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{{Template:Genocide of Indigenous peoples}}
{{Template:Genocide of Indigenous peoples}}


The '''Persecution of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh''' is an ongoing issue which caused the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts Conflict|a war]] between the indigenous peoples of the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]](CHT) and the Bangladeshi government. The conflict lasted from 1973 to 1997 when the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord]] was signed. The locus of the dispute was [[Settler colonialism|settler colonialism]] as the Bangladeshi government sought to displace the indigenous tribes with 400,000 Bengali settlers. Since the signing of the accord there have been continuing acts of violence carried out by settlers and the Bangladesh security forces.<ref name="Begovich 2007 pp164-165" />
The '''Persecution of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh''' is an ongoing issue which caused the [[Bangladesh civil war]] between the indigenous peoples of the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]](CHT) and the Bangladeshi government. The conflict lasted from 1973 to 1997 when the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord]] was signed. The locus of the dispute was [[Settler colonialism|settler colonialism]] as the Bangladeshi government sought to displace the indigenous tribes with 400,000 Bengali settlers. Since the signing of the accord there have been continuing acts of violence carried out by settlers and the Bangladesh security forces.<ref name="Begovich 2007 pp164-165" />


The actions carried out by the armed forces and the paramilitary groups helping them have been described internationally as [[Genocide|genocide]] and [[Ethnic cleansing|ethnic cleansing]].<ref name="Arens 2010 p123" /><ref name="Jonassohn 1998 p257" /><ref name="Begovich 2007 p166" /> And there have been reports of mass rapes by the militias, known as Ansars, which has been described as "genocide by other means" by Mark Levene and he has compared these attacks to the mass [[Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War|Rapes during the Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Jonassohn 1998 p258" />
The actions carried out by the armed forces and the paramilitary groups helping them have been described internationally as [[Genocide|genocide]] and [[Ethnic cleansing|ethnic cleansing]].<ref name="Arens 2010 p123" /><ref name="Jonassohn 1998 p257" /><ref name="Begovich 2007 p166" /> And there have been reports of mass rapes by the militias, known as Ansars, which has been described as "genocide by other means" by Mark Levene and he has compared these attacks to the mass [[Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War|Rapes during the Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Jonassohn 1998 p258" />

Revision as of 19:27, 11 August 2013

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The Persecution of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh is an ongoing issue which caused the Bangladesh civil war between the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts(CHT) and the Bangladeshi government. The conflict lasted from 1973 to 1997 when the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was signed. The locus of the dispute was settler colonialism as the Bangladeshi government sought to displace the indigenous tribes with 400,000 Bengali settlers. Since the signing of the accord there have been continuing acts of violence carried out by settlers and the Bangladesh security forces.[1]

The actions carried out by the armed forces and the paramilitary groups helping them have been described internationally as genocide and ethnic cleansing.[2][3][4] And there have been reports of mass rapes by the militias, known as Ansars, which has been described as "genocide by other means" by Mark Levene and he has compared these attacks to the mass Rapes during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[5]

According to Amnesty International as of June 2013 the Bangladeshi government had still not honored the terms of the peace accord nor addressed the Jumma peoples concerns over the return of their land. Amnesty estimate that there are currently 90,000 internally displaced Jumma families.[6][7]

The Jumma

In 1981 it was estimated that there were 897,828 indigenous peoples in the north-west and north-east of the CHT, and by 2008 it was estimated at 2 million. In 1981 the religious makeup of these peoples were estimated at, 43.7 per cent Buddhist, 24.1 per cent Hindus, 13.2 per cent Christian and 19 per cent as following other religions.[8]

The term Pahari is a term used in Bangladesh by the majority Bengali group for the indigenous people living in the CHT. These indigenous peoples are the Bawm, Chak, Chakma, Khumi, Khyang, Lushai, Marma, Mru, Pankhua, Tanchangya and the Tripuri[9] Pahari is also a name for a specific group of indigenous people living in northwestern Bangladesh who reside in the Sakek valley in the Rangamati Hill District.[10][11] Locally the people call themselves Jumma and in 1980 the Chakma created the human rights group, the Jumma Peoples Network, whose aim is the promotion of the rights of the indigenous peoples of the CHT both in Bangladesh and abroad.[12][13]

Human rights abuses

Bangladesh was under military rule for fifteen years and democracy was restored in 1990.[14] During this period there were several massacres of indigenous peoples in the CHT, the main perpetrators of these acts of mass violence are the Bangladesh armed forces and settlers who have been armed by the Bangladeshi government.[15] In 1980 settlers and members of the armed forces attacked the village of Kaukjali which left 300 dead.[16] Another massacre occurred on 3 March when the security forces killed between 3000 and 4000 people,[3] on 25 March 1981 settlers and members of the armed forces attacked and killed 500 people in Matiranga,[16] in 1986 in Panchari, in 1989 in Longudu which left 40 indigenous peoples dead and displaced a further 13,000 who took refuge in India.[17], 1992 in Logang which caused the deaths of hundreds of people with reports that hundreds has been burned alive and others shot dead while trying to escape, the incident led to the EU passing a resolution requesting that Bangladesh put a halt to continued use of the military in the CHT.[18][19][16] and the Naniachar massacre in 1993 which led to 100 people being killed after a student demonstration was attacked by settlers and members of the armed forces.[20][21] The UN special rapporteur has reported on extrajudicial, arbitrary and summary executions and that he had received reports of numerous human rights violations.[16]

