Brigade commander’s speech at Guimara rally tantamount to incitement - analysts

chtnews.com
News No. 86/2009, July 16, 2009

Guimara Brigade Commander Latiful Haider’s 15-July speech at a rally
in Jaliapara is a direct incitement to violence, political analysts
commented.

A college teacher in Khagrachari said it was the responsibility of an
elected government to resolve any land related problem. “The army has
no role in this respect. Yet, they are complicating the problem by
sticking their nose in the affairs of the civil administration.” he
added.

Another teacher from Matiranga commented: “What the Brigade commander
said in his speech yesterday is a clear proof that the army is not
impartial and that they are here on a special and secret mission.”

Terming the grabbing of Jumma people’s lands as serious, he said “what
we are seeing today in CHT is nothing but ethnic cleansing in slow
motion.”

Held at Saing-guli Borpilak Government Primary School ground, the
rally was virtually boycotted by both Bengali and Jumma people.

One estimate put the number of the participants at 250 – of which
Jummas amount to merely 25.

A resident in Guimara told chtnews.com the organisers had sent out
jeeps in all directions to ferry people to and from the venue of the
rally, but almost all the jeeps had come back empty.

Many alleged that the army had forced many Jummas to join the rally.
“The soldiers caught hold of anyone they saw, gathered them together
in Ballyachari camp and then sent them to the venue” said one of the
participants.

Monkya Marma, who was forced to participate in the rally, said “I was
in a roadside tea shop at Ballyachari Rubber Plantation No. 1 when the
army came and picked me up.”

“They just told me that I would have to go to a rally with them.” he added.

Uggyo Marma of the same area said he would not join the rally had not
the army forced him to do so. He said he was working when the army
picked him up.

In his speech the Brigade Commander said it was the terrorists who
were behind the resistance to the settler attempt at land grabbing in
Boroitali in mid June.

The commander further said the settlers would move to Boroitali, and
the army would provide all kinds of supports to them.

“The army will build a camp in Boroitali to protect the settlers.” he added.

The Democratic Youth Forum in a statement severely criticized the
Guimara Brigade Commander for inciting the settlers to violence and
fomenting unrest.