News No. 96/2013,
Monday, August 05, 2013
HUMAN RIGHTS
MONITORING CELL of the United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) has said the
illegal Bengali settlers have carried out five attacks on Jumma people in
Matiranga, Khagrachari between January and August 3 this year.
“Since January, Matiranga has seen five attacks by Bengali
settlers, resulting in the death or injury of dozens of innocent Jumma people.
Several hundred houses in fourteen villages have been burnt down during these
deadly attacks, while the attackers resorted to widespread looting.” said
Sachib Chakma, chief of the monitoring cell, today.
He said the attacks, often aided by Border Guards Bangladesh
personnel, had forced thousands of Jumma people to flee their homes to take
shelter either in the jungle or across the border in Indian state of Tripura.
“Some of the villages have suffered more than one attack” he
added.
The attacks:
On 25 January, the settlers attacked Hridoy Marma Para and
Hemongo Karbari Para, torching two houses and ransacking 34 others and Jitasuka
Buddhist temple.
On 2 April, 40-50 settlers mounted an attack on Pran Kumar
Para under Baranal Union and beat up Durjoy Tripura. BGB personnel accompanied
the settlers during the attack.
On 5 April, Bengali settlers led by Rafiq, Member of Baranal
Union, carried out a second attack on Pran Kumar Para, wounding 10 Jummas and
forcing 27 families to leave the village. The BGB personnel remained behind the
settlers during the attack to provide protection to them.
On 18 June, 200 settlers from Bandorchara near Gomati
bazaar carried out an attack on Takarmoni Para, forcing 40 families of the
village to flee to the jungle.
On 3 August, the settlers set fire to several hundred houses in
10 Jumma villages in Taindong, forcing three thousand people to seek refuge in
the Indian state of Tripura.
The Monitoring Cell also said that during the same period 16
Jumma were arrested by army and BGB. Of them, seven were released a few hours
after their arrests, while the rest were handed over to the police, who in
their turn sent them to Khagrachari jail after implicating them with false
cases including extortion. Those arrested and charged with extortion also
included a 60-year old man.
Rape:
According to the Cell,
at least two Jumma women were subjected to rape attempts in Matiranga during
this period.
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