PCJSS representative urges the EMRIP to encourage the States to implement treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements

PCJSS representative urges the EMRIP to encourage the States to implement treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements

Mr. Bidhayak Chakma, assistant secretary for youth affairs of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati (PCJSS), urged the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) to encourage the states concerned, including Bangladesh, to implement treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements, beside other arrangement to ensure rights relating to language and culture of the indigenous peoples.

Mr. Chakma, on behalf of the PCJSS, raised this issue during his intervention on Agenda Item-5: the Role of Language and Culture in the Promotion and Protection of the Rights and Identity of Indigenous Peoples at the 5th session of the EMRIP on 11 July 2012. The fifth session of the EMRIP is taking place in Geneva at the United Nations Palais des Nations from 9 July 2012 till 13 July 2012.

In his statement, Bidhayak Chakma welcomed the decision of the Human Rights Council to request the EMRIP to carry out study on the role of language and culture in the promotion and protection of the rights and identity of indigenous peoples. He also added that in Bangladesh there is no arrangement to protect and promote languages and cultures of the indigenous peoples of the country. In the contrary, alarming cultural aggression by the mainstream populations over indigenous cultures continues to happen in different forms, for instance, distortion or renaming the original name of local places by the government machineries.

He also alleged that the government of Bangladesh even does not recognize any existence of indigenous people of the country. Very recently, the government has issued an official order to the government and public representatives, not to attend any programmes on observation of the International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples, as the Day ‘9 August’ is approaching.

He also said that some specific rights relating to language and cultures of the indigenous people of the CHT are guaranteed by the CHT Accord signed in 1997 between government of Bangladesh and PCJSS. But it is irony that the CHT Accord has not been implemented, even after some nearly fifteen years of signing the Accord.  In relation to the indigenous people of the CHT, implementation of the CHT Accord is urgent and imperative to ensure their rights relating to language and culture, and other inseparable rights.

Following is the full statement of Mr. Bidhayak Chakma:

Bidhayak-Statement- Agenda Item -5, EMRIP 2012

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source:
PCJSS
(Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti)