights and privileges of indigenous and Bangalee people who are permanent residents of CHT", said Ujjal Smrity Chakma.

He said, the decision to field UPDF candidates in the three CHT constituencies was taken at a meeting held on December 10 in Chittagong. The meeting also formed a 101-member committee to coordinate party activities for the coming polls, he said.

This would be the second time that UPDF would e field its candidates in the three CHT constituencies in parliamentary election.

In 2001 election, Prasit Bikash Khisa got about 35,000 votes from Khagrachhari and ten thousand over votes from the Rangamati constituencies for the first time.

"We will work for welfare of indigenous people in CHT and to establish their rights" said Prodipon Khisha, member secretary of the newly formed polls co-ordination committee.

"We will try to ensure land rights of indigenous and Banagalee people who are voters from the area", he said.

"There are at least 50,000 fake voters in the present voter list, most of them Banglalees, while 30,000 to 40,000 indigenous people are left out", the UPDF leader claimed.

We urged the authorities to included those voters and update list. We will win in the coming election with at least one lakh votes if a correct list is prepared and election is held in a free and fair manner, he said.

Replying to a question, he said possibility of an electoral alliance with any major party or combine is most unlikely.

He however said UPDF may boycott the election if a congenial atmosphere is not created.

Asked about PCJSS, another indigenous platform, he said, "They are campaigning against us. We will resist them politically".

They also demanded security for their leaders including Prasit Bikash Khisha.

Presentation on how Buddhism influenced in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) by Ven. A. Paññājoti, Foreign Envoy of PBS at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia on 15th and 16th October 2006

The Chairman, Venerable Ajahn Sujato, Venerable Thich Thong Phap, distinguished guests, my dear Dhamma friends,

Historical Background:
Bangladesh is situated between lat. 20.34° and 26.38° north and between long. 88.0° and 92.41° east with having total area 55,598 sq. mile. It is a big delta situated in the river-mouths of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra with some hilly area on the northeastern region. The climate of Bangladesh is moderate. So, people mostly live on agriculture. The total population about 147 million and almost 2 millions Buddhists in 2006. They are Chakmas, Baruas, Marmas andTanchayas.The Chakmas, Marmas and Tanchangyas are living in the CHT. The Baruas living in the plain district.
But there is no record that Buddha came to Bangladesh during His life time and also no evidence during the time Emperor Asoka.
After the Great Demise of Lord Buddha, the First Buddhist Council was held in Rajagaha under the patronage of King Ajatasatru to preserve the teachings of Lord Buddha for the years to come. The Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaisali during the reign of King Kalasoka one hundred years after the Parinibbana of the Lord Buddha. The Third Buddhist Council was held in Pataliputra during the reign of the King Asoka (218 - 260). During this period, the people practise their own way. All those people ultimately arranged a Great Buddhist Council in Puruspura or Jalandhar under the leadership of the Emperor Kanishka (621 - 644 B.E.). It was known as the council of the Heretical monks. This council did not collect Tripitaka but commentaries which were known as Vibhasha-Shastra. At the Council a new set of Scriptures in Sanskrit was approved together with fundamental Mahayana principles. Through the influence of the Council, the works of the Scholars like Asvaghosa, Parsva, Vasumitra and the encouragement of the royal patron Mahayana Buddhism spread steadily through Central Asia to China and then to Korea and Japan. It was also spread in the South-Eastern countries of Asia up to Java and Borneo. With the advent of the Mahayana School a great Buddhist educational centre had been established at Nalanda. Nagaarjuna also spent many years of his life their. During the Gupta period (B.E. 863 – 1010) the Nalanda became great University where 9 to 10 thousand monks lived, teaching, studying and where various subjects were taught such as Buddhism, Logic, Philosophy, Law, Medicine, Grammar, Yoga, Alchemy and Astrology. Nalanda was international centre for learning buddhism until it was destroyed by the Turks in about 1750 B.E. (1200 A.D.). Buddhism in various forms appears to have been prevalent at the time of the Turkish conquest in 1202. The invading armies apparently found numerous monasteries, which they destroyed in the belief that they were military fortresses.

