chtnews.com
News No. 55/2010, March 14, 2010
An office bearer of the Huwang Boi-o-Ba, a community library and literary organisation, has been arrested in Khagrachari.
Police arrested Khokan Chakma, 20, from Swanirbhor bazaar in the morning today.
Khokon is the finance secretary of the HBB. HBB, founded by UPDF president Prasit Khisha in 1984, is known for its yearly book fairs held at Swanirbhor, Khagrachari.
Aongay Marma, president of the Hill Students’ Council, a front organisation of the UPDF, condemned the arrest of Khokan Chakma and urged the government to release him and other Jummas arrested in the aftermath of the settler attacks on Jumma-inhabited areas on 23 February.
“Instead of arresting the main culprits the government is arresting and harassing innocent peoples and even the victims of the attack.” he said.
He termed the government action as “a desperate attempt to cover up the incident and save the local civil and military officers involved in the attacks.”
Aongay said the government has taken the wrong path for which it will have to pay a very high price.
He also accused the government of being biased in favour of the settler organisatons, saying “When Hill Women’s Federation wanted to observe the 100th International Women’s Day in Khagrachari, it was denied permission. Likewise, the Khagrachari Nagorik Committee was also not permitted to form a human chain. But the government is lenient towards the settlers and allowed them to organise demonstrations and even call a road blockade programme.”
This is such discrimination which creates resentment among the Jumma people, the PCP president said while speaking to chtnews.com.
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