We denounce in the strongest terms the government’s decision to bar communications between local and foreign persons or organisations, and the indigenous population of the Chittagong Hill Tracts area. At a time when we should be moving forward by eliminating discriminatory policies, we have taken a massive a step backwards by introducing a policy of separation.
These directives – which have already been sent out by the Home Ministry – mandate the presence of a local administration, military, or BGB official if a local or foreign individual wishes to meet with an indigenous person in the area. That mandate is retrograde and patently absurd.
There can be no justification for barriers to interaction between the indigenous, Bengali, and foreign communities.
We side with the widespread condemnation the move has already been met with, and believe the move is a racist and communalistic one, that will do nothing to resolve tensions in the CHT region. Rather, it is a great shame that a nation with a secular constitution has begun to enforce institutionalised apartheid.
These policies would indeed be a violation of the basic constitutional freedoms of the citizens of the country. Enforcing separation is not the way to bring about peace in the CHT, and the present move will clamp down on indigenous rights even further, instead of forwarding them.
We urge the government to scrap this disgraceful measure, and work towards a policy of greater openness.