The flourishing of Buddhism in Bangladesh started from Gupta period and early centuries of the Christian era. It has been clear that the Buddhism was the flow of Mahayana principles. Fa-hein mentioned in his itinerary (399 - 414 A.D.) about the Kingdom of Champa on the Southern bank of the Ganges when he came across much evidence of living Buddhism which was mostly Mahayana. In the 7th century Hiuen-Tssang, the famous Chinese pilgrim in India, recorded various accounts of the persecution of Buddhism by Sasanka, the king of Gouda (North Western part of Bengal). He recorded Mahayana Buddhism in various parts of Bangladesh with some Stobir schools.
From the 7th to 12th centuries the Mahayana school found a golden era in Bangladesh. Great Buddhist monasteries in Paharpur, Somapura, Jagaddal, Vikrampur, Pattikeraha were established. Scholars like Sri Atish Dipankar, Shilabadra, Shantiraksit appeared in Bangladesh and their scholastic works were towards the Mahayana school, which ultimately absorbed Tantrism.The buddhist lost the basic principles of Buddhism.
During the 15th century (according to Dr. Heinz Bechert) one member of the Royal Family named "Keyakcu" of Cakaria went to Moulmein in Burma and was ordained there under the tutelage of Ven. Sharbu. His named was Ven. Chandrajyoti Bhikkhu and stayed for 20 years in Burma to study the scriptures. He came to Chittagong and established Temple in Sitakunda and Haidgaon. But he failed to organise Sangha in Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh remained darkness about Theravada Buddhism. In the 19th century, Dr. B. M. Barua writes that Mahayana Buddhism which was prevailing in Eastern India comprising Chittagong, CHT and Tripura. But, mixture of Tantric faith, Hinduism and Animism religious cults. As a result monks did not observe Vinaya rules and laities too lost their Buddhist ideals. They used to observe many rites and rituals which have no connection with a buddhist tradition.
At this critical moment Ven. Saramitta of Arakan came to visit India on a pilgrimage. He was well-versed in Arakanese, Sanskrit and Pali. In the meantime the Chakma Kingdom was a Feudal State under the British government and its ruler was Queen Kalindi (1830 - 1873). She invited Ven. Saramitta to visit CHT. In 1864 Ven. Saramitta came to Bangladesh with his disciple sangha in order to give full ordination to whom are like to ordain as bhikkhu. During the "Mahamuni Fair" the auspecious occasion of the Buddhists gave full ordination to a group of monks from Chittagong and CHT in Bangladesh. Many Chakma, Marma and Barua monks was took full ordinationa in 1864. This was the first historic Full ordination ceremony took place in Chittagong by which Theravada school was established under the patronage of Queen Kalindi Rani. TheTheravada school in Bangladesh known as "Mahasthavir Nikaya”. One of the group of monks simple existed without observing proper vinaya, they did not particiapte. They called themselves as Mahathera-Nikaya. The most outstanding scholar of world repute was Dr. B. M. Barua (1888-1948), Professor of Pali and Buddhism in Calcutta University. In 1944 during his visit to Sri Lanka on a lecture hour on Buddhism, the Vidyalankara University conferred him with the title 'Tipitakacharya'. A brilliant disciple of Ven Prajnaloka, the Ven Shilalankar edited the Buddhist journal "Sanghashakti" from 1933 to 1941 and succeeded in turning the journal as intellectual and socio-religious mouthpiece for the Buddhist community which was confidently emerging into a distinctive identity. He was also the secretary of the Buddhist Mission which was founded in 1928 by Ven Prajnaloka to propagate Buddhism through publication of Buddhist books and suttas in Bengali, setting up of a Pali institution, free religious schools and libraries.
Buddhism in CHT:
In the 5th to 12th centuries, CHTwas flourished by Buddhist civilisation. From 13th to 14th centuries Buddhism existed in the CHT. From 15th to 17th centuries, the CHT, came under the control of three feuding forces- the Mughal(Islam), the King of Tripura(Hindu) and King of Chakma(Buddhist). During these 300 years until under the dominion of the British in 1774, Buddhism maintained a flickering existence in this area. Some of the ancestors of the present day Buddhists also migrated CHT from the Bihar, India in the 11-12th centuries. During this period of Brahminism resurgence in India, devout Buddhists had felt endangered and many fled from some areas of Northern India, undertaking a long, arduous journey through Assam into Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In 18th century, Buddhism maintained its precarious existence and greatly degenerated. They began worshiping deities alien to Buddhism and were even making small sacrifices in the name of gods. Monks became ignorant of the Vinaya and performed the roles of priests for marriages and social occasions. There were no religious books and debased forms of suttas were chanted in a language, which was a mixture of Pali and Arakanese.
