Furomoan army camp burnt down in Rangamti

chtnews.com
News No. 62/2008, April 10, 2008

An army camp situated at Furomoan hill top in Rangamti district was burnt down yesterday when a jum-fire spread to the camp. However, no casualties have been reported. The camp was built one and a half months ago in violation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord signed in 1997.

A supporter of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) in Ghagra told chtnews.com that the incident occurred later in the day when Jum cultivators set fire to their Jum fields in preparation for sowing paddy in late April or early May when summer rain sets in.

He said "the army has got their comeuppance. For the last few years UPDF has been trying to wean the Jumias away from Jum cultivation as the system is no longer viable these days. This year UPDF has conducted extensive campaign to educate them about environmental impact of Jum cultivation. But to our dismay, the army has encouraged the Jumias of the area to ignore UPDF propaganda and stick to the traditional farming method."

"This is in stark contrast to the army ban on Jum cultivation in Chimbuk where the army has been trying to grab land for military purposes" he added.

Another source said the army commander of Furomoan camp had summoned the Jum cultivators after the incident yesterday. But he could not say what transpired at the meeting.