2nd Anniversary of Mahalchari Attack
UPDF rally demands punishment to perpetrators

United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) held a rally in Mahalchri yesterday, 26 August, to mark the second anniversary of Mahalchari attack. But the police refused to give permission to organise a protest march.

The meeting was scheduled to be held at the play ground of Mahalchari Girl School. As the civil and military administration refused to give permission at the last moment, the venue had to be shifted to a place called Chobbish Mile, near the College.

One day before the rally, the army also prevented the organisers from announcing the programme through mike and threatened Kyo Hla Ching Marma, a central committee member of the Hill Students Council, to leave Mahalchari. Army had been deployed in a number of places three days before the programme apparently to create a climate of fear among the residents.

On the day of the programme, both the army and the police halted the participants at a number of places and searched their bodies. The searches were carried out even after the rally as the participants were going back home. The soldiers also snatched the banner and examined to see what was written on it.

The police put up a barricade and refused to allow the rally to proceed towards the main town.

The meeting began at 12:30 p.m. and lasted till 2 p.m. Presided over by Pragati Karbari, the village head of Pahartali Saw Mill Para, one of the ten villages burnt down during the army-settler attack in 2003, the rally was also addressed by UPDF leaders Animesh Chakma, Pratim Chakma, HWF Secretary Antarika Chakma, Democratic Youth Forum leader Michael Chakma and PCP leader Kyo Hla Ching Marma. The meeting was conducted by Deben Chakma.

The speakers recalled the violent attack that left 10 Jumma houses burnt to ashes and 2 Jummas, including an eight months old bay dead. The attack was preplanned and both the army and the settlers were involved in it. Ten Jumma girls and women were also raped and Buddhist temples ransacked during the attack.

The speakers regretted that no inquiry committed was formed to prove the incident and said the perpetrators are roaming scot-free. They demanded exemplary punishment to the culprits and a guarantee from the government and the army that no such incident will take place in the future.

Prepared by Human Rights Monitoring Cell, United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) on 27 August 2005.