The mid 19th century, was a turning point in the religious history of the buddhists in Bangladesh. In 1864, whenVen. Saramitta from Arakan came to visit and see the condition of buddhists which incorporated with Tantric rutual and worship of various gods.After the Mahamuni Fair, Ven. Saramitta Mahasthavir and his newly ordainied disciples visited Rangamati by the invitation of Queen Kalindi Rani. He organised a full ordinationation ceremony among the Chakma and Marma communities under the patronage of Royal family. Where the large number of buddhists resided in the CHT. They were largely of the Chakma tribe, believed to be of Tibetan-Myanmar-Thai origin. Another group of Buddhists are the Bomangs who are settlers from neighboring Arakan from several hundred years ago. All these two groups were thus united together in the common bond of Theravada Buddhism. Since than, hundred percent the Theravada Buddhism became strong amongst the Chakmas, Marmas and Tanchanyas in the CHT. The Theravada-based religious reformation movement inspired the monks and people of the region. Eventually, they discarded their Tantric practices and other superstitions and the monks were given fresh ordination and initiated into the Theravada monastic disciplines. This led to the establishment of a reformed Bhikkhu Sangha popularly named as Sangharaja Nikaya or Mahasthavir Nikaya in the CHT. During that period CHT was divided into three circles headed by three kings. Such as Chakma Raja in Rangamati, the Bohmong Raja in Bandarban and the Mong Raja in Manikchari. The Raja's appoint their own Royal teacher (Rajguru) in their respective circles.The reformation movement continued into the 20th century. This period also saw the emergence of a group of scholars on Buddhism in CHT.
In 1945, Ven. Rajguru Aggawangsa Mahathero visited to Burma and studyied Pali and Buddhist scriptures for many years. After he returned from Burma, he propogated pali and buddhist scriptures and trained sangha in vinaya and sutta throughout the CHT. He became one of the outstanding scholar of International repute amongst the buddhist in Bangladesh. In 1985, he represented on behalf of CHT buddhist to UN conferene on Human right and religious persecution at Geneva, Switzerland. He still Rajguru of Chakma King at Rangamati.Ven. Bimal Bhikkhu, Ven. Pajnananda Mahathero and Ven. Sumanalankar Mahathero are the most outstanding buddhist scholars in missionary activities in CHT and Ven. Sadanananda Mahathero (Bana Bhante), he founded Theravada Forest Traditional Monastic Order in CHT. He was spent 12 years as Kammathana(forest ascetic) in CHT. His tradition most popular at the present and about more than 50 branches monasteries around the CHT and abroad. People belief him that he attained Arahant. His teaching is both samatha and vipassana meditation. At the present moment, the budhism influencing in groups as that Chakmas and Tanchanyas are converting into Thai Tradition, the Marma are Burmes tradition and Barua are likely mixed with Burmes and Srilanka. About more than hundred Indigenous buddhist monks from CHT are studying pali and buddhist scriptures in Thailand, Myanmar, Korea, India and Srilanka.
However, Religious persecution in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has been a marked feature since 1947 (Pakistani period) to till now, committed by the military and Islamic fundamentalists. As buddhists constitute a small fraction of the country's population, the community is constantly
threatened. Forced assimilation of the people into the majority culture of bengali muslim had been the policy of the Government and the military since 1975. Religious persecution occurs in different forms including forcible conversion of people from their native Buddhism, destruction and desecration of temples, prevention of worship and forcible marriage.

