Global rights campaigner Amnesty International has alleged that the failure of the Bangladeshi government in restoring the traditional land rights of indigenous people, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), is a “clear violation of international human rights law.”
In a statement published on Wednesday for a new report, “Pushed to the Edge,” the London-based rights watchdog says indigenous people of the CHT have been denied their lands rights along with adequate compensation for the land acquired from them, over the years.
Amnesty expresses concern over ongoing violence in the CHT and said: “The government’s failure to address traditional rights of the CHT people left tens of thousands of such people landless and trapped in a cycle of violent clashes with Bangalee settlers.”
The report categorises “authorities” and “presence of substantial army” as factors behind people’s sufferings and said authorities are often ineffectual and fail to protect the rights of indigenous people to security, life, livelihood as well as to land traditionally belonging to them.
Despite promises made in the 1997 accord to remove all temporary army camps from the area, the region still remains “Bangladesh’s most militarised with a substantial army presence,” says Amnesty.
“The current situation, with violent clashes being fuelled by disputes over land, continues to cause immense insecurity and suffering for the Pahari indigenous people, and the Bangladeshi authorities have to address it immediately,” says the report.
Thousands of Bangali settlers, who moved to the CHT both during and after the decade-long conflict, have gradually encroached on land, and renewed incidences of violent clashes.
The report referred as “settlers” those who were encouraged by the government to move to the area with offers of land, which was part of a counter-insurgency strategy.
It says though the 1997 peace accord mentions a series of reforms to restore traditional lands right, “these reforms have been partially fulfilled despite repeated promises by the ruling party.”
Amnesty expressed frustration over the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission, which was established in line with terms agreed on, is yet to give a single ruling on disputed land issues.
The rights organisation called upon the government of Bangladesh to respect its obligations under the International Human Rights law, the ILO Convention on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples No 107 and other human rights conventions.
