New Delhi: The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples have expressed deep concern over the growing violence against the indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
Chairperson of the Permanent Forum Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim and the UN Special Rapporteur José Francisco Cali Tzay, in a joint statement on Monday, called on the interim government of Bangladesh “to take immediate action to protect the Jumma people from violent and indiscriminate attacks, conduct an impartial commission of enquiry into allegations of violence and prosecute perpetrators to end the culture of impunity”.
In the joint statement, the UN experts stated, “The recent violence is set against a backdrop of broader discrimination and marginalization of the indigenous Jumma people, who for decades have been subjected to forced evictions and heightened militarization of the region.”
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Special Rapporteur called on social media companies to take all relevant steps to prevent their platforms from disseminating hate speech and misinformation regarding the indigenous Jumma people.
The Forum and the UN Special Rapporteur also called on the interim government to implement the CHT Peace Accords of 1997 in line with national and international laws and the provisions contained within the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Article 7 in particular, which states that “indigenous people have the collective right to live in freedom, peace and security as distinct people and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence.
Furthermore, the UN experts called on the interim government to invite the United Nations to investigate and report on allegations of human rights violations in the region and to monitor the situation unhindered in coordination with the interim government, Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and relevant stakeholders.
“This joint statement by the UN experts is a significant step towards recognition of the crime of genocide and other acts of violence being perpetrated upon the indigenous Jumma people of the CHTs. The onus is on Dr. Mohammed Yunus, Chief Advisor of the Interim Government, as to whether he wants to be remembered as a Noble Laureate for peace or a perpetrator of gross human rights violations on the most marginalised community in Bangladesh,” stated Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG).
