Mr. Phan Wannamethee
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (The WFB)
616 Benjasiri Park, Sukhumvit 24 off Soi Medhinivet,
Sukhumvit Road, Klong Toey,
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel. (660) 2661-1284-7
Fax : (660) 2661-0555
e-mail: [email protected]
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Dear President Phan Wannamethee,
Country Based support Scheme for help Buddhist Chakmas and Hindu Hajongs and raising world Buddhist voice to protect their rights.
Brief of story:
More than 430,000 Chakma people inhabit Bangladesh and adjoining areas of northeast India. Approximately 300,000 live in the Chittagong Hills area of south-east Bangladesh, including Chittagong City. They are the largest Buddhist group in that Muslim-dominated country. The Chakma are not the same as the smaller Chak tribe, who inhabit areas further south.
In India the Chakma are a scheduled (official) tribe. They number over 100,000 people spread over five states, including south-western Mizoram along the Karnafuli River (39,900 in 1981), northern Tripura (34,797 in 1981) and Assam (22,789 in 1971, living in the Karbi Anglong, North Cachar and Cachar districts). Small numbers of Chakma live in West Bengal (141 people) and Meghalaya (103 people).
The Chakma have inhabited the Chittagong Hill Tracts since long before the region became part of the Mughal empire in 1666. Buddhism flourished in Bangladesh from the 5th to 12th centuries. Since the 13th century, Buddhism has been confined to the Chittagong area. The Chakma ‘continued to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Arakanese king until 1784’. They have long found themselves at odds with the predominantly Muslim Bengalis. The construction of the Kaptai Dam in the 1960s caused 18,000 Chakma people to lose their homes, and this is believed to be the origin of the present problems. Since the mid-1970s the Chakma have been involved in a secretive guerilla war against Bangladeshi soldiers. The fighting stems from the influx of large numbers of Bengali settlers, who have moved into the Chittagong area and taken over Chakma land by force. The government does little to stop the illegal settlers, and the Chakma have fought back out of frustration as they see their lives being rapidly decimated. In 1987, Amnesty International reported ‘arbitrary arrests, torture and unlawful killings’ of tribe members by security forces. Thousands of Chakma have been killed, hundreds of women and girls raped, and Buddhist temples smashed and looted. Tens of thousands of Chakma refugees have fled across the border into India.
Religion:
According to K S Singh, ‘The Chakma are Buddhists and worship Lord Buddha. At the family level they worship deities like Lakshmi and Ganga. The monk, who may be from another Buddhist community, acts as a religious teacher and performs various rites.’
The 1981 census in India recorded 97.62 per cent of the Chakma in Tripura as followers of Buddhism, 2.32 per cent as Hindus and the rest as Christians and Muslims. The 1961 census had returned a higher figure of 99.44 per cent as Buddhists. In Mizoram, 98.83 per cent of Chakma are Buddhists.
Christianity:
According to the India Missions Association, 7,275 Chakma in India are Christians. In Bangladesh, the Christian presence among the Chakma is scarcer, although there are small pockets of believers in scattered villages. Overall, the troubled Chakma people remain an unreached and unevangelized people group. Experiencing turmoil and an uncertain future, they need the inner peace and hope that only faith in Christ can bring.
Text source: Copyright © Peoples of the Buddhist World, Paul Hattaway.
Source: http://asiaharvest.org/…/nonChina/Bangladesh/Chakma.pdf…
Our Concern to you:
With the above few paragraphs that we can surely understand why missionaries are interested to converting Chakma Buddhist and Hindu are to Christianity. Chakmas and Hajongs voice still not had been heard by any authority but except in history only few times. Today we can clearly see that even basic fundamental human right not had been granted to them successfully. Here we are sure ‘World fellow ship of Buddhist’ can do something to retrieve Chakmas and Hajongs heart full needs and etc. Please kindly we are inviting to World Fellow ship Buddhist Conference for enlighten this sad story to rest of Buddhist world.
I have attached a word file wherein included the brief summary of the people through means of advices from the senior who have been working in this field for long. This inscription forward to us by Mr. Punyo Ayu Chakma who was working every day to relive the pain of Chakmas and Hajongs going through the pathetic stories.
Before evangelical missionary going to rule the case we Buddhist have to act early. Otherwise Chakmas and Hajongs will be face greater challenge rather than current state of their everyday life. If religious harmony wrecked by missionaries in future. What will happen to simple, innocent and peace-loving Chakmas community who were Buddhists by religion and having their own way of life, language, values and culture by based on Buddhism. Luckily they all are currently 97.62 percent of Buddhist.
What will be happen to them in future? Can we together protect The Chakma a Missing Link of the Sakya Tribe?
The ideal programme can include:
• Help to Gain Respect Life and Quality of Life of Chakmas and Hajongs.
Volunteer. Do a Service Learning Program or an International Service Learning Program.
“Every person has the right to life, to bodily integrity, and to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life; .primarily food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, and the necessary social services.”
• Help in Education through the various programme
Tutor. Attend a Centre for Social Concerns seminar. Speak against racial injustice. “The natural law gives one the right to a basic education.”
• Promote Families.
Get involved in a fair wage campaign. Attend the March for Life. “Careful provision must be made for the family both in economic and social matters.”
• Promote the Dignity of Work.
Attend Higgins Labor Studies Program events. Hug your housekeeper.“One has a right to the opportunity to work, but also to go about work without coercion.”
• Aiming to and trying to grant or increase Women’s and Children Rights from the side of the Indian Government.
• Consider Your Vote.
Practice faithful citizenship. Inform your conscience. Vote.
“Human beings should take an active part in government.”
• Defend Immigrants
Promote the DREAM Act.
• Work for Peace
Pirith chanting with murder victims families. Visit the imprisoned.
Note:
For More Details Contact:
INDIA:
• Dr Prajnalankar Bhikkhu
Santiniketan, India
• Ranjan Chakma
• Purno Ayu Chakma
Email: [email protected]
• Ven Subodhi Bhiiku
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Respectfully submitted
Palitha Ariyarathna
Jathika Bawuddha Balwegaya
Propaganda secretary,
NBA : [email protected]
WEB: www.balawegaya.wordpress.com
CC:
1.Ven. Medagama Dhammananda
SUCCESS HEADQUARTERS
No2A, Sangharaja Mawatha,
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Dear Palitha,
Thanks so much for putting up the great efforts to bring light to the issue of your Chakma/Hajong brothers and sister.
Please keep me updated regarding the progress on the issue.
Also, I am using one more cell number +91-9/531991/6.
Take care. Good night.-25 May 2013
Regards,
Punyo Ayu Chakma
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Dear Chakam, and All,
We are proud to announce the finalization of the conferment of Citizenship rights on eligible Chakmas and Hajongs, ensuring compliance with judicial directives for the protection of their lives.
New Delhi, September 17, 2015
I am proud to hear of and contribute to this decision for our nation’s defense. Every step taken to reach this milestone fills me with pride.
More power to you and our nation.
I am happy and delighted.
Buddha Bless you all!
Palitha Ariyarathna – 2015/sep/21
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