chtnews.com
News No. 27/2010, February 18, 2010
There has been an assassination attempt on United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) leader in the southern CHT district of Bandarban.
According to UPDF and independent sources, UPDF’s Bandarban District Organiser Choton Kanti Tanchangya was sipping tea at a restaurant at Balaghata, a suburb of Bandarban town, at 2:30pm when a group of JSS (Santu Larma faction) members appeared.
One of them took out a revolver and pulled the trigger after pointing it at Mr. Choton. However, the trigger betrayed, and other JSS men attacked him with clubs and sticks.
The attack left Choton seriously injured. He has been admitted to Bandarban Sadar Hospital in senseless condition.
The people present at the restaurant resisted the JSS attackers and caught one of them red handed. He has been identified as Antor Chakma, from Rangamati.
He admitted that he has been assigned by Santu Larma to kill Choton and other UPDF leaders in Bandarban.
The crowed gave him a sound beating before handing him over to the police.
Three rounds of bullets along with the revolver have been recovered from him.
Another attacker has been identified as S. A. Maung, who leads the JSS armed group in Bandarban area.
UPDF has condemned the assassination attempt on Choton Kanti Tanchangya and urged the government to take stern actions against JSS (Santu Larma faction) armed groups.
Bikram Chakma, a UPDF member in Bandarban, told chtnews.com the JSS (Santu group) had been threatening Choton for the last two – three days.
“We knew Santu Group men had come with a mission to kill or harm Mr. Choton, and therefore we were on our guard.” he said.
UPDF leader Ujjal Smriti Chakma said violence has become a creed of JSS (Santu). “How can he remain in power in RC when his terrorist gangs go about killing and abducting innocent people everywhere?” he asked.
“Obviously, there is state sanction behind his criminal activities. Santu Babu is implementing the government blueprint to destroy the Jummas by pitting his group against the whole Jummas. This is the only reason why he continues to spurn UPDF offer of talks.” he added.
“If he disobeys his masters in Dhaka today, he will lose his position at the RC tomorrow. This is as plain as that; and he is too faithful to his masters to disobey them.”
Protests
HWF-PCP-DYF staged a demonstration in Khagrachari in protest at attack on Choton Tanchanya.
The demonstrators chanted slogans against government-backed JSS (Santu faction) terrorists and demanded that the government arrests and try Santu Larma, the source of all evils in CHT.
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