Religious persecution :
Religious persecution takes place in the form of torture, murder, intimidation of the monks of the Buddhist, Hindu and Christian faiths and deliberate and systematic destructions of places of worship. The following information is just a small fraction after the Peace
Accord in 1997that the Bangladesh (BD) Government organised religious persecution committed against the Jumma people of the CHT.

On 6 August 2006 a group of Bengali settlers from Challyatali mouza of Bhasanya Adam union under Longadu sub-district in Rangamati district led by Rafique Uddin s/o Abdul Barek destroyed a Buddhist temple of Challyatali village under Longadu upazila with an aim to occupy the land of indigenous Jumma people. The Jumma villagers put objection to the UNO ( executive officer) against them and demanded to stop land grabbing and religious persecution. UNO formed a inquiry committee with Chairman of Bhasanya Adam union Mr. Nurucchafa, Mr. Sukhamoy Chakma, Commander of Challyatali BDR camp and local Kanungo (government employee on land) on 7 August. However, the Bengali settlers led by Rafique Uddin set fire the destroyed temple on 8 August. A case was filed with Longadu police station in connection with the arson. But no culprit was arrested so far. It is mentionable that the temple was built with the financial assistance of Ministry of CHT Affairs.
On 26 August 2003, Bengali settlers launched a horrendous communal attack on the indigenous Jumma people of Mahalchari Upazila under Khagrachari Hill District of CHT Region. As a result, more than 350 indigenous Jumma households of 14 villages under five Moujas have been looted and burnt to ashes. Moreover, more than 100 Jumma houses including four Buddhist temples, one UNICEF run primary school, a good number of shops and statues of Lord Buddha have been destroyed, ransacked and looted. Valuables worth over Taka 30 millions have been destroyed. Two Jumma people including one eight-month-old child have been murdered. Ten Jumma women have been raped by the Bengali settlers.
On May 27, 2003 a group of BDR led by Major Rashid brought down the signboard and the flag of the Buddhist temple. They torched the residence of the Buddhist monks. Next day they threatened the devotees who had gathered there for religious function. They imposed restriction of moving into the area. The BDR personnel tied Mr. Sneha Moy Chakma and Mr. Kitta Mohan Chakma with a pillar and dragged women out of the temple. A group of BDR led by Habilder Fazlu constructed a camp on the temple land. On 31 May 2003, the BDR attempted to destroy the temple's structure but they failed due to vehement protest and demonstration of the local people. The BDR camp is still there on the temple ground. On 7 June 2003, the local people of Barkal submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
On 14th February 1999, Rev. Lynin Bawm, a Jumma Christian Priest of Suanalu Para, Rowangchari, Bandarban, was going to the local church to conduct the usual Sunday prayers. But Major Asaduzzaman of Rowangchari army camp stopped him on the way and ordered him to make a bamboo basket for him instead of going to the church. Rev. Bawm refused to carry out his orders. In Islamic Bangladesh, to disobey the orders of the Muslim officers (however wrong their orders might be) by the Jumma kafirs (infidels) is an unforgivable "offence". So, this arrogant military officer mercilessly beat the innocent Jumma priest and critically injured him. Rev. Bawm was so seriously injured that he had to be carried by the Jummas to Rowangchari Hospital for treatment.
On 27th February 1998,A group of Muslim settlers under the instructions of the Bangladesh Army ransacked and destroyed a Hindu Temple (Shiv Mandir) at Matiranga, Khagrachari District. The Bangladesh Government did not take any action against the culprits.

With Metta,

Ven. A. Paññājoti

Sources:
Buddhism:Critical concepts in religious studies by Paul Williams
www. angelfire.com
www. pcjss.org
www.buddhism.org

