Shocking Tribals Tragedy in Chittagong Hill Tracts: UN Demands Justice in Bangladesh – Urgent Update
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples have expressed grave concerns regarding escalating violence against the indigenous Jumma people in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). In a joint statement, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum, and José Francisco Cali Tzay, the UN Special Rapporteur, urged Bangladesh’s interim government to take immediate protective measures for the Jumma people against indiscriminate attacks. They also called for an impartial inquiry into the violence and the prosecution of those responsible to curb the prevailing culture of impunity.
The UN experts highlighted that the recent surge in violence is part of a prolonged pattern of discrimination and marginalization against the Jumma community, which has faced forced evictions and increased militarization in the region for decades. The statement additionally urged social media companies to prevent the spread of hate speech and misinformation against the Jumma people on their platforms.
Furthermore, the statement emphasized the importance of implementing the CHT Peace Accords of 1997, in accordance with national and international laws, particularly the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article 7 of this declaration asserts the collective right of indigenous people to live in freedom, peace, and security without being subjected to acts of violence or genocide.
The UN entities also suggested that the interim government invite the United Nations to investigate human rights violations in the region and collaborate with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and relevant stakeholders for comprehensive monitoring.
Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), remarked that the statement marks a critical step towards acknowledging the severe human rights abuses against the Jumma people, posing a significant responsibility on Dr. Mohammed Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government, to decide his legacy as either a peace advocate or an enabler of human rights violations.
Original Story https://nenews.in/politics/killings-of-tribals-in-chittagong-hill-tracts-un-experts-urge-bangladesh-to-bring-perpetrators-to-justice/14872/
Category : Politics,Bangladesh,United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
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