Foreign Office issues advice on Bangladesh

Rangamti, February 18, 2007: The Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts region in Bangladesh following political unrest.

Bangladesh's caretaker President, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has provisionally set elections for January 22nd after previous polls were boycotted and protested against.

On January 11th the president declared a state of emergency, which prevented large groups assembling and put restrictions on protests.

In a statement the Foreign Office noted: "You should keep yourself informed of developments, including by regularly checking this travel advice and monitoring the news.

"We advise against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (this does not include the city of Chittagong) because of the risk of being caught up in clashes between rival tribal groups, settlers and the military.

"The Bangladesh authorities require foreigners who propose to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts to let the local authorities have seven days' notice of their travel plans."

The situation in Bangladesh is now much calmer than in the immediate aftermath of the state of emergency.

14,000 eligible Chakma and Hajong voters waiting for enrolment in the electoral rolls in Arunachal Pradesh

Sydney, February 18, 2007: On the denial of the applicability of Article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, India at the outset of its reports recognizes “diverse origin” (para 3) of its peoples and India's “ethnic, religious, linguistic and economic diversity” (para 6). After having recognized the existence of one of the grounds of racial discrimination i.e. discrimination on “ethnic” origin, it denies applicability of Article 1 of the Convention. The government of India cannot probate and reprobate at the same time.
The government of India's denial of the existence of racial discrimination is inconsistent with the directions of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission of India. In its report (para 74), the government of India referred to inclusion of names of 1,500 Chakmas into electoral rolls in Arunachal Pradesh. With regard to the exclusion of the same Chakma and Hajong eligible voters from electoral rolls in Arunachal Pradesh, the Election Commission of India in its order No. 23/ARUN/2003 of 3 March 2004 held that they “have not been included in the electoral rolls mainly for the reason that they belong to the Chakma tribe/race (emphasis ours)”.
The government of India's lack of coherence is reflected in many of its policies. In one hand, it promotes “where appropriate integrations multi-racial organisations and movers and other means of eliminating barriers between races, and to discourage anything which tends to strengthen racial division”; on the other hand, various regiments of Indian Army are named after their ethnic/caste origins as Rajput Regiment, Jat Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Dogra Regiment, Naga Regiment, Gorkha Rifles etc. Naming of various regiments in Indian army contributes to “race, ethnic, caste and regional consciousness” (emphasis ours). The colonial British named such regiments as a part of its “Divide and Rule policy”, and the government of India continues the practice. Having a Regiment of Indian Army means recognising the status/strength of the community/caste concerned. In fact, in May 2004 the present Minister of Chemical, Fertilizers and Steel of the government of India, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan demanded that forming a “Dalit Regiment on the pattern of Sikh Regiment, Jat Regiment or Mahar Regiment” should be included in the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance government.
The government of India in its report highlights enrollment of 1,500 Chakma and Hajong voters in the electoral rolls in Arunachal Pradesh. But it does not mention that over 14,000 eligible Chakma and Hajong voters continued to be denied enrolment in the electoral rolls because of the blatant violations of the directions of the Election Commission of India by the State government of Arunachal Pradesh. The government of India also failed to mention that out of 4,627 Chakmas and Hajongs who had submitted citizenship applications in 1997-1998 pursuant to the Supreme Court of India's judgement in the case of National Human Rights Commission versus State of Arunachal Pradesh & Another (W.P. (c) No. 720 of 1995) on 9 January 1996, the Union government of India failed to determine even a single application until today. This is a clear case of discrimination considering that the government of India has been granting citizenship rights to the Hindu refugees who migrated to Rajasthan much later than the Chakmas and Hajongs.

Eight adivasi freedom fighters accorded reception


Rangamati, February 14: Buda Munda never dreamt of speaking a function let alone receiving a crest in recognition to his contribution to the war of independence, but it happened.
It happened 35 years after the country got independence though the emaciated freedom fighter of an ethnic minority community never bothered any recognition from any quarter or from the government.
Most of the freedom fighters of the ethnic minority communities like Buda never expected recognition to their contribution as they claimed to have been reminded very often after independence that it was not their soil.
But their thinking proved wrong as the Bangladesh Adivasi Adhikar Andolan and the Research and Development Collective accorded reception to eight ethnic minority community freedom fighters at the National Press Club on Friday. They were also given crests for their contributions to the war.
They are Karuna Mohan Chakma of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Suresh Chandra Barman and Jatin Chandra Barman of Gazipur, John Tudu of Dinajpur, Buda Munda of jaipurhat, Mistri Hansda of Chapainawabganj, and kakat Henanikanta (Kankon Bibi) of Sunamganj and Michael Sujay Rema of Netrokona.
‘I was too illiterate to understand company or regiment, but all that I knew was that I’ve to fight for the land and free it form the Punjabis,’ said Buda whose experience was too bitter after the independence.
Tudu said still in the northern part of the country, the adivasis were not allowed to have a cup of tea even in makeshift eateries, and there were separate arrangements (bench and cups) for them.
‘We participated in the war of independence to free the land form the Pakistanis, but after independence we are repeatedly reminded that it was not our soil,’ said Michael Sujay.
The Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary, Rabindranath Soren, said the politicians or those run the state had no headache for the adivais who were widely neglected and deprived of rights. ‘Even then, the adivasis believe that it is their land where they have to stay till death and the only thing the want is some dignity.’
Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti leader Rupayan Dewan addressed the function with HKS Arefin in the chair. Mesbah Kamal and Jannat-e-Ferdausi presented a keynote paper on ‘Independence War of Bangladesh and the Adivasi Society.’

