Two
UPDF supporters arrested in Machalong
On
6 August 2005 army men arrested two teen aged boys from
Machalong and sent them to Rangamati district jail.
Santo
Chakma and Iron Chakma – aged between 14 and 16
– were arrested from Machalong bazaar. Both of them
are supporters of the United People’s Democratic
Front (UPDF) and were seeking membership of the Party.
Their plea for membership was under consideration while
the arrest was made. (UPDF usually do not admit under-aged
except under some very special circumstances).
They
were arrested during day time and to the full view of
the public.
About
the arrest the New Age, an English daily published from
Dhaka, on 7 August reported:
“Security
forces recovered modern arms and ammunitions and
rounded up two miscreants in a predawn raid at
a hideout at Machalong forest under Baghaichhari
upazila in Rangamati on a tip-off on Saturday,
said sources in the forces.
One
AK-47 rifle with a magazine loaded with 24 rounds
of ammunition and one 7.62 millimetre rifle with
seven rounds loaded into a magazine were recovered,
said the sources.” |
The
report, apparently representing the military version,
does not bear even a shred of truth.
As
has been stated above, they were arrested from Machalong
bazaar, which is a public place, during day time and no
arms and ammunitions were recovered from them.
Recently
it has become a favourite pastime for many army officers
stationed in the CHT to arrest members of the United Peoples
Democratic Front (UPDF) and its front organisations as
well as innocent people and project them as armed terrorists.
After each round ups the army officers provide the local
journalists with distorted and twisted account of the
incident and depict the arrestees as armed criminals.
The local correspondents of the national dailies in their
turn dispatch those versions of the army verbatim without
bothering to verify or corroborate them or to include
comments from UPDF leaders.
Although
no arms or incriminating materials are found during the
arrests, the army afterwards tucks worn out and out-of-order
arms, few rounds of ammunitions and other materials into
their hands. The army officers make such arrests to bolster
their chances of getting promotion. An ability to nab
terrorists is considered as a special skill in the Bangladesh
military.
Prepared
by Human Rights Monitoring Cell, United People’s
Democratic Front (UPDF) on 22 August 2005.
