Santu threatens movement

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Former guerilla leader Jyotirindra Bodhipriya (Santu) Larma said he will lead an agitation from the new year for execution of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) accord, reports bdnew24.com. "The accord was signed 14 years ago but so far, there is no development in implementing it," said Santu, now heading the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS). He was speaking at a press conference at a city hotel Wednesday marking the 14th anniversary of the accord that ended decades of bloody bush war. He put forward a 19-point charter of demand for immediate implementation of the accord. "PCJSS will begin public relations and take up agitation programme from January next year to realise the demand," he said. If the government does not take any step to implement the accord, tough action programmes would be declared in March, he added. "Unstable situation may be created in future in the CHT region," he warned. The PCJSS president alleged that the UPDF (United People's Democratic Front) was the creation of the government. "In 1997, when we were surrendering our arms at the stadium, they protested against the accord." The UPDF has two objectives - to destroy the PCJSS and put hurdles to the implementation of the peace accord, he added. UNB adds: The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Commission on Wednesday urged the government to form an independent and impartial commission to investigate the allegations of gross violation of human rights in the hill tracts. Co-chairperson of the CHT Commission Advocate Sultana Kamal made the call at a press conference at National Press Club following the commission's sixth mission in the CHT. Sultana Kamal said the Commission voices strong disappointment over the recent actions violating constitutional as well as international norms of freedom of movement, personal liberty and security, and freedom of expression. "The Commission remains committed to pursuing its work by engaging relevant stakeholders in a spirit of frank dialogue for the promotion of peace and upholding human rights in the CHT in the spirit of non-discrimination and respect for the dignity of all peoples and communities," she said in a written statement. Sultana Kamal said the Commission is deeply concerned by allegations of continuing human rights violations in the CHT and the climate of fear and insecurity that seems to prevail. "The violent incident in Ramgarh that took place in April 2011 is the latest in a series of such events that have occurred since 2008." "Unfortunately", she said, "No impartial, independent and transparent inquiry report on these has been made public, nor those responsible have been held accountable through the process of law." Sultana Kamal said a culture of impunity thus continues to prevail in the CHT, negatively affecting the human rights of both the indigenous and Bangali communities as well as the relations between them. The CHT Commission put forward a set of recommendations to ensure human rights in the hill districts. The recommendations include taking measures to build confidence among all Bangalis and indigenous people, holding constructive dialogue at the political level and declaring a timeframe for the withdrawal of temporary camps of security forces in accordance with the 1997 CHT Accord.