Rangamati, Nov 18 —More than one senior leaders of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) have sought to shake off the label that the regional political party is opposed to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord of 1997 that ended decades-old bloody bush war.
"The UPDF itself has never said anything against implementation of the peace accord; instead, the media made it an anti-peace deal front," its central leader Alokesh Chakma told bdnews24.com on Friday.
He, however, added that the pact was incomplete in that it does not fully safeguard the rights of the hills people.
Alokesh said they are waging democratic movements to ensure the rights to land of the indigenous people.
The peace agreement was signed on Dec 2, 1997 between the Awami League government and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), which is United People's Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in English.
After independence, former lawmaker Manabendra Narayan Larma formed PCJSS, which sought autonomy of the hills region and recognition of rights of the people there.
After coming into office in 1996, the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina made efforts to establish peace in the hill tracts through resolving the violent clash, which started at the end of 1980s between PCJSS armed wing Shanti Bahini and Bengali settlers in the region.
After the deal was signed, PCJSS emerged as a mainstream political party. The Shanti Bahini insurgents formally laid down their arms and received monetary compensation from the government.
The UPDF, which seeks full autonomy in the Chittagong Hill Tracts through peaceful and democratic means, was founded on Dec 26, 1998 at a conference in Dhaka.
Before its formation, most of its leaders and activists were involved with Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Gana Parishad, and Hill Women's Federation.
The UPDF's Rangamati unit spokesman and Ganatantrik Juba Forum general secretary Michael Chakma said they are ready to provide all sorts of assistance to implement the peace pact in its entirety.
"We've never wanted the peace agreement to remain unimplemented and never put up any hurdles to its execution. However, we could not support the treaty since different rights of hills people, including their rights to land, were not clearly defined in it."
Meanwhile, a public prayer was held at Rangamati town on Friday for establishing brotherhood among the hills people.
According to different groups in the region, at least 365 people have so far been killed in clashes among three regional groups since the deal was inked.
Of them, 199 are PCJSS leaders and activists, 140 are of UPDF and 26 of PCJSS faction led by Rupayon Dewan and Sudha Sindhu Khisha.
bdnews24.com
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