Between 1971 and 1994 it is estimated that 2500 Jumma women had been raped and in 1995 it was estimated that of over 94 per cent of rapes between 1991 and 1993 had been by the armed forces, with allegations that 40 per cent of those raped were minors. Between 2003 and 2007 27 per cent of rapes were committed by the armed forces with the remaining having been committed by Bengali settlers. According to Kabita Chakma and Glen Hill the sexual abuse against Jumma women is endemic.[22] During the conflict, the Bangladeshi state had used as a deliberate tactic, rape, torture, arbitrary arrests, mass imprisonment and kidnapping against the Jumma peoples to combat the insurgency.[23]

Violence since 1997

The accords of the peace treaty have yet to be fully implemented which has resulted in the region remaining heavily militarized and mass inward migration continuing. Human rights violations continue with arbitrary arrests, killing and rapes occouring and human rights activists are targeted for questioning and arrests.[24] According to a report from the Asian Centre for Human Rights on 26 August 2003 the armed forces in conjunction with settlers planned and launched an attack on ten villages. Hundreds of people were displaced and it is estimated that ten women, some who were minors were raped. It was reported that a nine-month-old child was strangled after it was grabbed from its grandmother who the armed forces raped.[25]

As yet the Jumma peoples have not been given constitutional recognition and are known as “backward segments of the population”[26]

Religious persecution

There has been ongoing religious persecution in the CHT.[2] During the Chittagong Hill Tracts Insurgency, the Bangladeshi government had endorsed the construction of Mosques and madrassas as a part of forced religious conversions and had encouraged the demolition of Hindu and Buddhist temples to combat the insurgency.[23]

References

  1. ^ Begovich, Milica (2007). Karl R. DeRouen, Uk Heo (ed.). Civil Wars of the World. ABC-CLIO. pp. 164–170. ISBN 978-1851099191.
  2. ^ a b Arens, Jenneke (2010). Genocide of indigenous Peoples. Transaction. p. 123. ISBN 978-1412814959.
  3. ^ a b Jonassohn, Kurt (1998). Genocide and Gross Human Rights Violations: In Comparative Perspective. Transaction. p. 257. ISBN 1560003146. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Begovich, Milica (2007). Karl R. DeRouen, Uk Heo (ed.). Civil Wars of the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 166. ISBN 978-1851099191.
  5. ^ Jonassohn, Kurt (1998). Genocide and Gross Human Rights Violations: In Comparative Perspective. Transaction. p. 258. ISBN 1560003146. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ International, Amnesty (12 June, 2013). "Bangladesh: Indigenous Peoples engulfed in Chittagong Hill Tracts land conflict". Amnesty International. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Erueti, Andrew (13 June, 2013). "Amnesty criticises Bangladeshi government's failure to address indigenous land rights". ABC. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ International, Minority Rights Group (2008). "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Bangladesh : Adivasis". Minority Rights Group International.
  9. ^ Roy, Raja Devasish (2000). Traditional occupations of indigenous and tribal peoples: Emerging trends. Geneva, International Labour Office. p. 78. ISBN 9789221122586.
  10. ^ Mohsin, Amena (2002). The Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh: On the Difficult Road to Peace (Illustrated ed.). Lynne Rienner. p. 42. ISBN 978-1588261380.
  11. ^ Bal, Ellen (2007). They Ask If We Eat Frogs: Garo Ethnicity in Bangladesh. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 10. ISBN 978-9812304469.
  12. ^ Van Schendel, Willem (2001). Willem van Schendel, Erik J. Zurcher (ed.). Identity Politics in Central Asia and the Muslim World. I.B.Tauris. p. 141. ISBN 978-1860642616.
  13. ^ Stidsen, Sille (2007). The Indigenous World 2006. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. p. 21. ISBN 978-8791563188.
  14. ^ Corporation, British Broadcasting (16 July, 2013). "Bangladesh profile". BBC. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ Roy, Chandra (2005). Nazila Ghanea-Hercock, Alexandra Xanthaki, Patrick Thornberry (ed.). Minorities, Peoples and Self-Determination: Essays in Honour of Patrick Thornberry. Martinus Nijhoff. p. 123. ISBN 978-9004143012.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  16. ^ a b c d Roy, Rajkumari Chandra (2000). Land Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. p. 123. ISBN 978-8790730291.
  17. ^ D'Costa, Bina (2012). Edward Aspinall, Robin Jeffrey , Anthony Regan (ed.). Diminishing Conflicts in Asia and the Pacific: Why Some Subside and Others Don't. Routledge. p. 136. ISBN 978-0415670319.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  18. ^ Roy, Rajkumari Chandra (2000). Land Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. p. 222. ISBN 978-8790730291.
  19. ^ Arens, Jenneke (2010). Samuel Totten, Robert K. Hitchcock (ed.). Genocide of indigenous Peoples. Transaction. p. 141. ISBN 978-1412814959.
  20. ^ Jensen, Marianne (2001). Suhas Chakma, Marianne Jensen (ed.). Racism Against Indigenous Peoples. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. p. 209. ISBN 978-8790730468.
  21. ^ Roy, Rajkumari Chandra (2000). Land Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. p. 124. ISBN 978-8790730291.
  22. ^ Chakma, Kabita (2013). Kamala Visweswaran (ed.). Everyday Occupations: Experiencing Militarism in South Asia and the Middle East. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0812244878. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ a b Begovich, Milica (2007). Karl R. DeRouen, Uk Heo (ed.). Civil Wars of the World (1st ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 169. ISBN 978-1851099191.
  24. ^ Wessendorf, Kathrin (2009). The Indigenous World 2009. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-87-91563-57-7.
  25. ^ Chakma, Suhas (2003). Starvation, Rape and Killing of Indigenous Jumma Children (PDF). Asian Centre for Human Rights. p. 4.
  26. ^ Wessendorf, Kathrin (2011). The Indigenous World 2011. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. p. 328. ISBN 978-87-91563-97-3.
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