The Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) expresses strong protest and condemnation over the sending of 15 members of PCJSS and its associate organization to jail on 20 November 2017 in connection with the conspiring case framed in association with the quarter of local ruling party leadership in Bandarban district and another incident of filing up a conspiring case against 18 members of PCJSS and its associate organization in Bilaichhari of Rangamati district.
It is mention worthy that similar kind of conspiring case was filed on 19 November 2017 by Amrita Kanti Tanchangya entangling 18 members of PCJSS and its associate organizations and innocent villagers on allegation of having involvement in the incident of beating Amrita Kanti Tanchangya, Member of Ward No. 9 of Bilaichari Union Parishad by some unknown persons. The 18 alleged persons include: Vice-President of PCJSS Bilaichari Thana Committee Chandra Lal Chakma, Organizational Secretary Tipu Chakma and Member of PCJSS Gyana Ranjan Talukder and president of PCP Bilaichhari Thana Committee Bir Uttam Chakma and General Secretary Sushanta Chakma including 5 motor cycle driver. The army of Bilaichari army zone are conducting searching operations in various localities for the alleged PCJSS members and innocent villagers. At this, the inhabitants of the areas are passing their days in extreme panic and lack of security.
Another conspiring case was filed with Bandarban Sadar Police Station by one Bengali settler Md. Abdul Alim against 24 persons including PCJSS and PCP members on allegation of extortion and killing attempt while showing their involvement in a quarrel that had taken place at Rajvilla of Bandarban over a financial transaction on 15 November 2017. In the concocted suit, while an effort was employed to get all the alleged persons released on bail, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate released only 3 persons from among 18 PCJSS members and sent the rest of 15 members to jail. In fact, Md. Abdul Alim filed said case against only first three persons, however, local Awami League with the help of police included name of 18 members of PCJSS to harass PCJSS leadership.
It is mentionable that a fabricated and falsehood-based case was filed with Bandarban Police Station against 38 members of PCJSS, PCP and innocent villagers by name and 15-20 unknown persons entangling them in the abduction incident of Mongpu Marma, an inhabitant and Awami Leaguer of Jamchhari Mukh village under Rajvilla Union of Bandarban Sadar Upazila on 14 June 2016. In following up of the incident,with a mean view to harassing the members of PCJSS and its associate organizations politically and compel them flee from their localities, a series of cases that were filed one after another are: case filed up by one Mongsanu Marma against 16 PCJSS members on allegation of extortion of money on 18 August 2016; case filed up by one Lineman Mohammad Mohiuddin against 16 members of PCJSS on allegation of extortion and snatching; and cases filled by one Mohammad Abdul Karim against 10 members of PCJSS on allegation of extortion of money on 1 August 2016.
The case that was filed by Mohammad Mohiuddin on 23 August 2016 was declared to be cancelled on 29 December 2016 due to failure in establishing to have been true and on ground of appeal for withdrawal of the suit on part of the complainant, himself.
In the case with the rest of 3 suits, the alleged PCJSS and its associate organization members and supporters could obtain anticipatory bail through exertion of legal fight from the High Court till submission of the Charge Sheets, on 22 August 2017 and the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bandarban hill district granted the High Court pronounced bail as permanent bail on 7 September 2017.
Not only the suppressive measures as aforesaid, the alleged are illegally picked up from the queue for attendance to the court and brought out physical torture upon them and then are again sent them back to jail by way of entangling them in another false cases. The best illustration of the kind is the picking up of Anil Tanchangya, Students and Youth Affairs Secretary of Rowangchari PCJSS branch who was in the queue to attend the magistrate court as regular for witness on 12 June 2017 during which he was picked up by the intelligence personnel and sent back to jail after meting out physical torture.
Thus how the members of PCJSS and its associate organizations are usually suppressed by way of entangling them in fresh cases yet abiding in the state of obtaining bail or so. As part of such stanch, the conspiring case was filed against the members of PCJSS and its associate organizations and supporters centering the quarrel within a few individuals on 15 November 2017. In this manner, the false cases that are being filed up one after another and through arresting the innocent party workers one by one in connection with the projected cases, the overall situation of CHT is being let to head towards instability, which can never bring about positive result to the greater interest of the country and to the implementation of the CHT Accord.
