Hill Voice, 30 November 2024, International Desk: Representative of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), Augustina Chakma, delivered statement on item “4: Minority representation in the media, including social media” on Friday (29 November) at the 17th session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva.

In her statement, Augustina Chakma said that for decades, the Jumma people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts have endured systemic erasure in the media. Our stories of resilience, survival, and identity are rarely told. When they are, they are distorted or buried under narratives that serve others’ interests.

She further added that during the recent political upheaval in Bangladesh, as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled, the Jumma people experienced brutal attacks——our homes burned, communities terrorised, and our stories silenced amid violent and sexual assaults. These atrocities received little to no coverage in mainstream media. Even the United Nations platform failed to acknowledge these events, leaving our suffering invisible. This silence is not just neglect—it perpetuates injustice.

Social media offers hope to reclaim our narratives but is also a double-edged sword—a space where hate speech and misinformation thrive. The tools meant to amplify our voices are often weaponized to silence us further.

This must change. she urged the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues and this Forum to act on the following steps:

1) Advocate for equitable media representation, demanding accurate, inclusive coverage of indigenous issues by national and international media.

2) Support indigenous media initiatives by funding platforms that amplify Jumma voices and preserve our culture.

3) Strengthen protections against online hate speech by collaborating with social media platforms to curb hate and misinformation.

4) Ensure accountability within international platforms, including the UN’s social media, by urging the UN to amplify indigenous struggles and ensure no community is left unheard.

Media shapes perceptions, policies, and possibilities. For the Jumma people, fair representation is not just justice—it is survival, says Augustina Chakma.