Former UPDF activist arrested in Guimara

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 15/2007, May 20, 2007

Army personnel on 17 May, Thursday, arrested a former activist of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) from Guimara under Khagrachari district.

Amar Chakma alias Chokkapeda of Babuchara village in Dighinala Upazilla of the district was arrested from his father-in-law’s house in Podachara village in Guimara at around 3:30 pm. He was taken to Sindukchari army camp under Guimara brigade after arrest.

His family members could not tell whether he has been produced before the court or whether any cases have been filed against him.

The army has extraordinary power to arrest any one under the state of emergency that was declared on 11 January this year.

Mr. Chakma resigned from theUPDF two years back for personal physical problems and has been leading a quiet life ever since. Before joining the Party he was kidnapped three times by the armed members of the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) and was brutally tortured while in captivity.

In a report the daily Purbokone, a Bangla language newspaper published from Chittagong, said a group of army personnel from Sindukchari zone raided the “terrorist den of the UPDF”, recovered two SBBL, two home-made guns and three rounds of live bullets and arrested three persons, but stopped short of mentioning the names of the arrested.

However, the Samakal, a national vernacular daily, and Suprabhat Bangladesh, published from Chittagong, mentioned the name of one of them, albeit, with incorrect spelling.

In all the above-mentioned reports, except the one in Purbokone, the date of arrest has been mentioned to be Saturday, 19 May. However, Purbokone did not bother to tell us when the incident was occurred.

After inquiry, HWHRF learnt that no incidents of army raids on “UPDF dens” in Guimara area on that day or in the last few days did ever took place. The report of recovering firearms has also turned out to be false.

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Army tortures and arrests innocent villagers in Naniachar

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 14/2007, May 10, 2007

The Bangladesh military personnel in a series of raids on Jumma villages in Naniachar under Rangamati district tortured 8 innocent villagers and arrested two.

HWHRF received complaint that on 27 April a group of army personnel from Naniachar zone carried out raids on four Jumma villages namely Egarallya Chara, Chongrakuttya, Gobchari and Gunguttyachari. It was a predawn raid and the soldiers encircled the villages on all sides, with rounding up the people at day-break.

At least eight villagers were beaten up inhumanly during the raids. The victims have been identified as Udoi Kiron Karbari (Egarallyachara), Sunil Bikash Talukder (Egarallyachara), Siddharth Chakma (Gobchari), Gyana Joti Chakma (Gobchari), Chokka Chakma (Gobchari), Mother of Babudhan (Gobchari), Purno Kumar Chakma (Gunguttyachari) and Barallya Chakma (Gunguttyachari).

Of them, Siddharth Chakma (55) s/o Buddha Moni Chakma and Jyana Joti Chakma (40) s/o Moti Lal Chakma were handed over to the police, while Purna Kumar Chakma was taken to the camp. He was tortured again there and released at night the same day.

Villagers said JSS members Siarth Chakma and Biarth Chakma - the two brothers who are in the pay of the army – played the role of collaborators in the planning and execution of the raids.

This and many other incidents tend to indicate that some people are now out to take advantage of the state of emergency to settle personal scores. They are furnishing the members of the joint forces with false tip-offs about people against whom they harbour some personal grudge.

The joint forces, on the other hand, do not often verify the information they receive and work in a mechanical way, putting their image at stake and victimizing the innocent people at the same time.

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UP chairman, 3 JSS men arrested in Rangamati

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 13/2007, May 09, 2007

Joint forces yesterday arrested Ghilachari Union Parishad chairman Mr. Amar Bikash Chakma and three other Jana Samhati Samiti activists from Manikchari in Rangamati district .

Mr. Chakma was on his way to Phuro Moan Bhabona Kendra, a Buddhist meditation centre, to become a Sramana or novice.

The joint forces personnel stopped a bus carrying him at Manikchari in Ghagra, dragged him out and sent him to Rangamati. The reason for his arrest could not be known.

Three other JSS activists were also reportedly arrested by the military. However, their identities could not be known.

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Former JSS rebel commander arrested in Khagrachari

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 12/2007, May 09, 2007

Former Shanti Bahini rebel commander Mr. Tatindra Lal Chakma, better known as Pele, his nom de guerre, and another JSS activist were arrested on 5 May in Khagrachari, Northern Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Both of them were held by joint forces for allegedly demanding toll from Grameen Bank, the bank of micro credit Guru Mohammad Yunus, who won Nobel Peace Prize a few months back.