With an aim at bringing an end to the suppressive measures that have been being meted out to the members of PCJSS and its associate organizations by way of ensuring withdrawal of all falsehood cases filed against them, stopping pickups and undue harassment and unconditional release of the arrestees, a Memorandum addressing to the State Minister was submitted by the PCJSS Bandarban District Branch and 7 Upazila Branch Committee on 23 November 2017 with the following points of demand:
1. To stop with immediate effect to conspiracy of filing up fabricated cases against the members and supporters of PCJSS and its associate organizationsand to withdraw all the harassment cases filed so far;
2. To stop taking arrest of the members and supporters of PCJSS and its associate organizations and release all the arrestees without imposition of condition;
3. To step up necessary measures to stop any conspiracy and provocative design in the interest of keeping favorable situation conducive to implementation of the CHT Accord signed between the government and PCJSS; and
4.To undertake effective measures for implementation of the issues of the CHT Accord not yet executed
Villagers harassed and 5 villagers tortured by the Army in Farua
A group of army from Bilaichari Zone and Taktanala camp commanded by 2nd-In-Commmand of Bilaichari Army Zone, having boarded in two country-engine boats, conducted an operation at Chainda village of Farua Union under Bilaichari Upazila of Rangamati hill district at about 2:30 am on 18 November 2017. During their operation at the deep night, the army conducted a thorough search in 50–55 houses out of 65 families in the village. The villagers alleged that they army personnel disarrayed their house-hold articles during the search. After the search, the villagers were made assemble at a place and were interrogated on whereabouts of the ‘terrorists’, their location, as to why the villagers provide the terrorists shelter, why the villagers do not report to the camp, etc. with threatening. During the search, the following villagers were severely beaten up:
1. Nirmal Tanchangya (30), Father: Kalanda Headman, Chaindya (Vice-Chairman of Parbatya Chattagram Juba Samiti Bilaichari Branch)
2. Chandra BabuTanchangya (32), Father: Taruni Sen Tanchangya, vill: Chandya (former member of Parbatya Chattagram Juba Samiti, Union Committee)
3. Baran Joy Tanchangya (31), Father: Ananda Tanchangya, Vill: Chaindya
4. Jagat Chan Tanchangya (35), Father: Malyapo Tanchangya, Vill: Chaindya (Chairman, Parbatya Chattagram Juba Samiti, Chaindya village Committee)
5. Kanti Tanchangya (18), Father: Shamukya Tanchangya, Chaindya
The army personnel soon went on throwing blows, slapping and kicking as soon as the aforesaid villagers pronounced their names when asked – without letting them speak. During torture, one of the army personnel threatened the villagers saying that they villagers would also be tortured as the Buddhist people brought out torture upon the Rohingyas in Myanmar. The army also threatened the villagers of killing with their weapons aiming at them. At certain state, the army made the family heads in the village put their signature in an Undertaking that contains commitments stating: ‘We will not provide the terrorists with shelter’ and ‘We will make report to the camp as soon as the terrorists get into the village’. Afterward, they ordered the villagers to ensure their presence in the camp on the following day and then they left the village at 5:00 p.m.
As per the order, Kalanda Headman, Chandra Babu Tanchangya, Nirmal Tachangya and Milabua Tanchangya collected signatures of all the 64 family heads and submitted the Undertaking to the Bilaichari Army Zone on 19 November 2017.
On the other side, another group of army led by Subedar Mirza of Taktanala camp conducted a search operation at Taktanala village during which they searched the houses of Sanu Ranjan Chakma, Anil Tanchangya and Bharat Tanchangya at 11:00 am on 19 November 2017. During the operation, Subedar Mirza asked Ms. Tanyabi Tanchangya, president of Parbatya Chattagram Mahila Samiti, Taktanala Village Committee and also member of the Farua Union Council, as to why she works for PCJSS instead of working for Awami League or BNP, etc. While leaving, Subedar Mirza ordered Tanyabi Chakma to report to the Taktanala camp with all the women members of the Mohila Samiti on that day. Tanyabi Chakma, along with a local Headman went to Taktanala camp at 4:00 pm and reported that the women members could not go to the camp owing to busy at work. Despite so, Subedar Mirza again ordered all the women members to go to the camp invariably. At present, members of the Mohila Samiti and both males and females in the village are in great fear and panic.