chtnews.com
News No. 98/2010, April 13, 2010
Five Jumma organisations – Sajek Land Protection Committee, Sajek Women Association, Democratic Youth Forum, Hill Students’ Council and Hill Women’s Federation – staged a token hunger strike today on Dhaka University campus in protest at continuing repression on the Jumma people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The token hunger strike continued for 3 hours beginning from 12 noon.
President of Hill Students’ Council Aongay Marma, Organising Secretary Thui Kyo Ching Marma, Democratic Youth Forum leader Mithun Chakma and Sajek Land Protection Committee member Ripon Chakma spoke on the occasion.
Besides, Samiul Alam Richi, President of Bangladesh Chattra Federation, Mostafa Ahmed Kamal of Pragatir Paribrajok Dal and Nityananda Pal of Sangskritir Naya Setu addressed the gathering, expressing solidarity with the just struggle of the Jumma people.
The speakers lambasted the government for depriving the Jumma people of all the festivities associated with the traditional Boisabi festival.
They regretted that they had to stay back in Dhaka, instead of going back home to celebrate Boisabi with their near and dear ones, to stage a hunger strike to highlight the repression on Jumma people in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
“In the name of Operation Uttoron the CHT is under virtual military rule. As long as the military remains there, the Jumma people will suffer from insecurity and they will have to live in constant fear of attacks like the ones in Sajek and Khagrachari.” they said.
The speakers urged the government to concede to the demand of full autonomy for a peaceful and durable resolution of the CHT problems and withdraw the ban on political activities of the Jumma organisations in Khagrachari.
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