Bangladesh: Abduction of Bawn people, including children

Child Concern
Case BGD 130597.CC

The International Secretariat of OMCT/SOS Torture requests your Urgent
intervention in the following situation in Bangladesh.

Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat has been informed by reliable sources
over the abduction of ten Bawm people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,
on 21 April 1997, by a group of armed men in the Banderban Hill
District, one of the three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

According to the information received, four of the ten people abducted
were released to collect the requested money of Taka 700,000 for the
release of the other six by 25 April. Among the six Bawm people who
remain kidnapped are the two children Vanram Thlir (16) and Mun Tluang
(15) from the Lunglei Para Village 

Army Major B.M. Tawfiq of the region allegedly said to have visited
the spot, found no clear evidence about the identity of the captors
who speak Burmese, but suspected that they are members of the split
group of the Myanmar 's terrorist revolutionary army.

The International Secretariat fears that the Government of Bangladesh
may not take appropriate action. Although the army and the police were
approached repeatedly by relatives of the abducted persons and village
leaders, nothing was done to help the victims except visiting the
place were the victims remain by helicopter.

Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Bangladesh urging them to:
i.      take all necessary measures to clarify these events and guarantee
the physical and psychological integrity of Vanram Thlir (16) and Mun
Tluang

ii.     take all necessary measures to protect the indigenous peoples of
the Chittagong Hill Tracts;

iii.    guarantee an impartial and exhaustive enquiry into the incidents,
find those responsible, bring them to trial, and apply the penal,
civil, and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;

iv      take all necessary measures to guarantee appropriate assistance to
the victims of the incident of 21 April, including their rights to
redress;

v.      ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with national laws and
international standards.

Addresses:
Abdur Rahman Biswas, President, Presidential Secretariat, Old Sangsad
Bhaban, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.  Fax : +880 2 866 300 Sheikh
Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, Shere-e
Bangla Nagor, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fax: 880 2 813 244 (PM Office) or
+880 2 811 015 Mr. Matin Chowdhury, Minister of Home Affairs, Ramna,
Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fax: 880 2 813 243 Mirza Gholam Hafiz, Minister of
Law & Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, Bangladesh Secretariat,
Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Geneva,13 May 1997
Kindly inform the International Secretariat of any action undertaken
quoting the code number of the present appeal.
Ben Schonveld 
Projects Manager
OMCT-SOS-Torture
Fax 4122 733 1051
Ph  4122 733 3140
OMCT is: l'Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture
         The World Organisation Against Torture

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.