CHT: Restrain internal strife

28 January 2011, 18:00 PM

Ekram Kabir

The gunfight between Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Sanghstha [PCJSS] and United People's Democratic Front [UPDF] on 21 January may have hit the front pages, but it hasn't come as a surprise. Incidences such as this have happened on regular intervals since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts [CHT] Peace Treaty in 1997. Most of the times, these find places in the inside pages of the print media. Some of the times, such as this one, when fatalities are too many, they hit the headlines. The latest fight left five persons dead. According to reports, at least 300 persons were killed and about 900 others wounded since the signing of peace accord. Apart from these, clashes and feuds have been leading to loss of property in the region. The above picture says the peace accord may have stopped insurgency in the region, but it has certainly not made CHT stable. JSS, the pro-peace treaty hill organization, and UPDF, known to have its stance against the treaty, have been at loggerheads for many years now. The latest gory incidence, reportedly took place over establishing supremacy over certain area. The reports say the common objective of the feuding parties seems to be collection of tolls. This reminds how insurgents used to collect tolls during the time of war for a long time. The issues of seizing influence in an area and collecting tolls are understandable because this is nothing new in Bangladesh politics. But what is worrying is that if these infightings continue, the implementation of the peace accord would perpetually remain a far cry. The people of the CHT would never see the light of development that they earnestly desire. And Bangladesh would still be toiling with a huge number of population who still be extreme poor. CHT is also strategically important area for Bangladesh. It has borders with two very important neighbours. The area that borders India is a very sensitive one. On the other side of the border in Indian North-East, the issue of separatism is very much in place. A stable CHT would be urgently required to keep workable ties with the Indian government on the issue of separatism. Then again, CHT is the only communication link on land with Burma. The Burmese border is more important than the Indian one. Apart from trade and commerce with Burma, this stretch of border is also the sources of illegal infiltration as well as drug and weapons smuggling. These are very important for Bangladesh's internal security. The success of Bangladesh's counter-terrorism efforts would also depend on a peaceful CHT. The law enforcers quite often unearth militant training camps in the remote hills and jungles of the region. If the local indigenous leaderships don't help the government in its anti-terror drives, the region will continue to be a terrorist den. The JSS, as local organization, would have to go a long way. The JSS should remember that there have been a few positive developments since the accord. The CHT Regional Council [CHTRC] is the direct result of the accord. The sub-clause (a) of the Clause 9 of the accord says: "The Council shall coordinate all the development activities carried out by the three Hill District Councils, and shall also superintend and harmonize all the affairs of and assigned to the three Hill District Councils. Besides, in the event of lack of harmony or any inconsistency being found in the discharge of responsibilities given to the three Hill District Councils, the decision of the Regional Council shall be final." Now, does JSS have any time for anything else? Does it have any time for getting locked in infighting? Since the chief of the CHTRC and JSS is the same person, he is in the perfect position to realize that if these infightings continue, the lot will never improve there. JSS has many grievances over the state of affairs in CHT. It has been alleging about government's indifference in implementing the treaty, human rights violation by the army as well as Bengali population, rapes, abductions etc. There is a chance that the government may not have any other option but to redeploy the troops who were pulled out after the present government came to power. No-one wishes to see that happening. The JSS chief keeps blaming the government for the present state of affairs. He alleges the lack of government initiatives in implementing the accord. He may be quite right. But the time has come to question: how must JSS as the prime organization has done so far? The JSS may also need to assess the factionalism within itself. Because factionalism weakens a party. UPDF, on the other hand, opposes the accord. It wants full autonomy of the region. Well, here lies the tricky part. UPDF may have its reason for opposing the treaty, but it must not oppose the issues that will help CHT to develop. Both these two organizations need to remember that these incidences may scare the international development partners away from the region. The implementation of the accord may take a long time, but the development of CHT region is a must. The urgent agenda for the JSS as well as UPDF would have to be to "let the region develop." UPDF's objectives say: "The party shall endeavour to ensure the rights, dignity and interest of all residents of the CHT. The party shall give priority to the specific issues of the people of the CHT in performing its activities. The party, with a view to ensuring the rights of the citizens of the country and to establishing a democratic society, shall work together with other democratic parties." However, if this is about mere toll collection, both the parties would risk losing respect of the overall population of Bangladesh. The state may have different attitude towards the indigenous people, but the common people of this country bear huge respect for the indigenous communities. Any deviation from the promises by the indigenous leaders would certainly tarnish their image among the people. The government, on its part, needs to be serious about CHT. The faster it gets into business of implementing the accord, the better for the whole country, not to mention the region. The CHT Affairs Ministry is only in the news when there's an occasion such as World Indigenous Day and the Accord-signing anniversary. The people are in dark about the activities of the ministry to harness the tremendous potentials of the region. The ministry could have helped by holding a press conference immediately after Friday gunfight. In fact, the ministry would do a great service to the indigenous people as well as the overall population if it holds regular briefing on CHT issues. In its efforts to develop the region, the government may focus on its potentials in tourism. CHT is really a "sleeping beauty" (The independent, UK). All the government needs to do is to wake the region up. CHT is still a fearful region for the majority of Bangladeshis. As long as these infightings continue, it is likely to remain "fearful" and the country would miss out on all the potentials. Ekram Kabir is a journalist and a writer.