To download: LARS-PF11lars-anders280

To download: Wasfia-Agenda 8 FINAL.WN

Thank you, Madame Chairperson and warm and respectful greetings to all.

I feel privileged and honored that I, as a Bengali, can add voice to the plight of the indigenous peoples of my land. However, a part of me also feels ashamed that I come here, as a Bengali, whose fellow people have been, and continue to carry out ethnic displacement, land grabbing, human rights violations, rape and other forms of violence against the Indigenous People, or the Jummas, in Chittagong Hill Tracts for over four decades now.

Before going into further details on our position on the Indigenous People, I want to respond to a few points made by Honorable Iqbal Ahmed, First Secretary of Bangladesh Mission. (more…)

To download: U K Zan-Statement on CHT Accord

Thank you, Madame Chair, for giving me the floor. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as the chairperson of the 10^th session of UNPFII and to all other members for their nominations to the Forum.

Madame Chair,

We are growing increasingly skeptical of the government’s sincerity to implement the CHT Accord. The government implemented only those provisions that met their integrationist goals.¹ The more substantive aspects of the Accord were left out, for example: (more…)

To download: Sami-Council-Statement_v1 on CHT Accord

The Saami Council believes that the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord is a foundation legal document that can restore the rights of the Indigenous People of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and congratulates the Government of Bangladesh for having signed this Accord.

(more…)

To download: RDR-CHT-Accrd-8-Final-Vrsn

Madame Chairperson, Indigenous, state & non-governmental delegations, ladies & gentlemen

CONGRATULATIONS TO RAPPORTEUR

I offer my congratulations to Mr. Lars Anders Baer for his report on the Implementation Status of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997 (E/C.19/2011/6). It is well-researched and factual, and contains reasonable and implementable recommendations. I also commend the observer governments for participating in the discussion today. This is what the Forum is all about: to have dialogues between indigenous peoples, governments and others. I wish more of this were to happen, here in the plenary of this Forum, in side events parallel to the sessions and in informal discussions over meals or at the governmental missions in New York. (more…)

To download: MKC-PF11angal282

Thank you, Madame Chair, distinguished Govemment delegates, honorable indigenous sisters and brothers,

I, on behalf of PCJSS, political party of indigenous Jumma peoples which signed chittagong Hill Tracts (cHT) Accord in 1997, would like to take this opportunity to thank Special Rapporteur on the Study on the status of implementation ofthe cHT Accord of 1997 Mr. Lars-Anders Baer for his excellent study report.

It is wofh mentioning that CHT Accord was signed aimed at resolving the CHT problem through political and peaceful means. It paves the way for the peace, development and opportunities to meaningful engagement of indigenous peoples in the CHT. (more…)

To download: Lina-Intervention on peace accord (Final)

Thank you, Madame Chair, distinguished Government delegates, honorable indigenous sisters and brothers,

I, on behalf of Kapaeeng Foundation, a national human rights organisation of indigenous peoples and Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, national platform of indigenous peoples, congratulate Mr. Lars-Anders Baer, the Special Rapporteur, for his authentic and excellent report on the Study on the status of implementation of the CHT Accord of 1997. (more…)

To download: joint statement ai+iwgia, 10th Session UNPFII-1

Thank you Madam Chair for allowing us this opportunity to address the Permanent Forum.

We would like to start by complimenting the Special Rapporteur on his study on the status of implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997. The study provides a useful overview of the extent to which the provisions of the Accord have been implemented and presents the main challenges related to the implementation of the Accord.

The study confirms the content of numerous reports on the situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts as well as the statements made over the years by Indigenous peoples from the Chittagong Hill Tracts to the Permanent Forum, namely, that progress in implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord is painfully slow and that the slow progress is exacerbating the distressing human rights situation facing the indigenous peoples in the region.

(more…)

To download: IIWF-North America-PF11celeste293

Good morning. As this is the first time I take the floor, I congratulate the Chair and new Members of the Permanent Forum for their appointment.

The North America Indigenous Peoples Caucus at the 10^th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues expresses our firm support for the following summarized statement presented by Chief Wilton Littlechild, International Chief for Treaty 6, 7 and 8, at the Chittagong Hill Tracts “Implementation of the 1997 Peace Accord” demonstration held yesterday, Tuesday May 23^rd 2011, at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in New York.

