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| Chakmas, Bangladesh
© Mark McEvoy/Survival |
In recent months there has been an upsurge of violence against tribal
peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, known collectively
as the Jummas. In August, an 11-month old baby was badly injured during
an attack by settlers in which both his parents were killed; no action
has been taken against the perpertrators.
Despite a peace agreement between the Jummas and the government of
Bangladesh in 1997, the Jummas are still not safe from settler and army
aggression. Although the government promised that all temporary
military camps would be withdrawn, only 31 out of 500 camps have gone,
and a new military camp is being established in the Hills, bringing
with it more harrassment and intimidation.
In a typical incident, soldiers raised a village of the Mog tribe. They
arrested and tortured a number of the Mog men and attempted to sexually
harass two young Mog women. On August 23rd, the army killed an 18-year
old student, and others have been tortured in separate incidents. More
than 100 settler families moved onto Jumma land in July; according to
the peace agreement, all new colonization of Jumma lands should have
stopped.