Chakma language workshop ends


Dhaka, February 14: Leaders of indigenous communities at the concluding session of a workshop in Dhaka on Friday stressed preservation of their culture and heritage. The Changma Sahitya Ba, a Chakma literary circle in Dhaka, began the workshop on writing Chakma scripts and its computerisation on February 25. The state minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs, Mani Swapan Dewan, distributed certificates. Twenty-four students took part in the workshop.

Cellphone trade on in CHT despite ban


Khagrachari, February 14: Mobile phone business in three hill districts--Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban--continues despite a ban imposed by the caretaker government.

On February 4, the government imposed a ban on mobile phone business in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in the interest of national security. But the owners of the call centres are still doing the business, using antenna.

This correspondent visited the eight upazilas of Khagrachhari district and found several hundred mobile phone businessmen continuing their business, using antenna.

Liton, owner of Alap Telephone centre in Khagrachhari Market said, "We use mobile phone secretly. The administration is ignorant about it.

Farid Mazumder, another mobile phone businessman at Khagrapur under Khagrachhari Sadar upazila, said he uses the antenna without any hesitation, as most of his consumers are from the police and army.

An engineer from Khagrachhari BTTB office requesting anonymity said a good number of privately owned call centres is doing mobile phone business in Manikchhari upazila defying the ban.

When contacted, additional superintendent of police, Khagrachhari, said they will investigate the mater and take immediate action if anybody is found defying the ban.

Tibetan refugees moving out of designated areas in AP

Itanagar, February 14: Tibetan refugees in Arunachal Pradesh, who have to stay in designated areas, were moving out of these sites, the all Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) claimed on Saturday.

AAPSU president Kanu Bagang and general secretary Ojing Tasing told a press conference that the refugees were acquiring land allotment in their names, seeking ST certificates and taking active part in state politics in violation of regulations.

They said they had led a seven-member delegation to the office of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in New Delhi on January 30 and submitted a memorandum on issues arising from the settlement of thousands of Tibetan refugees in the state.

The two leaders claimed that the number of Chakma Hajong refugees in the state had gone up to two lakh and they had formed a militant outfit that was working against indigenous tribes.

They said they would raise the issue of the refugees, including Chakma-Hajongs, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the State on February 19.

All Assam Hills Tribal Council resents Govt's failure


Guwahati, February 14: The All Assam Hills Tribal Council has resented the Assam Government's alleged failure to develop the backward hill tribal areas along the Assam-Mizoram border in Hailakandi district, besides demanding inclusion of the Reangs there in the Scheduled Tribes (Hill) list.

The Council at a meeting in Hailakandi has accused the Government of failing to recognise the 120 villages in the district inhabited by various ethnic communities despite them being included in the voters list.

Claiming the Government "Only remembered the tribals there at the time of election forgetting them for the next five years", AAHTC joint secretary Bankim Chakma told PTI on Tuesday that the people there were thereby being deprived of development opportunities.

The Reang, Mizo, Naga, Chakma and Khasi tribes at the meeting, for setting up the Hailakandi chapter of the Council on Monday, alleged that the Government apathy deprived the villagers of education and job opportunities, drinking water, roads and bridges.

The meeting also pointed out that the villages along with their governing bodies not recognised, the village headmen were deprived of their remuneration, Chakma said.

The meeting further demanded that the Reangs be included in the ST (Hills) list or the Plains tribes List so that they received the benefits for education and employment along with the other tribal communities in the State.

The Tribal Council would be shortly submitting a memorandum to the State Government for fulfillment of their demands and grievances, he added.

1,700-yr-old Buddhist temple discovered


Godh Gaya, February 14: Around 1700-year-old ancient Buddhist temple has been discovered in "Bihar Dhap" area under Shibganj upazila in the district during a recent archaeological excavation.

Earlier about 1500-year-old pre-Pal period Buddhist temple was excavated on the same premises.

The newly excavated Buddhist temple is more than 1700 years old, archaeology officials said, adding that the lower part of the temple was decorated with arched panels of terracotta and ornamental bricks.

A brick structure comprising some small rooms has also been discovered in the temple.

There are small steps leading to a lawn-like space that was possibly used for placing the statues of worship.

Regional director of Archaeology Department said the entire temple might emerge if the excavation work started early December last year runs properly.

Possibly this Buddhist temple was abandoned before construction of earlier discovered 1500-year-old pre-Pal period temple where more sophisticated terracotta and brick-built structures were found.

276 people killed in Bangladesh


Dhaka,February 14: A total of 276 people were killed across the country last month, says a report of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC).

BHRC leaders said they are extremely anxious at the situation and urged the law enforcers and related government departments to be more responsible to bring down the killing rate to zero level.

To institutionalise the democracy and build human rights- based society, the rule of law must be established everywhere, said BHRC while preparing the survey report with the news published in 12 dailies.

Chairman of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) Justice KM Sobhan has condemned the violation of human rights by the law enforcers.

According to a report of BIHR, 498 people were tortured physically by the law enforcers during the last month.

Besides, a total of 18223 people were arrested and 35 were killed.

Among them 21 were killed by Rab members.

A total of six people sustained acid burn injuries.

BIHR demanded enactment of a compensation law for the repressed.

It urged the authorities concerned to form national and local committees for surprise visit in jails, conduct training on human rights for political leaders and activists and include the issue in school curriculum.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Society For The Enforcement Of Human Rights (BSEHR) reported that after the declaration of the State of Emergency, a total of 5 235 people were arrested in joint force's drive.

Besides, a total of 225 were killed at different social violence. Some 20 children were the victims of rape including three of gang rape.

A total of six women were also raped, of whom five were killed after rape, the BSEHR report revealed.

Bangladesh Bar Council also prepared a report on rights violation during this period.