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Even though democracy has been restored to the
country, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) remains under
military control. Outside democratic control the military
continues with its disinformation campaign, aimed at
creating confusion and disorder and dividing the Jumma
people. With the help of the army many organisations had
been set up to counter the Jumma people's movement. The
Bangladesh army, as well as certain sections of the civil
administration play an active, if shadowy, role in these
organisations. In September 1995 the Khagrachari based Pahari
Chattro Parishad, Pahari Gono Parishader Santras
Protirodh Committee (PPSPC, Terrorism Resistance
Committee) was set up; both the Bangladeshis and the
Jumma people are involved in it. Its main aim is to
sabotage the Jumma peoples' Pahari Chattro Parishad (PCP
or Hill Students' Council) and Pahari Gono Parishad (PGP
or Hill Peoples' Council). To create even more confusion
these military backed organisations invariably choose
names that resemble the names of Jumma peoples'
organisations. The Hill Watch Human Rights Forum (HWHRF),
a human rights organisation of Jumma people, has brought
out a report on the PPSPC which gives a list of
kidnappings, attempted kidnappings and other activities.
The PPSPC also organised several demonstrations both in
Dhaka and in the CHT. According to the HWHRF landless and
poor Jummas were given false promises of financial
assistance and were forced to participate in the
demonstrations. The military backed PPSPC president Alok
Chakma is allegedly accused of various criminal offences.
Other Jumma sources reported that on 7 March 1996 PPSPC
activists, popularly called the 'masked force' attacked
the house of a Hill Peoples' Council leader. When
hundreds of villagers came out to resist the attack, the
police joined the masked gang and attacked the crowd. One
Amar Bikash Chakma was killed and his dead body was not
returned to his family for cremation. The people of
Khagrachari, including respected Jummas and Bangladeshi
leaders have approached the Deputy Commissioner many
times to take legal action against the armed gang, but
the DC reportedly expressed his inability to take action
because the gang received the backing of higher
authorities in Dhaka.
In 1996 the Organising Committee CHT Campaign received
a publication 'Atrocious Activities of PCP' by the
Parbatya Gono Parishad (Council of Hill People- CHP), the
military-backed organisation of the Bangladeshi settlers
that was responsible for the Naniarchar massacre in
November 1993. In the publication, 38 so-called human
rights violations perpetrated by the Hill Students
Council (or Pahari Chattro Parishad - PCP) between
January 1994 and March 1996 were listed. The Organising
Committee CHT Campaign gave a copy of the publication to
the PCP (Hill Students' Council) and asked them for their
reaction. In reply the HSC circulated 'A Thousand Lies
Cannot Substitute a Truth. In Reply To The Malicious
Propaganda By Council Of Hill People' in which the
allegations by the Council of Hill People were refuted.
According to the Hill Students Councils most of the
incidents concerned false allegations, were distorted
and/or fabricated.
Sources:
- Life is not ours: the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Commission
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