Hill Voice, 15 March 2023, Rangamati: Recently, Baqm Party armed terrorists ordered Tanchangya villagers of Gangachara in Bortholi Union of Bilaichhari Upazila of Rangamati to leave the village. Otherwise they threaten that the villagers will be held responsible for any consequence.

On March 6, 2023, a group of the army carried out patrolling at Gangachara amid ongoing threat of the KNF Bawm Party to the residents of Tanchangya villagers of Gangachara under Reingkhyong Valley. During the patrolling, they told the villagers that they could not provide security to the villagers. Therefore, the army personnel advised the villagers to go to a safe place for taking shelter.

Tanchangya villagers panicked at this advice of the army. It is reported that in view of that, 51 villagers of 6 families have moved to a safe area on their own initiative on March 7, 2023. The families who fled from Gangachara village are-

1. Lambahulo Tanchangya (28), son of Buzmani Tanchangya and his family (3 persons).

2. Natun Joy Tanchangya (36), son of Binchu Tanchangya and his family (9 people).

3. Bipan Tanchangya (26), son of Ranikumar Tanchangya and his family (15 people).

4. Arjun Tanchangya (37), son of Raseye Tanchangya and his family (10 people).

5. Judhamani Tanchangya (45), son of Rusen Tanchangya and his family (10 people).

6. Jayako Tanchangya (40) and his family (4 people).

It is to be noted that on February 26, 2023, four Tanchangya villagers including Karbari (village head) from Gangachara (Tiger Para) of Bortholi Union were threatened to leave the village calling them to Artah Para of Paindu Unionf Ruma by the Bawm Party terrorists.

It is also to be noted that at that time, terrorists of Bawm Party set up their camp at Mualpi Para Government Primary School and Pakniar Para Government Primary School of Ruma’s Paindu Union occupying the schools. As a result, students stopped going to school in 3 primary schools of Paindu Union and 3 primary schools of Remakriprangsa Union due to the fear of Bawm Party. As a result, these 6 schools were almost closed.

In addition, on March 5, 2023, armed terrorists of Bawm Party threatened Marma community of 7 villages adjacent to Mualpi Para of Paindu Union called them in a meeting.

It is also to be worthy that in June 2022, after the indiscriminate firing and killing of three innocent Tripura villagers and injuring of two children in Saizam Tripura Para of Bortholi Union, the Bawm Party terrorists evicted many Tanchangya and Tripura villages under Borthali Union of Bilaichhari Upazila and Rawangchhari Upazila of Bandarban. More than 100 Tanchangya and Tripura families were evicted by the Bawm Party terrorists at that time. Even then, the army did not take any measures to ensure the safety of the victim Tanchangya and Tripura families and instead allowed the terrorist activities of the Bawm Party to continue freely.

Since last year, KNF has abducted 26 innocent villagers including 11 from the Bawm community, killed at least 7 people including 3 from the Bawm community, evicted over 1,000 Bawm, Tanchangya, Tripura and Marma residents from nearly two dozen villages. About 600 villagers of the Bawm community have been forced to take refuge in Mizoram as refugees after being evicted by the Bawm Party.