| Massive Chakma Demonstration in New Delhi for Peace in CHT 25 February 2010, New Delhi A massive demonstration led by Ven. Karunalankar Mahathero, President, Peace Campaign Group and Mr. Suhas Chakma, Director, Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network was held today in New Delhi to protest recent Bangladeshi military atrocities in CHT. Over 1000 people--including Chakmas and non-Chakmas- -participated in the demonstration. On 19 February Bengali-speaking settlers backed by Bangladeshi military perpetrated arson attacks on indigenous villages in Baghaihat area, Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). More than 450 houses of indigenous people were burnt into ashes and eight indigenous people were killed and over 100 indigenous people including women and children were injured in these attacks. The ethnic clashes and tension continued spreading in different areas of CHT till 24 February. According to latest reports received, 60 houses of indigenous people were burnt down in Khagrachari district town alone and dozens of indigenous people were injured in a series of arson attacks in other areas. Curfew was reportedly imposed in affected areas to 'control' the situation. Thousands of indigenous people fled away from their homes and went hiding in forests fearing more attacks. They were reportedly living in a critical condition under open sky and without food and drinking water and medical facilities. The attacks began with a democratic protest of indigenous people against resumption of a project undertaken by Bangladeshi military some one decade ago for settlement of over 15,000 Bengali-speaking settlers in Sajek area. The area is covered with forest and full of forest resources. The government is accused of having a design to bring the area under its strategic control by linking it with rest of Bangladesh through construction of road network for settlement of Bengali-speaking settlers and exploitation of resources there. The project has threatened with the eviction of thousands of indigenous families from the area. The demonstration organized under the banner of PCG and CHT-support groups demanded, among others, the withdrawal of Bangladeshi military rule and Bengali-speaking settlers from CHT and proper implementation of the CHT Accord of 1997 and stop of the Bangladeshi policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide in the region. The demonstration widely covered by different media was addressed by Ven. Karunalankar Mahathero, Mr. Subimal Chakma and Mr. Suhas Chakma, among others. Bangladeshi military, it may be mentioned here, committed so far 13 major genocides against the indigenous people. An estimated 15,000 indigenous people were killed in these genocides. Ironically, none of the accused was brought to justice! Genocides and communal arson attacks like the one stated above are allegedly designed and perpetrated by Bangladeshi military with instruction from Dhaka for making rooms for settlement of illegal Bengali-speaking settlers in the lands of indigenous people. As part of its alleged ethnic cleansing policy, Dhaka has been sponsoring illegal settlement of Bengali-speaking settlers in CHT since 1980s. It has dramatically changed the demographic composition of the region (Bengali-speaking Muslims were less than 2% of the total population of CHT in 1947; the figure has gone up more than 65% in 2001). It has threatened the very survival of the indigenous people in their traditional home, CHT. After the demonstration a delegation led by Ven. Karunalankar Mahathero submitted a memorandum to the Office of the Prime Minister of India demanding Indian constructive intervention for peaceful solution to the decade-old ethnic problem in CHT.
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