The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission on Tuesday in a statement called upon the Bangladesh security forces to cease collective punishment of Bawm civilians in the wake of latest looting of banks and snatching of firearms from the law enforcement agencies.
The CHT commission urged the Bangladesh authorities to halt human rights violations, and release innocent civilians immediately.
The commission also 鈥榚mphatically鈥� called for protection of civilians and urged immediate action to tackle challenges posed by聽 alleged sponsored proxy conflicts.
It also called for concerted efforts to uphold the CHT Accord signed in 1997 and facilitate constructive dialogue for sustainable peace.
Three co-chairpersons鈥擲ultana Kamal, Elsa Stamatopoulou and Myrna Cunningham Kain鈥� of the CHT Commission singed the statement and urged the ethnic group Kuki-Chin National Front to resume peace dialogue with the peace committee, cease criminal activities, and return to normalcy to preserve peace in the region.
The statement read that the commission was deeply concerned about escalating tensions in Bandarban and their potential impact on regional peace in the hill region.
On April 2 and 3, the KNF reportedly carried out a series of bank robberies in Ruma and Thanchi upazilas of Bandarban.
They also attacked police personnel, bank security guards, and Ansar members, while looting firearms.
The CHTC strongly condemned these criminal acts by the KNF, especially since these occurred in less than a month after the 2nd round of peace talks held between the KNF and the peace establishment committee led by Bandarban Hill District Council鈥檚 chairman Kya Shew Hla.
Police investigators said that 63 people so far were arrested at Ruma and Thanchi police stations.
The statement said that there had been even allegations that the creation of the KNF was part of a 鈥榙ivide and rule鈥� policy to maintain unrest in the CHT by 鈥榓 vested interest group鈥�.
Reports have surfaced regarding a newly formed armed group in the CHT known as the Marma Nationalist Party, allegedly sponsored by the 鈥榮ame vested group鈥� that backed the inception of the KNF, the statement added.
The CHTC has repeatedly voiced concerns about support provided to such armed groups by this vested group to hinder the implementation of the CHT Accord and to create unrest in the CHT by destabilising harmony among the indigenous groups.
The CHTC is deeply worried about these developments and believes they stem from the prolonged non-implementation of the CHT Accord, even 25 years after its signing.