Human Right Report on Bangladesh
13 December 2006

New Delhi: Covering eight member States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), SAARC Human Rights Report 2006 analyses the human rights situation in the South Asian region in 2005. The report covers human rights violations by the governments and the armed opposition groups.
Human rights violations across South Asia are systemic, endemic; and torture forms part of the administration of justice. Prison conditions, which are overcrowded by 400% in some cases, reflect the true and deplorable condition of human rights in South Asia. While lips of the prisoners were sewed before producing them in the courts in Pakistan, a Dalit prisoner was tattooed Neevi Jaat, lower caste, on his back with a hot iron in a prison in Punjab, India.
According to the SAARC Human Rights Violators Index 2006, Bangladesh has been ranked No. 1 violator of human rights, followed by Bhutan (No. 2), Nepal (No. 3), Maldives (No. 4), Pakistan (No.5), Sri Lanka (No.6) and India (No.7).
Bangladesh: No 1 Human Rights Violator
Bangladesh has been ranked No. 1 violator because of the systematic attacks on the opposition and maximum number of peace time extrajudicial killings by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and other security forces with impunity. The RAB and other security forces were responsible for killings of 340 persons in alleged “crossfire”, an euphemistic term for extrajudicial executions.
The government of Bangladesh failed to protect the judges from the Jihadis and separate judiciary from the executive despite a Supreme Court order of 1999. At least two judges were killed and dozens were injured in the attacks within court premises.
Bangladesh was also ranked No. 1 violator of the rights of minorities. It continued to transfer the plain settlers into the Chittagong Hill Tracts in order to annihilate the identity of the indigenous Jumma peoples.
The Hindu minorities continued to be targeted and their religious freedoms were severely violated. The government failed to implement the Vested Properties Return Act of 2001 and the lands of Hindu minorities continued to be grabbed by force.
The security forces supported the activists of International Khatme Nabuat Movement to attack the Ahmadiyas, such as in the attack at Sundarban Bazar in Satkhira district on 17 April 2005.
Minority and indigenous human rights defenders were specifically targeted and their organisations were not granted permission to receive foreign grants. At least three NGO activists working on minority and indigenous issues, including Joshi Chakma, an indigenous activist with Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), were killed.
Bangladesh was the most dangerous place for the journalists. They came under attack from the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists, armed opposition groups, and security forces. At least two journalists were killed, 142 injured, 11 arrested, 4 abducted, 53 subjected to harassment, 249 received threats and 15 came under direct attacks and cases were filed against 130 journalists in 2005.

SOA to be siege CHTRC office
The Daily Star, 11/12/2006

Somo Odhikar Andolan (SOA), an organisation of Bengali settlers in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), will lay a siege to the CHT Regional Council (CHTRC) office today demanding removal of Juotirindriya Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma from the post of its chairman and punishment of the killers of SOA activist Kina Mohon Chakma.

Kina Mohon Chakma, also chief advisor of Sachetan Nagorik Committee (SNC) was killed on December 5 when he was going to attend a SOA rally in Rangamati.

The programme was declared at a press conference here on December 4. The siege will begin at 10 am.

Chakma killed in road accidents
The Daily Star, 18/11/2006

At least six people were killed and 45 others injured in separate road accidents in Habiganj, Satkhira, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Barisal and Khagrachhari yesterday.
UNB from Habiganj reports: Two people were killed and 30 others injured when a bus fell into a roadside ditch on Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Biramchar area of Sadar upazila early yesterday.
Nadera Begum, 18, daughter of Shamsher Ali of Mirpur in Dhaka, was killed on the spot while Dulal Miah, 30, of Lakhaura village in Sylhet, succumbed to his injuries at the Sadar Hospital.
Police and local sources said the accident occurred at 5:00am when a Sylhet-bound coach hit a roadside tree and fell into the ditch as its driver lost control over the steering.
Of the injured, two were rushed to the Sadar Hospital.
Police seized the bus, but the driver was absconding.
Another report adds: A truck hit a bicyclist identified as Abdul Karim Sarder, 55, from behind at Thrishmail Crossing on Satkhira-Khulna Highway in Satkhira yesterday morning, leaving him dead on the spot.
In Bahmanbaria, one Khurshid Miah, 47, was crushed under the wheels of a microbus at Khoriala Bus Stand in Ashuganj upazila yesterday.
Later, local people put up barricade on the road for half-an-hour demanding a speed breaker in front of the bus stand.
Our correspondent from Mymensingh adds: A truck driver was crushed under the wheels of his own vehicle on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Bailor in Trishal upazila yesterday morning.
The deceased was identified as Abdus Shahid.
The accident occurred when a aubergine-laden Dhaka-bound truck from Jamalpur skidded off the road as its driver lost control over the steering. The driver was crushed under the wheels of the truck when he tried to flee the scene at around 7:00am. He died on the spot. Road communication on this highway was disrupted for an hour.
The body was sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) morgue for autopsy.
Our Correspondent from Barisal says: A bicyclist crushed under the wheels of a passenger bus on the Barisal-Banaripara-Swarupkati road yesterday.
The dead was identified as Firoz, 22, a bicyclist.
Witnesses and hospital sources said, the accident occurred when a Barisal-bound passenger bus from Banaripara hit Firoz from behind near Guthia Baitul Aman Mosque at about 3:00pm while he was going to Raipasha.
He was rushed to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries at 4:30pm.
His body was handed over to relatives after lodging a case with Uzirpur Police Station.
The agitated mob put up barricade on the Barisal-Banaripara-Swarupkati road since the afternoon and was continuing till filing of this report.
The victim's relatives said Firoz died without treatment as there was no doctor to attend him at the hospital.
Our correspondent from Khagrachhari adds: At least 15 people were injured, 10 of them critically, in a road accident while a passenger Zeep collided head-on with a truck at Champaghat under Khagrachhari Sadar upazila here at around 11:00am yesterday.
The injured are Zatisshar Chakma 47, Sunity Bikash Chakma 40, Zatindra Tripura 40, Sekander Ali 28, Hemal Chakma 10, Subrata Chakma 40, Bijoy Kumar Chakma 55, Safiqul Islam 35, Zaman 45 and Abul Hashem.
The critically injured were rushed to the Khagrachhari Adhunik Sadar Hospital while five others to Mohalchhari upazila health complex.

