Indigenous People : UN bodies express deep concern over the increasing violence in CHT

Molly Barua

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights called on the interim government to invite the UN to investigate and report on allegations of human rights violations in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region, Bangladesh and to monitor the situation unhindered, in coordination with the interim government, indigenous peoples’ representatives, and relevant stakeholders, to strengthen Indigenous peoples’ institutions and ensure respect for their collective and individual rights.

The Permanent Forum and the Special Rapporteur, in a joint statement on Monday expressed their deep concern over reports of increasing violence against the indigenous peoples of the CHT.

They also called on the interim government to take immediate action to protect the Jumma peoples from violent and indiscriminate attacks, conduct an impartial commission of inquiry into allegations of violence, and try the perpetrators to end the culture of impunity.

“The recent violence is set against a backdrop of broader discrimination and marginalisation of the indigenous Jumma peoples, who, for decades, have been subjected to forced evictions and the heightened militarisation of the region,” the statement read.

In line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the statement called on social media companies to take all necessary steps to prevent their platforms from disseminating hate speech and misinformation regarding the indigenous Jumma peoples.

In the statement, signed by Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and José Francisco Cali Tzay, UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, they said increasing tensions between the Indigenous Jumma Peoples of the CHT and Bangalee settlers culminated in the disturbing incidents of September 2024.

The statement urged the interim government to implement the 1997 CHT Peace Accords following national and international laws, as well as the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous peoples, particularly Article 7, which states that “Indigenous Peoples have the collective right to live in freedom, peace, and security as distinct peoples and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence.”

They also offered their assistance, within the terms of their respective mandates, to provide independent advice toward building trust and reconciliation between communities and preventing further violence in the CHT.

Violent clashes erupted between indigenous communities, Army and Bengali settlers in Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts under CHT between 19-20 September leaving at least four chakma and Tripura people’s death, injured dozens and displaced hundreds said victims family members and locals.