Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Human Rights Review: Issue 01: May 27, 2007
MR. RANGLAI MURUNG, a prominent national minority leader, Headman of Rainkyong Mouza and chairman of Sualok Union Council, was arrested by security forces on 23 February 2007 from his Ujani Para residence in the southern district town of Bandarban. The charges brought against him range from possessing illegal arms to grabbing government lands to misappropriation of relief materials. (Special case No. 13/07 and GR 31/07, Bandarban Thana case No. 11(2)07)
He is alleged to have been subjected to brutal physical torture during custody and was admitted to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
The trial of his cases will soon draw to a close and the judgment is expected in a week. He is being tried under a speedy trial court. Formal charges were framed against him on May 9. The court took depositions of witnesses on 10, 11, 15, 17, 21 and 22 May. There is allegation that army officers in civil uniforms were present during depositions to intimidate or influence the witnesses.
Mr. Ranglai Murung appears to be the most vocal spokesman and defender of the rights of his community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. He is also the Bandarban District Convenor of Movement for the Protection of Land and Forest in CHT and chairman of Mrochet, a social welfare organisation of the Murung people. He was always in the forefront of protest movements against the decision to grab their community-owned land to expand military training facilities in Bandarban. Months before his arrest, he played a crucial role in organising a rally in Bandarban town against continuing land grabbing spree.
Because of his active opposition to the expansion of military training centre at the cost of displacement of hundreds of Murung families, the military considers him to be a nuisance and arrested him at the first opportunity immediately after the declaration of state of emergency in the country.
The allegation of recovering illegal arms and ammunition in his house at the time of arrest is absolutely false. A Jumma rights activist, who has worked on a documentary on some indigenous nationalities of Bandarban, on condition of anonymity said “I have learnt that Mr. Ranglai Murung did possess a licensed weapon. Therefore I refuse to buy the claim that the army has found illegal arms during the time of his arrest.” He also believes that all other cases against him are false. Reminding us of the fact that Mr. Ranglai won the best UP chairman title, he said the allegation of misappropriation of relief funds is simply untenable.
Expressing concern over the continuing marginalisaton of the national minorities in Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Jumma leaders in Bandarban unanimously said that Mr. Ranglai was arrested for two obvious reasons: firstly, to remove the obstacle to the plan of military expansion; and secondly, the military wanted to send a stern message to the other objectors that if they continue to protest against the plan they would definitely face the same consequences as did Mr. Ranglai Murung.
Because of the state of emergency proclaimed on 11 January 2007, no protest rallies could be held against his reprisal arrest. The failure of the national human rights organisations to voice against his arrest is also palpable. In view of this, the intervention by the government of India has been a welcome one. According to a press report, the government of India sought clarification from the government of Bangladesh about the arrest and detention of Mr. Ranglai Murung. However, it is not known whether the government of Bangladesh has sent any reply in this regard or, if it has, what it actually contained.
The Murungs, also known as Mro, are one of the most backward nationalities in CHT. With a population of about 60,000*, they make up the second largest indigenous community, after the Marmas. The government of Bangladesh took no measures to uplift their socio-economic standards. On the contrary, hundreds of thousands of acres of their communally-owned land have been taken away on various pretexts to facilitate expansion of Bengali settlements. The arrest of Ranglai Murung only shows the desperateness of the government of Bangladesh and the army to wipe out the ethnic Jumma nationalities from the map of the CHT. In these circumstances, the international community must intervene with the government of Bangladesh in an effective way to save one of the most vulnerable communities on earth.