PCJSS to field candidates in Rangamati, Bandarban


Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), a political platform of indigenous people in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), has announced that two PCJSS leaders will contest from Rangamati and Bandarban constituencies in the coming election.

"They will be candidates of a 15-party combine (Awami League-led 14-party and PCJSS)", PCJSS central publicity secretary Mongal Kumar Chakma told this correspondent yesterday.

The decision to field PCJSS men in the two constituencies was taken at a meeting held here on Saturday, he said.

Prior to the meeting, PCJSS chief Jyotirindriya Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma who is also chairman of CHT Regional Council met with Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, he said.

This would the first time if PCJSS fields its men as candidates in the two constituencies.

PCJSS central vice-president Laxmi Prasad Chakma and its joint secretary KS Mong Marma will contest in Rangamati and Bandarban respectively, Mongal Kumar said.

"I will work for welfare of indigenous people in CHT and involve myself in agitation to establish their rights", Laxmi Prasad Chakma told this correspondent yesterday.

"PCJSS wants full implementation of the CHT peace accord. If elected, I will try my best to raise my voice in parliament for indigenous and Bangalee people in CHT", he said.

KS Mong Marma said, "I will try my best to ensure land rights of indigenous people and work for betterment of indigenous and permanent Bangalee settlers". He said PCJSS is a progressive and non-communal political party.

Both Laxmi Prasad Chakma and Mong Marma said that in Rangamati and Bandaraban, the 14-party combine will turn into a 15-party alliance following an understanding with Awami League.

When contacted, Rangamati district AL president Dipankar Talukder however said, "Still I don't know about negotiation with PCJSS. I am yet to get any letter or verbal instruction from the party high-ups".
"I want to welcome PCJSS if it wants to participate in the coming election under its party banner", he said.
Asked what will be his position, he said he would take decision at appropriate moment if party high-ups take any decision bypassing him. he did not elaborate.
Bir Bahadur, who won Bandarban Jatiya Sangsad seat in 1991, 1996 and 2001 elections as AL candidate, said, "I still do not know about the negotiation".
He, however, said, "It is alright if our party chairperson Sheikh Hasina really takes such a decision in the interest of the party".
He also said all political forces who want peace in CHT should work together for the election for full implementation of the peace accord.

Picture
KS Mong Marma(Left) Laxmi Prasad Chakma

Manab Kumar Chakma finalists after court battle


Jamshedpur, Dec. 10: Eight players made it to the final round of the boy’s under-16 category after the conclusion of the qualifying event of Tata Steel-AITA (All India Tennis Association) Super Series Tennis Championship held at JRD Tata Sports Complex today.

Those who qualified for the main draw included K. Pradeep Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Tushar Talukdar (Assam), Suraj Konwar (Gujarat), Dinesh Goel (Haryana), Manab Kumar Chakma (Assam), Sanjib (Bengal), Kaushal Mehta (Maharashtra) and Rupam Gogoi (Assam).

In the matches held today, Reddy brushed aside the challenge of Snehajit Roy in straight sets while Talukdar emerged the winner against Rohit Rampuria.

Konwar beat Md Sarfaraz whereas Goel proved his mettle against Shivam Verma of Uttar Pradesh in a one-sided affair.

The tie between Chakma and Bhardwaj Acharya proved thrilling as the former registered a win.

The Assamese lad lost his serve in the first, third, ninth and eleventh sets while Acharya failed to retain his serves in the second, sixth, eighth, tenth and twelfth sets as Chakma made a comeback after being 1-4 down in the set.

