4^th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

United Nations Headquarters, New York

16-27 May, 2005

 

Agenda Item 4(a): Human rights, with special emphasis on an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people

 

Statement by: Mrinal Kanti Tripura

 

on behalf of

Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Kapaeeng and Land Is Life

 

 

Congratulations for your appointment as the chairperson of this session of PFII.

 

We would like to share with you all the deteriorating situation of human rights in Bangladesh, in order to demonstrate the gaps and shortcomings within national and international human rights monitoring mechanisms, processes and networks.

 

Our recommendations include the following:

 

• Bringing forth an international mechanism to monitor treaties and agreements between indigenous peoples and states;

 

• Encouraging all governments, including the Government of Bangladesh, to withdraw their various restrictions in such human rights treaties as the Human Rights Covenants, and CEDAW, and to ratify the treaty on International Criminal Court.

 

• To strictly monitor and screen the human rights records of national armies, such as that of the Bangladesh Army, before allowing them to participate in UN Peacekeeping duties.

 

Chairperson,

 

You are aware that in 1997, the CHT “Peace” Accord was signed. However, although all the indigenous guerrillas handed down their guns and returned to normal life, the Government has refused to carry out its major obligations under the Accord, including to dismantle all temporary military and para-military camps other than in six specified garrisons. Many severe human rights violations have been committed by the Army and Paramilitary, including the following:

 

• Burning down of 400 houses, killing of two people, raping of nine women, desecration of Buddhist temples at Mahalchari on 26 August, 2003. It is ironical to note that the commander of the military personnel who led the attacks on fourteen villages in Mahalchari, aided by Bengali settlers, had just returned from UN peace-keeping duties. We do not know if the United Nations is aware that many of its former and future peacekeepers are gross violators of human rights in their own countries.

 

• Construction of new military-para-military camps, including at Tarasa, Kaokhali, Barkal, Nandaram, Babuchara, etc. At Barkal, a Buddhist monastery prayer room on a mount top was dismantled to house a radar. In addition, new areas are to be taken over for camps and training centres, including at Ruma, Panchari, Thega; 

 

• Secretly sponsoring population transfer of Bengali settlers on indigenous lands and instigating land-grabbing and ethnic riots;

 

• Interference by the Military Commander of Chittagong in the “Tribal Quota” allocations for state medical college seats;

 

The Executive Order “Operation Upliftment” is still in force in the CHT, virtually providing a quasi martial law system in practice in the CHT. The Mahalchari Arson has still not been investigated by an independent and impartial enquiry commission or other body. The National Ombudsman and the proposed National Human Rights Commission are still be appointed. Indigenous peoples are not in a position to provide a legal challenge to these activities, until and unless the aforesaid independent bodies are created. We seek the solidarity of all to monitor the human rights situation in Bangladesh.