CHT conflict

v Introduction

v Definition of security, development and peace

v Security, development, peace and   a study in CHT

Ø Geographical location in CHT  

Ø Genesis of the problem:  

Ø Efforts to settle the conflict

v  A study in CHT: security Development and peace

v  Peace process and CHT

v  Own view

v  Conclusion

                    

                 

        

v Mac namara, the element of collective security, 1966.

v Mural of Peace, 1896 by Gari Melchers

v The Essence of Security P.149-150 by  Mc Namara,

v Monthly probe magazine on august 28- September 10 2009.

v An introduction of peace and conflict studies by Harun or Rashid.

v International and Bangladesh by Md muinul Hessian khan .

Introduction:

Security is the prime concern of every nation and also of the global system. Security is ability of a country to protect its internal value from external threats .and everybody has developing hinking and everybody want to develop himself. it is a positive change as a holistically approach and it is not static but always changing and dynamic. on the other hand Peace is a term that most commonly refers to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility, but which also represents a larger concept where in there are healthy or newly-healed interpersonal or international relationships, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political relationships and, in world matters, peacetime; a state of being absent any war or conflict. The conflicts between the tribal people and the settlers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) area of Bangladesh has long been a cause of violation of human rights of the inhabitants, obstruction in the path of sustainable development, as well as ecosystem destruction, loss of biodiversity and natural resource degradation. To end this long term problem and violation in the CHT, an agreement generally known as the ‘peace accord’ was signed in 1997.

Definition Of Security, Development And Peace:

Security: Security has traditionally been defined as the prefect in of the territorial integrity, stability and vital interests of states through the use of use political, legal, or coercive instruments at the state or international level. ‘Security’ therefore refers to search to avoid, prevent, reduce or resolve violent conflict- whether the threat originates from other states non- states or structural socio- economic conditions

Ø According to Mc Namara,

Security is the development of economic social and political life of a nation, which may not relate to yesterday but to tomorrow.”

There are mainly two types of security: Traditional or state centric security.  * Modern or human security.

             

 Development:

 Positive change is development. This positive will be structural and functional. Negative change        is not development .development remain in 3 sector such as economic, political, behaviorist.

Ø According to Edward w.weidner:

 Development is a state of mind a tendency a direction rather than a fix goal .it is a rate of change in a particular direction.

 Peace: Peace it has two side positive and negative .it is varied person to person and place to place.

Ø  According to Johan Galtung  : peace is the absence of violence.

Above 3 dimensions is related to each other. Her have no stage but interlocking relation .if one is absence than other automatically will be  absence .this will be as a holistically.

                                                       

                  Security ↔Development ↔Peace

Security, development, peace and   A study in CHT:

Ø Geographical location on CHT:

   The CHT occupies a physical area of 5.093 sq. miles, constituting 10 percent of the total land area of Bangladesh^. The region comprises three districts: Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Banderbhan. Geographically the CHT is divided in to two broad ecological zones: hill valley- agricultural plains. In 1991 its population was approximately .947 million. Of the total population in CHT, Adibashi constitute 0.5 million and the Bengalis 0.47 million. There are thirteen ethnic groups in the CHT. These tribal groups have evolved a socio-political-administrative system of their own that is hierarchical in nature^. The tribal people are ethnically and culturally different from the Bengali population of main land and within themselves they are culturally and socially distinct from each other.

Ø Genesis of the problem:  

