KhaingLu Hla, Narinjara News, 1 October 2024

Over150 indigenous people from Bangladesh organised a protest demonstration inSydney, Australia in the morning hours of 29 September.

Theprotesters demanded security for the indigenous people in Khagrachari andRangamati districts of Chittagong hill-tracts.

Aparticipant in the protest said, “The demonstration was held in front of Sydneytown hall from 10 am to 12 noon. The indigenous minorities from Bangladesh,including the Chakma, Marma, Barua (Marmagyi), Arakanese and Tripuri,participated in the demonstration. Some Nepali and Bengali citizens also joinedas well.”

Theirdemands include ensuring protection to  minorities in Bangladesh, endingattacks on indigenous peoples and taking actions against those, who perpetratedthe violence.

Thedemonstrators held posters and banners conveying the messages like ‘RespectMinorities’, ‘Stop Grabbing Land from Indigenous Peoples in ChittagongHill-Tracts’, ‘We Want Justice for Jumma People’, ‘We Are Marma People fromBangladesh’, ‘Stop the Attacks and Promote Human Rights’, ‘Withdrawal of BanglaArmy from Chittagong Hill- Tracts under the 1997 Agreement’, ‘Peace cannot exist Without Justice’, etc.

Theywanted to expose the attacks by Bengali settlers on Chakma and Marma people,minority indigenous groups (Jumma) living in Dighinala in south Bangladesh on19 and 20 September to the outer world.

TheBangladesh authorities reported that four indigenous people were killed and 70others were injured. Moreover, nearly  200 shops & houses werevandalized during the violent attacks. The local residents however claimed thatthe death toll might be higher than announced by the authorities.