Hill Voice, 15 October 2024, International Desk: The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Issues have expressed their deep concern over reports of growing violence against the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh in a joint statement issued on 14 October 2024.

Besides, the UNPFII and the Special Rapporteur have called on the interim government to take immediate action to protect the Jumma Peoples from violent and indiscriminate attacks, conduct an impartial commission of enquiry into violence and implement the CHT Peace Accord of 1997.

In the statement, signed by Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chairperson, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Mr. Jose Francisco Cali Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, it is said that “The Permanent Forum has heard during its sessions about increasing tensions between the indigenous Jumma peoples of the CHT and Bengali settlers, which has culminated in the disturbing incidents of September 2024. The recent violence is set against a backdrop of broader discrimination and marginalization of the Indigenous Jumma Peoples, who for decades have been subjected to forced evictions and heightened marginalization of the region.”

The statement said that “The Permanent Forum and the Special Rapporteur call on the interim government to take immediate action to protect the Jumma Peoples from violent and indiscriminate attacks, conduct an impartial commission of enquiry into allegations of violence and prosecute perpetrators to end the culture of impunity.

Consistent with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Special Rapporteur call on social media companies to take all relevant steps to prevent their platforms from disseminating hate speech and misinformation regarding the Indigenous Jumma Peoples.

The Forum and the Special Rapporteur call on the interim government to implement the CHT Peace Accord of 1997, in line with national and international laws, and the provisions contained within the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in particular 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.”

Furthermore, the Forum and Special Rapporteur call on the interim government to invite the United Nations to investigate and report on allegations of human rights violations in the region, and to monitor the situation unhindered, in coordination with the interim government, Indigenous Peoples’ Representatives and relevant stakeholders, with a view to strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ institutions and ensuring respect for their collective and individual rights.

The Permanent Forum and Special Rapporteur offer their assistance, within the terms of their respective mandates, in providing independent advice towards building trust and reconciliation between communities and preventing further violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.”