Alienation of the Lands of Indigenous Peoples

232 Pages·2011·2.36 MB·English

Alienation of the Lands
of Indigenous Peoples
in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh
Shapan Adnan
Ranajit Dastidar
This book deals with the forcible takeover of the
landsoftheindigenouspeoplesoftheCHT.Based
on fieldwork research among both Pahari and
Bengali groups, the book has four chapters,
concerned with different aspects of the study.
Chapter 1 introduces the research and describes
howitwasundertaken.
Chapter 2 deals with the CHTAccord of 1997 and
the failure to implement most of its important
clauses in a substantive manner. It also takes
account of parallel social and demographic
changes in the CHT occurring outside the
frameworkoftheAccord,theresultsofwhichmay
beverydifficult,ifnotimpossible,toreverse.Some
ofthesetrendsbypasstheprovisionsoftheAccord
andcouldpotentiallymakeitirrelevant.
Chapter 3 provides detailed analysis of the
numerous mechanisms of land alienation in the
CHT. The roles of different government and
private agencies are analysed with empirical
evidence, including sixteen case studies. Various
Bengali interest groups are also found to be
grabbing the lands of poor Bengali settlers,
reflecting intra-ethnic and classed-based
dimensions of land alienation. The growing
significance of commercial land grabbing for
rubber,timberandhorticultureplantations,driven
by profit-oriented capitalist production, is
highlighted. These constitute elements of global
land grabbing, indicative of ‘accumulation by
dispossession’ under contemporary globalization
andneoliberalcapitalism.
Chapter 4 undertakes policy analysis concerned
with the prevention of further alienation of Pahari
lands as well as the restitution of their already
occupiedareas.
Price:BangladeshTaka300.00,US$20.00
Alienation of the Lands
of Indigenous Peoples
in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh
ShapanAdnan
Visiting Research Fellow
Contemporary South Asian Studies Programme
School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies
University of Oxford
and
Ranajit Dastidar
Senior Research Associate and
Project Manager
CHT Land Study
Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs
Dhaka Copenhagen
2011
Alienation of the Lands of Indigenous Peoples
in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh
Study commissioned by the
Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission
First Edition: May 2011
Copyright: © Shapan Adnan, 2011
All Rights Reserved
Editorial Production:
Christina Nilsson and Hana Shams Ahmed
Cover Design: Taj Mohammod
Printing:Vector Graphics & Printing
207 University Market (1st floor)
Kantabon, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh
ISBN: 978-984-33-3494-7
Geographical area: Asia, Bangladesh
Co-publishers:
Chittagong HillTracts Commission
10/11 Iqbal Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.chtcommission.org
and
InternationalWork Group forIndigenousAffairs
Classensgade11 E, DK 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.iwgia.org
Price: B.Taka 300.00, US$ 20.00
CONTENTS
Preface...........................................................................................................................ix
Acronyms......................................................................................................................xii
Summary......................................................................................................................xiii
Map 1: Districts, Road Networks and the Kaptai Lake in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts................................................................................xxxvii
Map 2: Upazillas (sub-districts) of the Chittagong Hill Tracts............................... xxxix
Map 3: Fieldwork Sites of the Land Study in the Chittagong Hill Tracts....................xli
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY........................................................................1-13
CHAPTER 2:
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHT ACCORD AND PARALLEL
TRENDS DURING 1997-2010...............................................................................15-33
CHAPTER 3:
MECHANISMS OF LAND ALIENATION IN THE CHT...................................35-108
CHAPTER 4:
POLICY ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................109-180
BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................181-186
iv Alienation of the Lands of IP in the CHT of Bangladesh
DETAILED CONTENTS
Preface ix
Acronyms xii
Summary xiii
Map 1: Districts, Road Networks and the Kaptai Lake in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts............................................................................... xxxvii
Map 2: Upazillas (sub-districts) of the Chittagong Hill Tracts............................... xxxix
Map 3: Fieldwork Sites of the Land Study in the Chittagong Hill Tracts....................xli
CHAPTER 1 1-13
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1
THECHITTAGONGHILLTRACTSOFBANGLADESH......................................2
The Indigenous Peoples of the CHT......................................................................2
UNDERLYINGCONSIDERATIONSANDRATIONALE.....................................4
OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................6
TIMETABLE,APPROACHANDMETHODOLOGY.............................................7
SCOPEANDLIMITSOFTHESTUDY.................................................................12
LAYOUT.................................................................................................................13
CHAPTER 2 15-33
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHT ACCORD AND PARALLEL
TRENDS DURING 1997-2010 15
THECHTACCORDOF1997.................................................................................15
IMPLEMENTATIONSTATUSOFTHECHTACCORD......................................19
Implementation Committee for the CHT Accord................................................20
Hill District Councils...........................................................................................21
CHT Regional Council........................................................................................21