Seminar on Parbatya Bouddha Mission

Presentation on Parbatya Bouddha Mission (PBM) by Ven. A. Panna Joti, Co-ordinator of PBM at Flinders University, Adelaide Australia on 15-16/Oct/2006.
The Chairman, Venerable Ajahn Sujato, Venerable Thich Thong Phap, distinguished guests, my dear Dhamma friends.
Background of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT):
The CHT is situated in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh and covers an area of approximately 5,093 square miles (13,180 sq km’s) bordering with India and Myanmar. It is divided into three districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. The region is mainly mountainous. The total population of 974,445 people are living in the CHT according to 1991 census. The same census indicates 51% of the total population consists of various ethnic indigenous minorities of which 49% are Bengali Muslim. Approximately 60% of the population are followers of Theravada Buddhism. The remainder are practitioners of Animism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.
From time immemorial the CHT has been the homeland to twelve indigenous ethnic peoples. They collectively identify themselves as the Jumma people, the first people of the CHT. They are the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Murung, Lushai, Khumi, Chak, Khyang, Bawm, Pankhua and Mru peoples. The Jumma people are distinctly different from the majority of Bengali Muslim people of Bangladesh in respect of race, language, culture, heritage and religion. The CHT is one of the least developed regions of the country due to various significant changes that have taken place over the last 30 years. One such change was the construction of the Kaptai Dam in 1960 which resulted in the creation of a huge water reservoir in the central part of CHT. The creation of this dam and subsequent lake, has had a major impact on CHT eco-systems. The spectacular beauty of the lake hides the catastrophic impact for thousands of farmers. The Kaptai dam project involved the flooding of 650 sq. km’s of valley land and also displaced about 100,000 people from their ancestral homes. Their houses were completely submerged including the palace of the Chakma King. About 35,000 indigenous people fled to India as refugees.
One of the bloodiest and longest running civil wars in southern Asia took place from 1973 to 1997 between the Government of Bangladesh and the CHT people. The CHT people were trying to wrest self governance away from a better equipped Bangladeshi Government. Quite expectedly, no meaningful or large-scale socio-economic development could take place in such an atmosphere, and as a result, the CHT was lagging behind in other areas such as political and infrastructural development. At the end of December 1997 a peace accord was signed between the Indigenous leaders and the Government of Bangladesh. It is believed that this historic accord will usher in a new epoch in development for the region. Instead of following through with the peace accord, the Government of Bangladesh reneged on the agreement, decided to use military force to assert control over the CHT in a military operation called “Uttaran”.
Introduction of PBM
The PBM is a non-profit NGO working in a charitable way for people within the CHT. It is the oldest voluntary-based organisation in the CHT. The PBM formed in May 1983 with the opening of a new Buddhist temple dedicated to teaching the Buddha-Dhamma among the hill people in the village of Pilotpara. There was also an opening of an orphanage for children who were dislocated through the on-going conflict in the CHT. Venerable Sumanalankar Mahathero, late Upendra Lal Chakma (Member of Parliament), Mr. Hangsa Dhaj Chakma and other local leaders formed a committee in the name of PBM. Venerable Mahathero is the founder President of PBM since its establishment. He is one of the outstanding Buddhist scholars from Burma. He spent many years in Burma studying Pali and Buddhist scriptures in addition to his meditation practice. He is one of the senior vice-presidents of International Network of Engaged Buddhists and president of Parbatya Bhikkhus Sangha. I first met Venerable. Mahathero in 1989 at Shillong Buddhist temple when he was visiting in India from Bangladesh. In 1998, I returned from India and became involved with the PBM as a voluntary teacher. Even in 1998, everyday after school, Venerable Mahathero, myself and orphaned children had to work in the fields to plant vegetables such as potatoes, chilly, beans, rice among other food crops. At the end of 1998, the PBM sent me to Myanmar for Buddhist studies at the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University. In May 2003, I guided a German delegation to inspect the project that their NGO (MISERREOR) had sponsored.
The orphanage started with 16 boys in a simple bamboo house structure. Cyclones and floods destroyed the house. Each time, we rebuilt the house, another flood or cyclone would come and destroy it. Even with the difficulties we endured in rebuilding the house, we still continued to reconstruct and repair the house after a flood or cyclone. Finally, in more recent years, with the help of local & foreign friends, we were able to build more permanent and weather tolerant structures using bricks and concrete.
Since its establishment in 1983, PBM has been implementing programs relating to income generation, healthcare, women's rights issues and education to assist the impoverished indigenous minority people in the CHT. The PBM was registered in 1985 under the Department of Social Welfare Directorate and the NGO Affairs Bureau of Bangladesh Government (Registration No. 06/85 & 977 respectively). The registration of the Department of Social Welfare Directorate of Bangladesh permits PBM to receive funds from local NGOs and the government of Bangladesh. The registration of the NGO Affairs Bureau of Bangladesh Government permits PBM to receive funding and donations from foreign NGOs, local donor agencies and individuals.
PBM is centrally located at Pilotpara, approximately three kilometres from the main city of Khagrachari. PBM projects spread throughout the district and future plans include reaching out to both Rangamati and Bandarban. The children of the orphanage project come from all three hill districts and many of PBM’s beneficiaries are returned refugees from India and internally displaced refugees who have not been adequately rehabilitated. PBM’s campus covers about four acres of land and is surrounded by rice paddy fields, banana, coconut, jackfruit and mango trees and many villagers’ houses. PBM’s campus has about twelve buildings and construction is currently underway for a new girl’s dormitory with more classroom space.
PBM, now a leading NGO in the CHT, has aimed at alleviation of poverty of the poor indigenous community through initiating rural development, gender equality, employment, environmental conservation, medical, disaster management and human rights programs.
The vision of the PBM is to develop an alternative modality and empower members of the disadvantaged indigenous minority groups. Special effort goes into assisting women and children; to lead a life free of poverty and oppression. The PBM wish that people within the CHT can realise the dignity, peace and justice of a free society.
The PBM is sponsored by organisations such as:
The World Bank & The United Nations,
The governments of the Netherlands, Canada and Bangladesh,
AusAid and BODHI (the Benevolent Organisation for Development, Health & Insight).
These organisations provide monetary assistance for the PBM so it can conduct educational programs in the areas of vocational training, building, community health, schooling, infrastructure, welfare, water supply, sanitation, human rights, advocacy and legal aid. All the activities are aimed at supporting social and economic empowerment of the indigenous communities. The officials of the local government and NGOs occasionally inspect PBM's field activities to monitor the progress of its projects to ensure all monies are being responsibly used.