The police first arrested Nagor Chakma, 31, an active member of the Jana Samhati Samiti, from his Boradom residence in Dighinala of the district. This was soon followed by the arrest of Major Pele, 47. He was picked up from his residence in Khagrachari town.

JSS members alleged that police used torture tactics to extract statement from Nagor Chakma admitting to being involved in toll collection.

Pele’s wife said her husband is a victim of a deep conspiracy. “I know who have instigated the police to arrest my husband”, she said alluding to the internal feuds and frictions within the JSS.

The former rebel commander has been at odds with Santu Larma, the president of JSS, over the question of peace negotiations with UPDF, another political party of the Jumma people founded in 1998. Pele and his followers favour a negotiated settlement of the intra-Jumma conflict, while Santu Larma and his hawkish lieutenants opt for a military solution. The difference blossomed into an open clash in Dighinala in February which claimed the lives of two JSS members.

Sources from Khagrachari said Pele is being questioned by joint forces and that no formal case has been filed against him.

“He is one of the best military commanders the Jumma struggle has ever produced and as a commander he was popular with both the Shanti Bahini members and the people at large” said one of his colleagues in praise of Mr. Pele. “Therefore, it is not surprising that many Jummas would view his arrest as an attempt to vilify a great struggle that they had been very much part of.”

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UPDF activist arrested in Manikchari

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 11/2007, May 08, 2007

The military yesterday arrested an activist of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) in Manikchari under Khagrachari district.

UPDF activist Ripon Chakma was arrested at around 12 noon from Noa Bazaar of Batnatoli. He was beaten up and taken to Sinkukchari zonal camp.

No further details could be known due to remoteness of the area.

His arrest pushed the number of total UPDF members arrested since the declaration of state of emergency on 11 January to ten.

Persecution against UPDF and its front organisations are common in the CHT. Even before emergency was enforced in the country, hundreds of UPDF members and supporters had been subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention. At present about one hundred of its members and supporters are being detained in jails in Khagrachari, Rangamati and Chittagong.

UPDF and its front organisations are campaigning for full autonomy through peaceful and democratic means.

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JSS men beat one in Manikchari

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 10/2007, April 27, 2007

A group of JSS men beat up an innocent villager named Mongal Mohan Chakma in Manikchari under Khagrachari district.

The incident took place on 25 March Saturday at around 12 noon when Mongal Mohan Chakma, aged 25, s/o late Kalachand Chakma of Mohesh Khali Dojori Para Village went to Manikchari bazaar to buy daily essentials.

Some members of the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) accused him of being a supporter of the UPDF and roughed him up. They were all drunk when they beat him.

The JSS members also took away Taka 100 from him.

The JSS men who took part in the beating are Mongbu Marma aged 36 s/o unknown of Manikchari Rajpara village, Kalabo Chakma aged 28 s/o Brejo Chakma of Golachari village and Eren Kaji Chakma aged 50 s/o late Toru Mohan Chakma of Manichari Rajpara village.

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Settler attempt to rape a Jumma woman

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 09/2007, April 27, 2007

An unidentified settler is alleged to have attempted to rape a Jumma woman in Manikchari under Khagrachari district.

UPDF (United People’s Democratic Front) sources said on 17 April, Tuesday, at around 12 noon Mrs. Arema Marma aged 20 w/o Kyoching Maung Marma of Mohish Khali Dojori Para village went to a nearby rivulet to fetch water.

A settler, who was working in the arum filed of Md. Kabir Ahmed, saw her alone and grabbed her. She exerted all her strength to shake him off and screamed for help. Hearing her shouts, the villagers rushed to the spot and rescued her. However, the culprit melted away before their arrival.

Mrs. Marma could not recognize him nor could remember whether she had seen him before in the area. She thinks he might have come from some other parts of the area to work as a day labourer.

The culprit is believed to have been hired by Kabir Ahmed of Gocchabil cluster village under Manikchari Thana.

Her family did not raise the issue with Kabir Ahmed to avoid unnecessary hazards.

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