Indigenous people from Bangladesh protest in Sydney against attacks on minorities

Khaing Lu Hla, Narinjara News, 1 October 2024

Over 150 indigenous people from Bangladesh organised a protest demonstration in Sydney, Australia in the morning hours of 29 September.

The protesters demanded security for the indigenous people in Khagrachari and Rangamati districts of Chittagong hill-tracts.

A participant in the protest said, “The demonstration was held in front of Sydney town hall from 10 am to 12 noon. The indigenous minorities from Bangladesh, including the Chakma, Marma, Barua (Marmagyi), Arakanese and Tripuri, participated in the demonstration. Some Nepali and Bengali citizens also joined as well.”

Their demands include ensuring protection to  minorities in Bangladesh, ending attacks on indigenous peoples and taking actions against those, who perpetrated the violence.

The demonstrators held posters and banners conveying the messages like ‘Respect Minorities’, ‘Stop Grabbing Land from Indigenous Peoples in Chittagong Hill-Tracts’, ‘We Want Justice for Jumma People’, ‘We Are Marma People from Bangladesh’, ‘Stop the Attacks and Promote Human Rights’, ‘Withdrawal of Bangla Army from Chittagong Hill- Tracts under the 1997 Agreement’, ‘Peace cannot exist Without Justice’, etc.

They wanted to expose the attacks by Bengali settlers on Chakma and Marma people, minority indigenous groups (Jumma) living in Dighinala in south Bangladesh on 19 and 20 September to the outer world.

The Bangladesh authorities reported that four indigenous people were killed and 70 others were injured. Moreover, nearly  200 shops & houses were vandalized during the violent attacks. The local residents however claimed that the death toll might be higher than announced by the authorities.