 The status of the CHT as an autonomously administered district, in British administered India was safeguarded by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation, 1900 which prohibited sale and transfer of land to non-indigenous people. 2 % Muslim population, was given to Pakistan, the new rulers decided to open up the hill tracts and tap its potential hydro-electric resources. The construction of the Kaptai Dam in 1962, submerged 54,000 acres, that is, nearly 40 percent of the best agricultural land, and displaced about 100,000 people, mostly Chakmas. Little effort was made to rehabilitate the displaced and some 64,000 people migrated across the border into Arunachal Pradesh (India) between 1964 and 1971, the Pakistan government amended Regulation 1 of the Act of 1900 to allow migration of non-tribal’s into the hill tracts and transfer ownership of land and other resources of CHT to non-tribal people from the plains. The emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 saw the projection of a homogenous Bengali nationalism, with the citizen of Bangladesh defined as a Bengali in the Constitution. No separate status or identity was recognized. What was still a struggle within constitutional means, was spearheaded by Parbattya Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) the Chittagong Hill Tracts People’s Solidarity Association. Its armed wing, Shanti Bahini (peace force) was also formed in 1972. As the struggle gathered strength, the government began relocating Bengalis in the CHT. About 400,000 Bengalis were sent to the CHT, both to ease the pressure on the land in other parts of Bangladesh and to dilute the dominance of the hill people in CHT. In 1975, the struggle went underground. Nearly a third of the Bangladesh army was deployed in the CHT as the government looked for a military solution. As armed confrontation between the security forces and Shanti Bahini escalated, communal harmony between the tribal’s and 'new' Bengali settlers deteriorated further. Ten major massacres by Bengali settlers and the security forces since 1980, led to an exodus of the tribal population across the border to Tripura in India.

Ø Efforts to settle the conflict:

Successive governments in Bangladesh moved from a military solution to eventually calling for a political solution in 1987 when General Ershad initiated the first of six rounds of peace talks. But the agreement of 1989 only provided for 'limited autonomy'. It was largely rejected and armed insurgency continued. Under the BNP and the Awami League, talks were resumed between a Committee representing all major parties in Parliament and the PCJSS. Eventually, the talks (BNP deliberately stayed out) resulted in the signing of a peace treaty on December 2, 1997 between the National Committee and the PCJSS in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Ø  A study in CHT: Security , Development and Peace :

Peace had long been a far cry in the Chittagong hill tracts .insurgency clashes between the hill people and Bengalis and other acts of violence and lawlessness have continuously disrupted peace in the lush green hills. However the peace accord signed in December 1997 brought a beam of hope to the region. Even the hardest of cynics had hoped that this accord despite its shortcomings and flaws would perhaps change the scenario to some extent and sow the seeds for future peace and harmony in the region .

Now  however things look different moves are on for an implementation of the CHT peace accord in a manner that could well change the demographic makeup of the region .various local and international forums are using the accord as leverage to remove the Bengali  population from the hill districts and relocate them elsewhere in the country CHT which makes up 10%of the country s total land mass would then be populated only by certain ethnic groups including elements long involved in separationist movement .the Bengalis would be pushed into the already overpopulated districts of the plains

In the latest developments the withdrawal of military from the region had been stepped up and accelerated in an unprecedented manner .previously military camps had been sporadically withdrawn from the area but now with the withdrawal of an entire brigade questions of security are looming large in the national psyche .for the first time the withdrawal of the army is so visible and the area is thus more vulnerable from a security perspective .indications that all is not well have already surfaced .recently a huge arms haul was recovered in the region .similar incidence of a breakdown in law and order are appearing on the scene at regular intervals. the tension is tangible  The region sans military presence could well become playing fields (or killing field)for terrorists Islamic or otherwise. anything can develop there says a political analyst on a somewhat ominous note .security analysts also take into cognizance the presence of India’s volatile seven sister states brewing with insurgency and rebellion .instability in CHT can pose the area as tempting camping grounds for these insurgents and the same applies to the rohingya rebels of arakan in Myanmar.

Experts on the area see distinct possibilities of the area emerging on lines parallel to that of FATA on Pakistan’s troubled northwest border .this terrain has little or no administrative control .just as Taliban’s of Afghanistan seep thorough the porous border of Pakistan Bangladesh too could see osmosis of insurgents into CHT with lessened military presence .as it is BDR has been weakened considerably leaving the borders lacking in adequate security .such a scenario would be suicidal where Bangladesh’s sovereignty is concerned . 

That signed between the govt .and hill org.  this is even mentioned by raja devasish Roy he speaks of  an unwritten agreement for the repatriation of the Bengali settlers often referred to by the hill organization as Muslim settlers .sources say that the govt. and PCJSS reached an unwritten agreement that Muslim settlers would be transferred to other distracts and would be rehabilitated there. the Bengalis who have long set up home and hearth in CHT are bound to find themselves defenseless at the mercy of the hill people who have propensity to view them as settlers intruders even. there is a long history of resentment and simmering hatred in the area and once the national security forces are removed the hill people will naturally take security into their own hands .this evokes a sense of apprehension where the security of the Bengali populace is concerned and an inevitable backlash could spell massacre.

