Chittagong Hill Tracts: Japan MPs Arrive with Peace Call
Two visiting members of the Japanese Parliament met with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday [March 21] and urged her to fully implement the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.Below is an article published by The Daily Star:
Two visiting members of the Japanese parliament met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday and urged her to fully implement the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
They submitted a petition signed by 35,757 people from 105 countries and 12 autonomous territories. The statement also has peace messages from 2754 people including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan-Maguire.
Naoto Sakaguchi and Mieko Tanaka, Democratic Party parliamentary members of Japan who arrived here on March 20, had an hour's talk from 7:00pm yesterday with the premier at her office. Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Tamotsu Shinotsuka and 3 others were with them.
They mainly discussed issues relating to CHT peace accord and urged her to bring back peace in CHT, sources said.
The peace message by Nobel laureate Mairead says, "After more than 30 years of violent conflict and deep suffering, the Jumma people have a right and deep desire for justice and peace. I hope therefore that you and your Government and all parties to the conflict will increase and sustain your important efforts to move to the fulfillment of the l997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. Peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts will give hope not only to the people of Chittagong, and Bangladesh, but also to people around the world, that peace is possible".
The signatories include 62 members of the Japanese parliament, four members of parliament and legislative assemblies of Australia, a member of constituent assembly of Australia, a member of constituent assembly of Nepal and civil society representatives of Bangladesh.
The initiative was jointly taken by Jumma Net, a Japanese NGO working in solidarity with Jumma people of CHT, Bangladesh, the CHT Jumma Peoples Network of the Asia Pacific (Australia), the Indigenous Jumma People's Network USA, and the Organising Committee Chittagong Hill Tracts Campaign (Holland) with other 55 organisations worldwide.
Two visiting members of the Japanese parliament met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday and urged her to fully implement the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
They submitted a petition signed by 35,757 people from 105 countries and 12 autonomous territories. The statement also has peace messages from 2754 people including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan-Maguire.
Naoto Sakaguchi and Mieko Tanaka, Democratic Party parliamentary members of Japan who arrived here on March 20, had an hour's talk from 7:00pm yesterday with the premier at her office. Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Tamotsu Shinotsuka and 3 others were with them.
They mainly discussed issues relating to CHT peace accord and urged her to bring back peace in CHT, sources said.
The peace message by Nobel laureate Mairead says, "After more than 30 years of violent conflict and deep suffering, the Jumma people have a right and deep desire for justice and peace. I hope therefore that you and your Government and all parties to the conflict will increase and sustain your important efforts to move to the fulfillment of the l997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. Peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts will give hope not only to the people of Chittagong, and Bangladesh, but also to people around the world, that peace is possible".
The signatories include 62 members of the Japanese parliament, four members of parliament and legislative assemblies of Australia, a member of constituent assembly of Australia, a member of constituent assembly of Nepal and civil society representatives of Bangladesh.
The initiative was jointly taken by Jumma Net, a Japanese NGO working in solidarity with Jumma people of CHT, Bangladesh, the CHT Jumma Peoples Network of the Asia Pacific (Australia), the Indigenous Jumma People's Network USA, and the Organising Committee Chittagong Hill Tracts Campaign (Holland) with other 55 organisations worldwide.