Current projects include:
1.Rehabilitation of landless & distressed Indigenous tribal people of the Khagrachari district (KD) in vocationally-based training.
2.Orphanage centre for poor, destitute and orphan children of the indigenous minority community. At present 187 orphaned children are living and studying in PBM facilities.
3.Residential high school for the students of the indigenous minority community. The school was established in 1995 with around 250 students studying in the school today.
4.Community-based health projects in the KD in Bangladesh.
5.Capacity building project for poor women self-development in the KD of Bangladesh.
6.Medical centre for the indigenous minority community.
7.Self-help credit union for indigenous minorities.
8.Sustainable social development projects for the indigenous peoples in the CHT.
9.Health programs for the indigenous communities in the KD.
10.CMWSP (Community Managed Water & Sanitation Program) in the CHT.
11.Community empowerment projects.
12.Integrated rural health development projects in the hilly region.


Future Plans:
Indigenous minority communities in the CHT are benefiting greatly from the assistance of the NGOs and Governments listed above. The CHT has not been able to grow as well as it may have due to the Bangladeshi Government's back-flip in following the terms of the 1997 peace accord.
The PBM wish to expand humanitarian assistance to areas such as child, adolescent and adult education. Other areas of interest include housing, banking, enterprise management, health and nutrition, water, human rights, sex education, meditation centres, transport, and sustainable agriculture.
My heartfelt thanks goes to Venerable Thich Thong Phap and the members of the Buddhist Chaplaincy at Flinders University for organising a seminar on PBM and my thanks goes to the audience for being patient listeners.

With the Dhamma,

Ven. A. Paññājoti


Sources:
www.pmb-cht.org
www.bodhi.net.au
www.sulak-sivaraksa.org
www.thirdculture.org
Notes: If anyone is interested to know the annual reports of the PBM, please write to Ven. A. Panna Joti, Cordinator of PBM, Australia; E-mail: bhante_international@yahoo.com.au.