Protests held against assassination of Rui Khoi Marma

chtnews.com
News No. 141/2009, October 3, 2009

Hundreds of people took to the streets today to protest against the assassination of UPDF leader Rui Khoi Marma, who was gunned down yesterday by military-backed CHTNF terrorists at Bermachari, Khagrachari.

In a protest rally held at Chengi Square in Khagrachari town, the leaders of Hill Students’ Council, Hill Women’s Federation and Democratic Youth Forum vowed to punish culprits.

Blaming the killing on military-backed Chittagong Hill Tracts National Front, the speakers said “Both JSS Supremo Santu Larma and Laxmichari zone commander Lt. Col. Shariful Islam have a hand behind the dastardly killing.”

They termed the CHTNF as neo-Mukhosh Bahini or Masked Force, a military-backed terrorist group which terrorised and tormented the whole of Khagrachari in 1995 and 1996.

“For the traitors, for the enemies of the people and for the murderers, there will be no more mercy” they said. “We will face them taking the people along with us.”

Demanding immediate arrest of the murderers and their God fathers, Lt. Col. Shariful Islam, commander of Laxmichari zone, and Santu Larma, President of one of the two factions of the JSS, the speakers said “Rui Khoi Marma was an able leader, who played an important role in mobilizing common people of his area against illegal land grabbing and rampant human rights violations.”

Terming Rui Khoi Marma a valiant fighter, they said, “The ideals with which he had fought for the rights of the downtrodden will live for ever.”

Protests were also held in Laxmichari, Panchari, Dighinala, Mahalchari and in Dhaka and Chittagong.