News
No. 76/2012, Thursday, September
06, 2012
THE International Council for the Indigenous Peoples of
CHT (ICIP-CHT) has expressed concern at the recent developments in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In a letter to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh
Hasina, dated 7 August, the ICIP-CHT president Dr Aditya Kumar Dewan said his
organization, also known as International Jumma Organization (IJO), was
concerned at some of the developments in the CHT.
Referring
to the deportation of Mr Tom Eskildsen, Co-President of Jumma Net, Japan, and
an adviser to the CHT Commission, from Hazrat Shajalal International airport on
23 July 2012, Mr Dewan said, ‘He holds a valid visa, yet no reason was cited
and no allegation was brought against him. Tom Eskildsen has been visiting Bangladesh
for last 25 years.’
He
has also sought to draw the attention of the PM to ‘the government’s
restriction on the entry of foreigners into the CHT and obligation on their
part to have a representative of the district administration present while
talking to an indigenous person.’
Mr
Dewan said: ‘We finally draw your attention to the recent government
instruction directing the district level administration not to extend support
in celebrating the ‘International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples’, an
event which has been held since 1994 in Bangladesh.’
He
cited a Daily Star editorial to refute the government claim that there are no
indigenous peoples in Bangladesh: "Nothing could be further from the truth
when government officials declare nationally and internationally that there are
no indigenous people in Bangladesh and this is not the sort of message we should
be sending out to the international community (The Daily Star editorial, 3
August 2012)."
He
said: ‘By indulging in such acts, the government is giving a wrong message to
the outside world. This helps to substantiate the speculation inside and
outside the country that [the] government is trying to hide the mischief it is
committing in the CHT.’
The
ICIP-CHT president hoped that the PM will ‘look into our concerns with utmost
care and importance and will act to redress these issues raised to uphold Bangladesh’s
image as a democratic government practicing pluralism and inclusion, and
thereby efforts be made to establish peace and prosperity in the CHT and Bangladesh.’
The ICIP-CHT is an organization of the Jumma diaspora, and
was formally established at a convention held in Chiangmai,
Thailand on 21 – 22 July
this year.
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