*A census conducted by Mro Social Culture in 1995 says that the Mro population then was 59,748. However, the government census of 1991 puts the number at 22,178 persons. The wide difference is believed to be due to the fact that the enumerators never personally visit the Murung villages situated in the remote and almost inaccessible hill ranges.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Human Rights Review: Issue 01: May 27, 2007
MR. RANGLAI MURUNG, a prominent national minority leader, Headman of Rainkyong Mouza and chairman of Sualok Union Council, was arrested by security forces on 23 February 2007 from his Ujani Para residence in the southern district town of Bandarban. The charges brought against him range from possessing illegal arms to grabbing government lands to misappropriation of relief materials. (Special case No. 13/07 and GR 31/07, Bandarban Thana case No. 11(2)07)
He is alleged to have been subjected to brutal physical torture during custody and was admitted to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
The trial of his cases will soon draw to a close and the judgment is expected in a week. He is being tried under a speedy trial court. Formal charges were framed against him on May 9. The court took depositions of witnesses on 10, 11, 15, 17, 21 and 22 May. There is allegation that army officers in civil uniforms were present during depositions to intimidate or influence the witnesses.
Mr. Ranglai Murung appears to be the most vocal spokesman and defender of the rights of his community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. He is also the Bandarban District Convenor of Movement for the Protection of Land and Forest in CHT and chairman of Mrochet, a social welfare organisation of the Murung people. He was always in the forefront of protest movements against the decision to grab their community-owned land to expand military training facilities in Bandarban. Months before his arrest, he played a crucial role in organising a rally in Bandarban town against continuing land grabbing spree.
Because of his active opposition to the expansion of military training centre at the cost of displacement of hundreds of Murung families, the military considers him to be a nuisance and arrested him at the first opportunity immediately after the declaration of state of emergency in the country.
The allegation of recovering illegal arms and ammunition in his house at the time of arrest is absolutely false. A Jumma rights activist, who has worked on a documentary on some indigenous nationalities of Bandarban, on condition of anonymity said “I have learnt that Mr. Ranglai Murung did possess a licensed weapon. Therefore I refuse to buy the claim that the army has found illegal arms during the time of his arrest.” He also believes that all other cases against him are false. Reminding us of the fact that Mr. Ranglai won the best UP chairman title, he said the allegation of misappropriation of relief funds is simply untenable.
Expressing concern over the continuing marginalisaton of the national minorities in Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Jumma leaders in Bandarban unanimously said that Mr. Ranglai was arrested for two obvious reasons: firstly, to remove the obstacle to the plan of military expansion; and secondly, the military wanted to send a stern message to the other objectors that if they continue to protest against the plan they would definitely face the same consequences as did Mr. Ranglai Murung.
Because of the state of emergency proclaimed on 11 January 2007, no protest rallies could be held against his reprisal arrest. The failure of the national human rights organisations to voice against his arrest is also palpable. In view of this, the intervention by the government of India has been a welcome one. According to a press report, the government of India sought clarification from the government of Bangladesh about the arrest and detention of Mr. Ranglai Murung. However, it is not known whether the government of Bangladesh has sent any reply in this regard or, if it has, what it actually contained.
The Murungs, also known as Mro, are one of the most backward nationalities in CHT. With a population of about 60,000*, they make up the second largest indigenous community, after the Marmas. The government of Bangladesh took no measures to uplift their socio-economic standards. On the contrary, hundreds of thousands of acres of their communally-owned land have been taken away on various pretexts to facilitate expansion of Bengali settlements. The arrest of Ranglai Murung only shows the desperateness of the government of Bangladesh and the army to wipe out the ethnic Jumma nationalities from the map of the CHT. In these circumstances, the international community must intervene with the government of Bangladesh in an effective way to save one of the most vulnerable communities on earth.
*A census conducted by Mro Social Culture in 1995 says that the Mro population then was 59,748. However, the government census of 1991 puts the number at 22,178 persons. The wide difference is believed to be due to the fact that the enumerators never personally visit the Murung villages situated in the remote and almost inaccessible hill ranges.
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Hill Watch Human Rights Forum provides accurate, objective and reliable information on human rights abuses in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. For further details contact: hwhrf_99@yahoo.com or hwhrf.cht@gmail.com
Hill Watch Human Rights Forum provides accurate, objective and reliable information on human rights abuses in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. For further details contact: hwhrf_99@yahoo.com or hwhrf.cht@gmail.com
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