The Task Force for Rehabilitation of Returnee Refugees and IDP.............................22
The Land Commission........................................................................................23
Holding of a Cadastral Survey before Settlement of Land Disputes...................26
Overall Status of the CHT Accord by 2010.........................................................28
Contents v
PARALLELPROCESSESANDTRENDSINTHECHTDURING1997-2010........28
Demographic Growth and Re-composition.........................................................29
Attitudes of Bengali Interest Groups towards Landed Property in the CHT.......30
New Policy Initiatives by the Government..........................................................31
OVERALLTRENDSANDFUTUREPROSPECTS...............................................31
CHAPTER 3 35-108
MECHANISMS OF LAND ALIENATION IN THE CHT 35
EVOLUTIONOFPROPERTYSYSTEMSANDLANDRIGHTSINTHECHT..36
Introduction of Private Land Rights in the CHT.................................................39
Changes in Laws of Entry, Residence and Eligibility for holding Land in the CHT.41
Transmigration of Bengali Settlers and Forced Redistribution of Pahari Lands.42
The Political Context of Land Grabbing after the Peace Accord........................43
Different Types of Land Laws and Forms of Land Grabbing in the CHT........44
ACQUISITIONOFCHTLANDSBYAGENCIESOFTHESTATE.....................45
Procedures of State Acquisition of Land in the CHT..........................................45
Actual Outcomes of the CHT Accord and HDC Acts on Powers of the DC Office 46
FORESTDEPARTMENT:LANDACQUISITIONFORAFFORESTATIONPROJECTS...48
Village Common Forests.....................................................................................55
INSTALLATIONSOFTHESECURITYFORCES................................................57
Taking over Pahari Lands without following due Acquisition Procedures.............57
Formal Land Acquisition for Installations and Projects of the Security Forces..58
REDISTRIBUTIONOFPAHARILANDSTOBENGALISETTLERSDURING
THECOUNTER-INSURGENCY...........................................................................61
Strategy of Demographic Engineering................................................................61
Continuation of the Counter-insurgency Strategy during the post-Accord Period.....62
MANUFACTUREOFLANDTITLESFORBENGALISETTLERS.....................63
Operation of the Special Settlement Zone...........................................................63
Partial Withdrawal of the Political Migrants and their Replacement by Local Bengalis.....64
Parallel Process of Allotting Land to self-propelled Bengali Migrants...............65
The Long Term Consequences of Land Settlement Documents given to Bengali
Settlers in the CHT..............................................................................................66
Problematic Aspects of the Land Settlement Documents given to Bengali Settlers.......67
Manipulation of Land Settlement Documents of Bengali Settlers for Land Grabbing....70
INCREMENTALLANDGRABBINGBYBENGALISETTLERS.......................71
Grabbing of Pahari Lands....................................................................................71
Grabbing of Temple Lands..................................................................................73
Grabbing of Fringe Lands....................................................................................74
LEASINGOUTOF‘KHAS’LANDFORCOMMERCIALPLANTATIONS........77
Official Review of the Status of Plantation Leases in Bandarban..........................80
vi Alienation of the Lands of IP in the CHT of Bangladesh
Incremental Land Grabbing by Plantation Leaseholders.....................................81
Unintended Consequences of the Directive to Cancel Leases of
Undeveloped Plantations.....................................................................................84
LANDGRABBINGBYCOMMERCIALINTERESTGROUPS...........................86
Commercial Land Grabbers and Dealers: Individuals, Companies and NGOs...86
Commercial Dealers Grabbing and Selling Lands...............................................88
MANIPULATIONOFCONNECTIONSWITHPOLITICALPARTIES...............91
PRIVATELANDGAINSBYGOVERNMENTOFFICIALS................................94
USEOFVIOLENCEFORLANDGRABBING......................................................96
Violence and Violation of Human Rights...........................................................96
Sexual Violence against Pahari Women..............................................................97
DISTRESSSALEOFLANDUNDERPRESSUREANDINTIMIDATION..........97
Encirclement and Harassment.............................................................................98
Sale of Land to Resolve Outstanding Debt..........................................................98
Pressure of Litigation leading to Distress Sale....................................................99
USEOFFRAUDANDFORGERYTOMANIPULATELANDRECORDS.........100
LIMITATIONSANDCORRUPTIONOFHEADMENANDKARBARIS...........101
CONSTRAINTSTORESTITUTIONOFFORCIBLYOCCUPIEDPAHARILANDS.103
ADMINISTRATIVECONSTRAINTSTOTHERECORDINGOFPAHARILAND
RIGHTS..................................................................................................................105
DIFFERENCESINLANDGRABBINGBEFOREANDAFTERTHECHT
ACCORD................................................................................................................105
OVERVIEWOFLANDGRABBINGINTHECHT..............................................107
CHAPTER 4 109-180
POLICY ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 109
OBJECTIVESOFPOLICYANALYSIS................................................................110
GENERALCONSIDERATIONSFORRESOLVINGLANDCONFLICTSINTHE
CHT.........................................................................................................................110
Guiding Principles for Decision-making............................................................111
PROCEDURESFORRESOLUTIONOFLANDCONFLICTSINTHECHT......112
The Broad Approach..........................................................................................112
