Hill people feel conflict is deliberately allowed

Unrest has broken out in the Chittagong Hill Tracts again. After a Bangali was killed in a mob lynching, violence ensued and four hill people were killed over the next few days. What could be the reason behind such a degree of violence in Khagrachhari and Rangamati?

Devasish Roy: It is certainly reprehensible that a Bangali young man was beaten to death on allegations of stealing a motorbike. But you can't just view the other killings and violence in the same manner. These ensuing incidents involved racial aspects, there was agitation. There was the role of the security forces, or rather the absence of any role of the security forces.

It was being said that the hill people killed the Bangali youth. But later when the young man's wife filed a case, the names she mentioned were all Bangalis. So it was a pure rumour that only hill people beat the youth. I would say this rumour was spread to instigate the Bangalis against the hill people. The people of the hills are well aware of the source of this instigation. What about the people in the rest of the country? Do they actually want to know what happened?

Such incidents are nothing new. Why does this happen time and again?

Devasish Roy: You are right. In the 47 years that I have been the Circle Chief, there have been at least four incidents of violence in Rangamati town alone. This includes incidents on 20 May 1992, 22 September 2012, 10-13 January 2015 and this time on 20 September 2024. Every time such incidents happen, the administration tells us to forget the past. The various government departments surely should have institutional memory, records of such incidents. If we do not know who were affected in the previous three incidents, how much damage was done, were the guilty persons punished or not, then how can we look forward? None of these incidents took place at night. These all took place in broad daylight. And the incidents didn't take place in any village, but in Rangamati town.

If those who carried out the previous incidents of violence were not punished, wouldn't it be only natural for them to think that they can easily get away by committing such deeds? Wouldn't they or their supporters be encouraged further? If you make a list of all the killings and injuries, the houses destroyed, the property damaged in the past four outbreaks of violence in Rangamati, you will see over 90 per cent of the harm has been done to hill people. And the destruction has been wrought not by the hill people. This is common knowledge among the hill people and the Bangalis alike.

The country went through a huge mass uprising and a new government has been formed. This incident only happened after this government was installed. Do you think something is at work behind the scenes?

Devasish Roy: There are always "conspiracy theories" behind the incidents in the hills. I'm not going into that. I personally believe, if the government had an inkling that any such thing would happen in the hills, they would not allow that to happen. But I do not think the government has institutional memory of these incidents. I do not know what has been recorded in the files of the intelligence agencies.

The government officials in Chittagong Hill Tracts, whether in the administration, law enforcement or security forces, must take responsibility for these incidents. If the interim government wants to make their position clear, they must undertake certain tasks to prove their sincerity. They must work along with the UN and Bangladesh's non-government human rights organisations.

Are you voicing any demands to the government in this regard?

Devasish Roy: Yes, we have made a demand to the advisors of the government to form an independent, neutral, and duly empowered commission to investigate the incident in the hills. The inquiry commission should comprise at least 50 per cent women. It should include human rights activists, women's rights activists, anthropologists, sociologists and certain legal and judicial experts. The government wants to investigate the various brutalities during the student-people's uprising through the United Nations. Most of the violence in the hills has never seen justice. There should be investigations not just on a national level, but by representatives of the UN and various recognised human rights organisations. These can include Amnesty International Human Rights Watch and Minority Rights Group.

There is a Commission of Inquiry Act - 1965. The government should form several commissions under this with many members. This will have a greater mandate to find out what is going on, draw up provisions for punitive measures, compensation, rehabilitation, etc. The observations and recommendations of the commission must be made public.

Do you think there is any way to permanently bring an end to such violence?

Devasish Roy: Let me give you an example. Four persons of ministerial status visited Rangamati after the recent violence. In front of them the regional council representative said after the council building was set on fire, no one from the fire service could be brought despite repeated requests. They came after four hours. I give this example because all the law enforcement agencies here, including the security forces, are manned by an absolute majority of Bangalis. Yet there has long been a demand to create a mixed force here and there is even a legal provision for this since 1989 where there will be proportional representation of all ethnic groups. This is a justified demand. But this has not been implemented till date. There are such forces all over the world aimed at promoting communal harmony and the results have been positive.

This was included in the peace accord too.

