New Delhi/Agartala, September 5 : Four organizations of the Indian Chakma tribal communities on Monday demanded that India and Bangladesh to fully apply the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) Accord which was which was signed in 1997, to promote peace and development in the region of southeast of the neighboring country.The demand was made in the wake of Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a four-day visit where she will hold discussions with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday.
The Chakma tribal groups, in a joint memorandum to both Prime Ministers on Monday, urged them both to adopt joint measures to ensure the complete implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) Accord, signed on December 2, 1997.The Accord also declaring the CHTs as an “region of peace”.
A prominent Chakma leader and former Mizoram MLA Rashik Mohan Chakma stated that, even though the CHTs Accord was signed over 25 years ago, the most important clauses of the agreement, such as the transfer of the administration of law, as well as control of the three Hill District Councils of Bandarban, Khagrachari, and Rangamati to the CHTs Regional Council was not yet completed.
Other provisions of the agreement that aren’t yet in place include the relocating of the Bangladesh Army camps established during the wars into CHTs’ cantonments the settlement of conflicts over land through the work of the CHTs Land Commission, and the resettlement of the refugees from tribal communities.
The founder of the Chakma Development Foundation of the Chakma Development Foundation of India Suhas Chakma stated that the significance of the implementation of the CHT Accord for regional peace and security, specifically for Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar can’t be overstated.In addition to the civil unrest of the indigenous population of CHTs collectively referred to as ‘Jummas’ because of the non-implementation of the Accord CHTs are frequently used by insurgent organizations, Suhas Chakma said in an announcement.
He stated that the ongoing armed conflict in the Arakan province of Myanmar which borders the CHTs, the deportation of more than 1.5 million Rohingyas to Bangladesh by Myanmar and the inability of the military junta in Myanmar to return any of the Rohingya refugees makes CHTs the root of regional conflict and instability.In actual fact peace in the region can only be achieved through the joint efforts of Bangladesh and India and the active involvement of the indigenous “Jumma” population in these efforts, by giving them the ability to govern themselves by ensuring full execution of the CHT Accord, he said.
“It isn’t in the interest of Bangladesh, India, indigenous ‘Jumma’ people , to be experiencing the ongoing civil unrest in the CHTs region, or let the region be used for a variety of insurgency-related activities said another tribal leader Pritimoy Chakma Convenor of the Chakma Hajong Rights Alliance (CHRA).
Tripura Rejyo Chakma Gabujyya Jodha President Priya Ranjan Chakma stated: “We have urged both the Prime Ministers to take steps to ensure full and efficient execution of the CHT Accord, declare an economic package to help the Bangladesh government to ensure the successful execution of the CHT Accord including resettlement of the’Jumma’ refugees who have returned from India and internally displaced people inside the CHTs in accordance with similar assistance to be provided by India to internally displaced people of Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the armed conflict with the ethnic Tamils.
“Processes should be initiated with the Jana Samhati Samiti which is one of the parties to the CHT Accord and all other participants of the indigenous aJumma’ people to end the civil tensions in the CHT region and to facilitate the creation of the CHTs as an area of peace.” he said in an announcement.
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