THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH AND JANA SANGHATI SAMITY SIGNED A PEACE TREATY CONCERNING CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS.

DECLARATION OF OLIVIER DUPUIS, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY AND MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT.

Brussels, 9 December 1997. The National Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs formed by the Government of Bangladesh, and 'Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity', organization representing the indigenous peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts, signed last week a historic agreement that puts an end to the conflict that went on since 1973 and creates the basis for the lasting peace in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

The European Parliament has intervened several times in favour of a pacific solution to the conflict. Last year and this year it established, in the frame of the EU's budget, that a part of EU's funds destined to Bangladesh should be used for withdrawal of the Bengali settlers transfered to Chittagong Hill Tracts back to the plains.

During the last plenary session in November, the European Parliament approved an urgent resolution on the situation in Chittagong Hill Tracts, in which it called on the Government of Bangladesh to fulfil the principle demands of the indigenous peoples for regional autonomy in the on-going peace talks, to withdraw and rehabilitate the Bengali settlers from Chittagong Hill Tracts, and to demilitarize the region.

Declaration of Olivier Dupuis, Member of the European Parliament and Secretary General of the Transnational Radical Party:

"First of all we have to thank the Government of Bangladesh that it has demonstrated, with the conclusion of this agreement, its concrete trust in dialogue and its real desire for peace. But our thanks also go to the representatives of Chittagong Hill Tracts who were able to conceive their autonomy within such a big coutry as Bangladesh, and to the European Commission for having supported these concrete peace efforts. This is another proof that if the European Union assumes a clear attitude and takes concrete steps on the situation in the third countries, it can effectively contribute to the solution of the conflicts."

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