|
|---|
The 23rd Session of Working Group on Indigenous Populations Agenda Item: 4 B-Indigenous Peoples and the international and domestic protection of Traditional Knowledge Mr. Chairperson, Distinguished delegates, Indigenous brothers and sisters and other participants I am Goutam Kumar Chakma from Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh would like to thank you all. It is a great pleasure that the UN Human Rights Commission has taken up the issue of indigenous peoples and finding out ways to address the problems of them as well. Bangladesh emerged as a nation state in 1971. There are totally 45 ethnic groups of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh including more than 10 multi-lingual ethnic groups in CHT (who collectively call themselves as Jumma people i.e. People of Highland). Bangladesh ratified ILO Convention 107 related to the indigenous peoples of the globe. It was definitely a wise and generous step for which indigenous peoples of Bangladesh feel proud. But it is a very great worrying that Constitution of Bangladesh recognised the ‘Existing Laws’, which legalised previous legislation like ‘The Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation 1900 (1 of 1900)’ and ‘The State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950’ where some rights for indigenous peoples naming indigenous hill people or indigenous peoples were included. As the government did not adopt favourable policy toward the indigenous peoples in the country those provisions are seldom executed or abided by government administration. As a consequence, total extermination of the indigenous peoples in the country is imminent. After a two long decades armed conflicts in the CHT region an Agreement was signed between the Government and our organisation PCJSS on 2 December 2005 for which UNESCO provided the ‘HOPhouet Boigney Award’ to the then Prime Minister sheikh Hasina in 1999. But the government did not take up the Agreement for proper implementation. Until and unless the Government of Bangladesh recognises the existence of indigenous people in the country and frame proper legislation and above all modify its policy protection of rights of the indigenous peoples including traditional knowledge is not expected. Therefore, I, on behalf of the indigenous peoples in CHT and other parts of the country of Bangladesh, would like to appeal to the international community including the UN to come up for protection of the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh from their imminent extermination with fullest support and help. Thank you all. |
Developed by sajib_tri@hotmail.com |