Reorienting the Land Commission and Enhancing its Capability......................112
Rectification of the Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act of 2001.............113
Rules of Business of the Land Commission....................................................115
Acceptability of the Land Commission Chairman to All Ethnic Groups.......117
Operationalizing the Land Commission........................................................118
Assessment of the Performance of the Land Commission..............................118
Alternatives to the Land Commission for Resolving Land Conflicts.................119
Operationalizing the Traditional Land Laws and Customs of the Hill Peoples..120
Contents vii
STATEACQUISITIONOFLANDANDCOMPENSATIONPROCEDURES....122
ROLEOFTHEDCOFFICEANDLANDADMINISTRATION...........................124
ROLEOFTHEFORESTDEPARTMENT.............................................................125
Land Acquisition by the Forest Department for Afforestation Projects.............126
Social Forestry Projects......................................................................................127
Village Common Forests....................................................................................127
ROLEOFDEVELOPMENTINTERVENTIONS..................................................129
Land Acquisition Procedures for Development Agencies and Projects.............129
Public Consultations with the IP to Elicit their Genuine Preferences.................130
Road Construction in the CHT...........................................................................131
ROLEOFTHESECURITYFORCES....................................................................132
Land Acquisition by the Security Forces............................................................132
Discontinuation of Operations Aimed at Displacing IP from their Lands..........133
LANDSETTLEMENTPROCEDURES.................................................................133
Manipulation of Special Settlement Zone Titles including R-Holdings...............133
Land Settlements for the IP................................................................................136
LANDLEASINGPROCDURES............................................................................136
Land Leases for Rubber and Horticulture Plantations........................................136
Dealing with Cancellation of Leases and their Reinstatement...........................138
ROLEOFPOWERHOLDERSANDCOMMERCIALINTERESTGROUPS......139
TOURISMENTERPRISES....................................................................................141
ROLEOFBENGALISETTLERS..........................................................................142
VIOLENCEANDHUMANRIGHTSVIOLATIONS............................................143
Inter-ethnic Violence and Communal Riots.......................................................143
Sexual Abuse and Violence................................................................................143
ENHANCINGTHECAPABILITIESOFHEADMENANDKARBARIS............144
THEPEACEACCORDANDLANDRIGHTSOFTHEIP...................................146
The Regional Council and the Hill District Councils.........................................146
Role of the Task Force for Rehabilitation of Returnee Refugees and IDP.............148
Sequencing of the Land Survey and Settlement of Land Disputes.......................149
Revision of the CHT Accord?............................................................................150
IN-MIGRATIONANDVOLUNTRARYWITHDRAWALOFBENGALISETTLERS...151
Limiting In-migration of Bengali Settlers..........................................................151
Voluntary Withdrawal of Bengali Settlers from the CHT..................................151
ROLEOFPOLITICALNEGOTIATIONSBETWEENTHEIPANDBENGALIS.....153
CHANGINGTHEMINDSETOFGOVERNMENTOFFICIALS.........................155
ROLEOFTHEGOVERNMENTOFBANGLADESH..........................................156
General Policy Orientation towards the CHT and Land Rights of the IP...........156
The CHT Accord and the Government’s Electoral Manifesto...........................157
Constitutional Recognition of the IP and the Peace Accord...............................157
Implementation of International Conventions on Indigenous Peoples...............158
ROLEOFDONORAGENCIES.............................................................................160
viii Alienation of the Lands of IP in the CHT of Bangladesh
MOBILIZATIONANDRESISTANCEBYTHEIP..............................................161
Possible Issues and Forms of Resistance by the IP............................................163
LEGALACTIVITIESINSUPPORTOFPAHARILANDRIGHTS.....................164
Appealing to the Higher Courts of the Formal Judiciary....................................165
Legal Measures for Strengthening Land Rights of the IP...................................165
Legal Assistance for the IP.................................................................................166
Coping with Reactions of Land Grabbers Dislodged from Occupied Pahari Lands....167
MOBILIZINGSUPPORTFROMMAINSTREAMPUBLICOPINION.................168
Informing and Sensitizing Mainstream Public Opinion.....................................169
Voices from Mainstream Bengali Society in Support of Pahari Needs..............170
Broad-based Demands for Constitutional Recognition of the IP........................171
Dealing with Bengali Interest Groups in the CHT..............................................171
MOBILIZINGINTERNATIONALPUBLICOPINION........................................172
ROLEOFTHEMEDIA:SUPPORTANDPUBLICITY........................................172
ADVOCACYACTIVITIESATHOMEANDABROAD......................................174
Coordination between National and International Advocacy Activities.............175
International Networking for Regional Stability and Economic Growth...........176
POLICYRESEARCHINITIATIVESBYTHEIP.................................................177
COMPUTERIZEDDATA-BASES........................................................................178
INDEPENDENTRESEARCHANDMONITORINGOFCRITICAL
TRENDSINTHECHT...........................................................................................179
BIBLIOGRAPHY 181-186