Khagrachari Correspondent: CHT Commission demands protection of civilians in Bandarban Kuki Daman Abhiyan in hill district. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHT Commission) has demanded protection of civilians in the ongoing military operation against the Kuki-Chin National Army in Bandarban.
Concerned about the ongoing unrest in Bandarban, the commission said, “The safety and security of civilians must always be given top priority during military operations.” Last Tuesday (May 23), the co-chairs of the commission Sultana Kamal, Elsa Stamatopoulou and Myrna Cunningham Kahn made this statement.
Quoting various news media, they said, ‘Last May 08, there is an allegation that 3 people were killed by Thangare forces in Paingkhyong neighborhood of Rowangchari upazila; The same forces killed 8 other bombers on April 6.
Local leaders told the media that none of the dead were affiliated with any armed group and one of them, Nemthang Bom (43), was the president of Ward No. 5 of Rowangchari Awami League.
In an ISPR press release on May 17, the Commission’s leaders mentioned the killing of two soldiers and two other officers in the operation against the Kuki-Chin Army and expressed their condolences and sympathies to the families of the killed and injured soldiers and officers.
A tribal named Jewel Tripura (25) was killed and another named Abraham Tripura (35) was injured during the military operation, the commission said quoting local media. ‘
The three co-chairs of the commission also said, ‘Humanity Protection Forum, an Agartala-based human rights organization, and UPDF, a political organization based in Chittagong Hill Tracts, in two separate statements, alleged that the dead and injured civilians were being used as “human shields” by the army.
According to their press release and local media reports, on May 15, the army killed a total of 32 civilians from Pasing Para and MTS Para of Rumar Remakri Prangsa Union, 10 Marma civilians from Mangyu Para of No. 2 Ruma Union and Sabsang Bashiram Para of Rumar Remakri Prangsa Union. 22 civilians took Tripura (Jewel Tripura and Abraham Tripura were among the group).
“Furthermore on May 17, the army took 10 Marma civilians from Cheipo village of Ruma Union No. 2 and another 10 Marma civilians from Lunchhari village of Ruma Bazar to participate in the operation against the KNF. “There is no trace of these civilians so far,” the commission said in a statement. referring to
“A well-known journalist from Bandarban alleged in a live talk show of TV channel Ekatar TV on May 18 that Jewel Tripura died and Abraham Tripura was injured when the army was using them as coolies in an operation against the KNF.”
According to the commission, ‘if all these allegations are true, then the Bangladesh government and the army need to pay attention to it on an urgent basis. The Bangladesh Army cannot use civilians as “human shields” during military operations; In this regard, Article 51(7) of Additional Protocol No. 1 of the Geneva Convention specifically states. “Furthermore, the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the use of force by either side (belligerent) to compel civilians to comply with orders.”
“Furthermore, the use of (civilians) as “human shields” constitutes a war crime under Article 8(2)(n) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.’
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, in a statement, called for prompt, impartial and effective investigations into the allegations, immediate release of civilians taken in military operations and all possible precautions to avoid and minimize civilian casualties. Besides, the commission also called for a peaceful and political solution to the ongoing problem of Bandarban.
