The Kuki Human Rights Council (KHRC), advocating for indigenous rights, has accused the Bangladesh Army of serious human rights violations against the Bawm-Kuki tribe in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). In their December 22 statement, the KHRC claimed unlawful arrests, custodial torture, and killings during ongoing security operations create fear among villagers and reflect a systemic persecution of indigenous communities. They cited the case of Sanglianthang, a 30-year-old farmer arrested on December 21, who was alleged to have ties to the Kuki National Army (KNA), though local residents and the Kuki National Front (KNF) Media Wing insist he is a civilian without militant links. The KHRC demanded his release and that of other detained villagers.
Additionally, the council reported custodial killings, specifically noting that Lalramsan Bawm was abducted on December 5 and later found dead within a military camp, with visible signs of torture. The KHRC described a broader crackdown characterized by mass arrests, especially targeting indigenous Jumma villagers, including a 12-year-old child. They accused the authorities of attempting to suppress the identity, culture, and religious freedoms of the Bawm-Kuki people. The KHRC called for an independent investigation into these allegations and international intervention for civilian protection in CHT, expressing solidarity with the Bawm-Kuki tribe and committing to document ongoing abuses while seeking accountability and justice from global human rights organizations and governments.