Devasish Roy: It is not just in the hill accord, but when the three district councils were formed in 1989, that law too had provision to locally recruit constables to ASI rank in the police force.  It stated that no matter what law was in place, that provision would remain intact. That means, even if the police act of 1861 did not have such a provision, the district council act would make that possible. Later the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts accord stated that the district council would recruit police of the sub-inspector or SI rank, but that did not happen.

In various parts of the world such as East Europe and the United States, the mixed-race police force has played a role in resolving communal conflicts. The United National Development Programme (UNDP) wanted to provide training for building up such a force. That initiative was not implemented. We must raise the question as to why that was not implemented. Does that mean the government or any other quarter do not want an end to the conflict in the hills?

In the towns of the hill region, Bangalis make up the majority and the security force there is entirely Bangali. So where is the balance of power? Is it possible for this force to maintain neutrality during clashes between the hill people and Bangalis? History does not say so.

The new government wants to carry out all sorts of reforms. This surely will be reflected in the hill region too. You and several representatives of the hill people have met with representatives at a senior level of the government. What would you want from the new government?

Devasish Roy: We have met and spoken to the chief advisor of the interim government and several other advisors. They patiently gave ear to what we had to say. We will be able to say how much the new government will do for us through their actions. But our first appeal would be to ensure that the civil administration in the region be able to act independently. No matter how much violence may break out here, there isn’t any war with the state security forces.

There have been clashes with the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), but there are no instances of any large scale clashes. The police must control the clashes that crop up here, not the armed forces. It is the function of the police to control riots. Let them do their work, let BGB do BGB’s work. Let the army officers on duty in the Chittagong Hill Tracts work under the civil administration. If the civil administration cannot function properly, if the fire service cannot function properly, if the deputy commissioner cannot function properly, how can things run? The SP will carry out the SP’s duty. There will be blunders if the brigade commander does the SP’s job. Just like there will be blunders if the DC tries to do the brigade commander’s job. The government offices in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are unable to carry out the duties legally bestowed upon them.

You mentioned there being various groups in conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Their inner conflicts and controlling those conflicts bring forth the question of strengthening security there. What is your comment on this matter?

Devasish Roy: The Chittagong Hill Tracts accord was signed in 1997. UPDF opposed the accord. They have divisions and conflicts among themselves. But now there are at least seven such groups in the hills. An Islamic group has joined in too. How have so many groups emerged if there is so much security concern? The question here is about the failure of those in charge of the hill region. But many local people believe that there are certain quarters who do not want to see an end to the conflict here. The people allege that the clashes and conflicts in the hill tracts are deliberately allowed.

It has been said at various times that such violence and land-related complications are created because the Chittagong Hill Tracts accord has not been properly implemented. Why was it not implemented properly? What expectations do you have from the government in this regard?

Devasish Roy: The Chittagong Hill Tracts accord is not the last word. It is just one of the many legal documents. It did being about an end to the conflict that had been carrying on for over two decades in the hill tracts. The accord must certainly be implemented. Its fundamental aspect was not implemented and hence the problem. But it cannot be said that this accord will wholly meet the aspirations of the people. But at the time it was certainly an important initiative.

So does the Chittagong Hill Tracts accord have certain limitations?

Devasish Roy: Yes, it certainly has. The regional autonomy provided in this accord is negligible. If we look at the northeast state of India, the autonomy there is quite extensive. The autonomously ruled districts there have much more autonomy that the Chittagong Hill Tracts regional council and the district councils. On top of that, the powers given to the districts councils by the accord have not been implemented till date. The regional council has not been allowed to exercise its responsibility given for coordination of the general administration.

So what are your expectations regarding the hill tracts in these new times?

Devasish Roy: We have spoken about forming a commission to resolve the conflict that broke out in various places of the hill in recent times and also to deploy a mixed police force comprising hill people and Bangalis. Let the regional council and the district councils function. Let the Chittagong Hill Tracts land commission create an example through its work so that it can bring about innovations to speedily resolve land-related conflicts, whether in the hills or among the indigenous people of the plain land and serve as a model even for the mainstream people who are dependent on agriculture.                                         

Thank you.

Devasish Roy: Thank you too.