So far a balance has been maintained in the area with the civil and military administration undertaking programmers to promote ethnic harmony .there are cluster villages rations security installations and so on to ensure peace is maintained .once that goes the Bengali settles will be open to vengeance .in that scenario the government wont even have to bother about measures to relocate and rehabilitate the Bengalis .they will be driven out forcibly. the area is already a sort of free for all with Christian and Muslim missionaries running conversion operations in full force .NGOs have their brand of development schemes in the hills and foreign missions too have their own agenda for the region .UNDP s development programmers blatantly address the needs of the hill people turning a cold shoulder to the poverty stricken Bengali people there

During a press conference of the CHTC in Dhaka recently it was said that one of the main tenets of the peace accord was that lands would be returned to owners once their land titles were confirmed through a survey .however solving the land issuer is easier said than done .while the hill people call for their land rights there are no legal documents to ascertain their claims .settling this issue is bound to be tedious and long winded not to mention contentious too. the  European union and other western mission also uphold ousting Bengalis from the region the 1300sq km area rich with resources and having a sensitive geo-political positioning .all eyes are riveted on CHT now .no one intends to deny the rights of the hill people. they are citizens of Bangladesh and have all the rights designated to them by the constitution .But the same applies to the Bengalis there. what right has anyone to drive them from there homes in their own homeland? HT is a part of Bangladesh. live and let can be only acceptable mantra, say a political analyst commenting on the issue .

Ø Peace process and CHT :

Peace process that contains peace making – peace keeping -peace building

Peacemaking:

Its attempt to create the condition that leads to dialogue through neutral third party in the stages of latest and incipient conflict.

Peace Keeping:

Peace keeping is a process of activity just after war through military assistance.

Peace building –just after conflict end .that become to ensure a durable peace.

Peace process and CHT:

I remain that there had had  no peace making process in CHT .and 2 December 1997 by peace accord peace keeping have become fruitful(BD govt. and PCJSS ). After peace accord the position of peace building is not good because the present condition of CHT is not good by security development peace. As a policy maker I would like to say that:

TRIBAL   PERSPECTIVE:

Ø  Land problem is main problem of CHT but after  peace accord this problem did not solve.

Ø  Rat flood is the problem of CHT but BD govt did not any step to solve this.

Ø  Settling problem.

Ø  And did not withdraw INSURGENCY ORDER from this area .by this state oppression on tribal. For above this reason there peace building never possible.

STATE PERSPECTIVE:

Ø  State always try to keep its integrity for this reason state did not want the disintegrate in CHT.

Ø  State wants to preserve its sovereignty.

Ø  state remain CHT people is not citizen but they are  tribal.

So the peace is not ensure there cannot to development on the other hand  without development there can be no security .

Ø Own view:

Actually it is true that security development and peace  have a interlocking relation with each other .here one things is cut off than other things is automatically cut off. so above this terms have to ensures  at a time other than peace will be impossible .because our goal  is to ensure peace .CHT is a terms that have been talk of town after independent of Bangladesh. in 1997 had a compromised between BD govt. and sonosoghoti sommity .I remain that in CHTS have a foreign conspiracy (India) so they want to present this conflict as their interest .but this area is very important for Bangladesh for natural  non natural resource .

Conclusion:

The ‘peace accord’ was signed with good intention but so far the progress of implementation of the peace accord of CHT is very slow. To date, in-migration of Bengali settlers, forcible occupation of the lands of tribal people, and acts of violence against them are still taking place in the region. The accord incorporated a number of agreements involving a certain redistribution of power between the national government and the Regional Council, as well as partial delegation of authority to the latter by the former in specific subject areas. The accord was a very good attempt for preservation and development of indigenous culture, religion and language of different tribal people living in the CHT area, as well as to protect the rights of poor and innocent Bengali settlers with the available natural resources. That means, the accord was primarily successful in reconciling issues like human rights, indigenous rights and environmental governance.