Quebec/New Delhi: The Chittagong Hill Tracts Indigenous Peoples Youth Federation (CHTIPYF) has called on the United Nations to expel representatives of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), led by Santu Larma, from the ongoing session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva.
Accusing the group of functioning as a government-sponsored paramilitary force in Bangladesh, the federation alleged that the PCJSS (Santu) has been involved in a series of grave human rights violations, including abduction, child soldier recruitment, arms and narcotics trafficking, and violence against indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In a statement issued Monday, CHTIPYF President Pragna Tapas Chakma said the group’s continued participation in international forums undermines the credibility of the United Nations.
He alleged that six indigenous villagers—Dhanamuni Chakma, Sukesh Chakma, Lakshi Shanti Chakma, Bhanga Hada Chakma, Shan Bikash Chakma, and Hullaya Chakma—were abducted on July 1 from Rangapani Chhara village in Sajek Union, Rangamati district, and that PCJSS (Santu) is demanding a ransom of 600,000 Bangladeshi Taka (approximately USD 5,500) for their release.
Chakma further claimed that despite controlling the CHT Regional Council for nearly three decades, the group has engaged in violent activities under the protection of the Bangladeshi state.
He cited recent arrests of alleged PCJSS operatives across India’s northeast, including the detention of minors in Tripura on June 4, a narcotics bust in Mizoram’s Lunglei district on June 19 involving drugs valued at over INR 104 million (USD 1.3 million), and a major arms seizure on February 12 in Mizoram, where authorities recovered AK-47 and M4 assault rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and communication devices.
Despite these allegations, Chakma said, the government of Bangladesh continues to support Santu Larma and his organisation.
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He accused the PCJSS (Santu) of killing more than 1,000 indigenous people over the past 27 years on behalf of the state.
The youth federation expressed confidence that the United Nations would not permit armed groups with such records to represent indigenous interests on the international stage and urged the immediate removal of PCJSS (Santu) from all related UN forums.
There has been no official response yet from PCJSS or Bangladeshi authorities regarding the allegations.