(more…)

To download: GIPC UNPFII10 Statement CHT

The Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the status of implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997 and warmly thanks Mr. Lars Anders Baer for this important work.

We also express our solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, thank the Permanent Forum for their attention to this critical situation, and recommend ongoing follow-up and oversight by the Permanent Forum regarding implementation.

(more…)

To download:   Denmark-Statement on peace accord 

Madame Chair, distinguished members of the Permanent Forum, representatives of Indigenous Peoples and member states,

Let me begin with congratulating the Special Repporteur on his report on the status of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord 1997. We find the report to be thorough and we welcome the recommendations and encourage the relevant stakeholders to follow up accordingly.

Denmark is a long development partner of Bangladesh and Denmark remains committed to the promotion of indigenous peoples’ rights, which is a priority in our foreign policy. (more…)

To download: ASIA Caucus re CHTs Report

Asia IP Caucus Statement. Delivered by Rukka Sombolinggi

Madame Chair, Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus would like to call for international solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and to express our serious concerns for the appalling situation in that region.

Since the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord (CHTs Accord) was signed in 1997, there has been no sign of progress in the implementation process of the Accord. In fact, we have witnessed the worsening situations faced by indigenous peoples in the CHTs. (more…)

24 April 2011
To
The Honorable Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Prime Minister’s Office
Tejgaon, Dhaka

Subject: Renewed violence in the CHT and the need for implementation of the CHT Accord

Dear Madam,
The CHT Commission has observed with alarm the developments in Ramgarh upazila in Khagrachhari district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In the first four months of this year there have already been two major arson attacks in the CHT. During both incidents there have been losses of lives, severe injuries to both Bangalis and Paharis and extensive damage to property. During both incidents there have been allegations that a group of Bangalis in presence of security personnel, set fire to homes of Paharis. There has been some damage also to homes of Bangalis. In the case of the incident on 17 April in Ramgarh, three Bangali men, one Pahari man and a child have allegedly lost their lives. We condemn such killings and demand that the perpetrators of these acts be brought to justice. There have been allegations in the Ramgarh attacks that Paharis who were not concerned with the attacks in Ramgarh and were travelling in public buses were attacked by Bangalis in presence of security forces. There are also allegations that a Pahari man is still missing after these attacks. It is elemental that the people who carried out and abetted this violence be brought to justice and investigations carried out immediately to find any missing persons.

(more…)

News No. 114/2011, May 9, 2011

THE settlers made another unsuccessful attempt to grab land in Ramgarh under Khagrachari district yesterday.

According to sources, at around 9am, a group of 30 – 40 settlers from Gochchabil and Jamtola went to Wakchari village under Hafchari Union to grab about 10 acres of land belonging to Jumma people.

When they began clearing bushes and shrubs for aurum cultivation, a member of Hafchari Union, Ula Pru Marma, protested, asking them not to take away other people’s lands. (more…)

Please click the link to sign in the Petition to save indigenous Jumma people  of  Chittagong hill tracts, Bangladesh.

PCJSS (Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti)

On 17 April 2011 Bengali settlers with the direct support of local administration committed massive communal arson attack on five indigenous Jumma villages of Hafchari union of Ramgarh upazila and two villages in Manikchari upazila under Khagrachari district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. In this attack around 100 houses belonging to indigenous Jumma villagers including two Buddhist temples were completely burnt to ashes. At least 20 Jummas including three women were injured while 4 Bengali settlers died. Many Jummas remain still missing. The Jummas have fled in to the jungle in the face of the settler attack. Till 19 April 2011, no relief has been provided to the victims who have been living under open sky in the jungle. (more…)

chtnews.com
News No. 80/2011, April 18, 2011

ONE day after the arson attack in Ramgarh, the government has yet to
provide any relief to the victims who have been living under open sky
in the jungle.
 (more...)

chtnews.com
News No. 79/2011, April 18, 2011

THE United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) has rejected the 3-member
inquiry committee headed by Khagrachari ADC Salauddin and demanded
that the government constitutes an independent and impartial judicial
inquiry committee to probe yesterday’s arson attacks on Jumma villages
in Ramgarh.

Pradipan Khisha, chief organiser of UPDF Khagrachari district unit, in
a statement also said the present inquiry committee members are not
impartial.
 (more...)