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Mixed response to Bangladeshi rebel group's peace talks offer

UPDF proposes talks with the government amid a recent escalation in conflict with rival group JSS
An ethnic Marma family from Bangladesh's restive Chittagong Hill Tracts region. An armed rebel group has proposed peace talks with the government

An ethnic Marma family from Bangladesh's restive Chittagong Hill Tracts region. An armed rebel group has proposed peace talks with the government. (Photo: Mark McEvoy/Survival International)

Published: June 15, 2022 03:36 AM GMT
Updated: June 15, 2022 04:00 AM GMT

A proposal for peace talks by a rebel group in the restive, semi-autonomous Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of Bangladesh has received mixed reactions from various quarters including Catholics.

The United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), an armed insurgent group, has asked the ruling Awami League government for talks with an aim to end ongoing conflicts in the largely Buddhist region, AFP news agency reported.

The offer comes amid an escalation in bloody skirmishes between the UPDF and main armed political party Jana Samhati Samiti (United People’s Party or JSS) that has killed more than 60 people, mostly members of the groups, in a year.

JSS signed a peace agreement with the government in 1997 and members of its armed wing, Shanti Bahini, laid down arms. The peace accord brought an end to more than two decades of armed struggle between JSS and the military for the rights and autonomy of hill tribes. Thousands were killed in the bush war including JSS members, soldiers and civilians.

However, a JSS splinter group of young rebels opposed the peace treaty as a betrayal of tribal people’s rights and formed the UPDF.

The turf war between JSS and UPDF since then has left hundreds dead, including leaders and members of both groups, and some soldiers. Despite a promise to withdraw military camps following the peace deal, the region remains a heavily militarized zone.

“There is no need for peace talks with the government if the warring groups can have dialogue and understanding between themselves and people in the hills"

Following years of back-channel talks, last week the UPDF submitted a formal proposal for peace talks with a former army major, Emdadul Islam, a key architect of the 1997 agreement, AFP reported.

A Catholic from Bandarban, one of three districts that make up the CHT, cast doubts over the UPDF’s purpose in seeking peace talks.

“I don’t see any benefit in peace talks between the UPDF and the government. They should sit with JSS to resolve conflicts and then with the government,” George Tripura, a member of Queen of Fatima Church, told UCA News.

“There is no need for peace talks with the government if the warring groups can have dialogue and understanding between themselves and people in the hills. Everyone can then live in peace in the hills.”  

UPDF organizing secretary Ang Marma said they seek peace in the hills but won’t back down from their demand for the rights of tribal people.

“The main reason for the unrest in the hills is that the government has not fulfilled the promises it made in the peace deal. It has led to ongoing violence,” Marma said.

“We hope that we can help bring back peace in the hills through peace talks with the government, and we will negotiate to ensure the rights of hill tribes, including their land rights, and the withdrawal of troops.” 

“Because of conflict and tension, we live in fear and under surveillance when we go to villages in the hills to serve the community. We cannot move and work freely"

Christians make up a tiny minority of an estimated 1.6 million people in the CHT. However, about two-thirds of an estimated 30,000 Catholics in Chittagong Archdiocese hail from different hill tribes, mostly the ethnic Tripura community.

This hill-forested region bordered by Myanmar and India is home to dozens of ethnic groups, mostly Buddhists. However, the area has experienced a large influx of Bengali Muslims since Bangladesh independence in 1970s through state-sponsored migration programs aimed at bringing a demographic change to counter the tribal insurgency.

The Bengali influx is blamed for sectarian conflicts and the emergence of a tribal militia waging an armed struggle.

A Catholic priest based in the CHT told UCA News that peace talks offer a ray of hope for the Church, which operates under fear of violence.

“Because of conflict and tension, we live in fear and under surveillance when we go to villages in the hills to serve the community. We cannot move and work freely,” the priest said on condition of anonymity.

“I think if political parties, ethnic groups and the government reach an understanding to overcome problems, peace can be established. This will help us to work better for people.” 

Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, the minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs, told UCA News that he welcomes the peace talks offer but has yet to receive any formal proposal. “We always want to keep the peace and do everything for peace in the CHT,” he said.

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