Abuses in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

The tribal people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts have for over two decades been the targets of massacres, arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial executions. They must now be assured that their fundamental human rights will be respected. There is a strong need for the establishment of institutions and mechanisms that promote and protect the rights of the people, that ensure respect for people’s fundamental human rights by the police and local bodies, and that enable the people to invoke appropriate procedures to seek redress for human rights violations. To that end, it is imperative that the government undertakes a thorough review of the law enforcement mechanisms and judicial processes to remove any biases against the rights of the tribal people. At the same time, the National Human Rights Commission should as a matter of priority be established and receive adequate resources to monitor the human rights situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and recommend appropriate action.

A culture of violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, developed during years of armed confrontation, has allowed human rights violations to be committed in the majority of cases with impunity. The main perpetrators have been the law enforcement personnel and groups close to the army within the Bengalis settlers, while the armed opposition has also been responsible for instances of human rights abuse. Serious efforts are therefore needed to combat this legacy. To that end, it is imperative that past human rights violations are addressed without delay. Amnesty International recommends that the Government of Bangladesh and the Chittagong Hill Tracts authorities establish a special commission to conduct far reaching inquiries into all incidents of past human rights violations ensuring that they are all investigated fully, independently, impartially and competently. The aim should be to identify those who were involved in abusing human rights during the armed conflict – be they in the army, in the police forces or in the former armed opposition – so that they can be brought to justice.

The most complex and difficult phase in any situation is peace-building in the early years after a conflict has ended. This requires a coordinated approach in which local, national, regional and international aid, development, humanitarian and human rights bodies all invest in nurturing civil society and rebuilding the institutions that guarantee the rule of law. When such guarantors of human rights are strong, it is less likely that a region emerging from conflict will again descend into it. Such efforts need to include the development of a fair and impartial judicial system, the provision of human rights training for the law enforcement personnel, for the judiciary, and for the society at large.

In Amnesty International’s view, peace building in the Chittagong Hill Tracts requires lasting cooperation from all sections of the Bangladesh society, including government institutions, the ruling and the opposition parties, prominent personalities, parliamentarians, intellectuals, professionals and notables of local communities.

The signing of the accord without outside mediation was an important achievement for both the Bangladesh Government and the tribal representatives. However, an Amnesty International delegation visiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts in May 1999 to assess the human rights situation there found that some of its main provisions had not been fully implemented. These included the rehabilitation of all returned refugees, settlement of land confiscated from the tribal people, and withdrawal of non-permanent army camps from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Now, over two years on, these promises still remain only partially fulfilled.

This report covers the current human rights situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the aftermath of the peace accord. It provides appropriate background information as well as recommendations to ensure adherence to, and respect for, human rights principles. It is based on the finding of the afore-mentioned delegation and other information which the organization has gathered in the past year.

Source: http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA130012000?open&of=ENG-BGD