Int’l CHT Commission condemns arson attack on Jumma people in Khagrachari

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) has strongly condemned the recent arson attack on the Jumma people of Joysen Para in Maischari union of Mahalchari Upazila, Khagrachari district.

In a press release issued on Friday, the CHTC demanded an immediate, impartial investigation, compensation for the victims, and justice, to prevent further recurrence of such attacks.

Citing a news report, CHTC said, "It has been learnt that on 5 July 2022, a group of 150-200 Bengali settlers, led by former union council member Md Aziz, carried out the attack on the above-mentioned Jumma village with the intention of grabbing Jumma land."

In the attack, the Bengali settler group burnt 37 Jumma houses to ashes and looted everything from the houses (including utensils) before setting fire to them. Four Jumma persons were also injured in the attack and two had to be hospitalised.

"For a long time, Bengali settlers have been trying to grab land in Joysen Para belonging to the Jumma. For years, they have been harassing and intimidating the local Jumma in many ways, including barring them from using their crematorial grounds.

"On 16 September 2020, local police had to come and intervene when residents from the nearby Sapru Karbari Para tried to use their crematorial space, and Bengali settlers prevented them. Further, on 14 March 2022, Bengali settlers set fire to a few Jumma houses in Joysen Para."

The CHTC said local administration and security forces were informed at the time of both incidents. It is further alleged that the recent attack on 5 July 2022 occurred in the presence of security forces that did nothing to prevent the Bengali settlers.

The commission believes this attack and other previous such attacks on Jumma are the result of the failure of the government and security forces to provide security for the Jumma.

In the same Upazila, on 26 August 2003, Bengali settlers burnt down 312 houses and killed two Jumma persons (including an eight-month-old baby) in a communal attack. The Jumma are yet to receive justice for that incident, said the CHTC.

Due to the non-implementation of the CHT Accord, the inertia and inaction of the Land Commission, and the existing culture of impunity, communal attacks on indigenous peoples by Bengali settlers in the Chattogram hill tracts is rapidly rising. Such arson attacks are slowly destroying everyday life, and the cultural essence and artefacts of the Jumma, said the commission.

The CHTC also said recently, they have worryingly noticed that when such incidents occur in the Chattogram hill tracts, for some reason, our country's mainstream media remains very silent.

"For example, only one mainstream print media covered the recent incident of Joysen Para. In this regard, the Commission would also like to urge the print and electronic media of the country to be more sensitive and active in promoting peace and prosperity in the Chattogram hill tracts," said the commission.

The Commission also called for speedy implementation of the CHT Accord and for the CHT Land Commission to be more functionally active.