An indigenous woman seriously injured on an open fired with rubber bullets by the police in Khagrachari

On 30 June 2013 around 10.30 am, a indigenous woman has been seriously injured after an open fired by riot police using rubber bullets in south Khabongpujya area of Khagrachari  district. She was identified as Chanchala Chakma (50) from Khabongpujya area of Khagrachari municipality.

 

It is learnt that the police and Bengali settlers jointly planned to attack indigenous community to create a rumour about a communal conflict within local indigenous villagers during the time of strike called by Democratic Youth Forum (DYF) in CHT. In this incident an indigenous woman named Chanchala Chakma (50) from south Khabongpujya area was serious injured after an open fired operation by police. She was admitted in Khagrachari hospital first and then transferred to Chittagong Medical College hospital with her critical health condition. She is a daily labour. She was working at paddy land of Khabongpujya area during the strike and became victim of police firing when started to return home from farmland.

 

In the mean time, a successful surgery has been done with her in a hospital for the second time on 3rd July 2013.  In total six bullets of Shatter Gun have been removed from her body. She is now under treatment of medical doctors. A week might be needed to recover her body fully, hospital authority said.

 

It is also reported that five more people including two indigenous women named Koni Chakma (26) and Shamalika Chakma from same the area have been roughly injured by rubber bullets used by police during the strike.

 

During strike on 30 June 2013, the picketers of the DYF ransacked some vehicles near fire bridge office at the south Khabongpujya area. Following this, police chased the picketers and picketers also made counter chase. At a stage, police opened fire indiscriminately. The local sources informed that at least six houses have been ransacked by a sudden attack of police and Bengali settlers in the south Khabongpujya village. The villagers urged on the urgent need to investigate the incident to the local administration.

 

The Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders held in Havana, Cuba, on 27 August to 7 September 1990 stipulates that whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life and ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment and Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law.

 

However, the police did not comply with this ‘Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials’. Even, government authority did not take adequate medical aid to the injured persons as per said basic principles.

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source: 

Kapaeeng Foundation

(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)