Chittagong Hill Tracts

EDM number 1234 in 2017-19, proposed by Caroline Lucas on 02/05/2018.
Categorised under the topics of Armed forces, Arms control, Asia, Crimes of violence, Ethnic groups, Human rights, International law and Sexual offences.

That this House is concerned by the risks facing indigenous Jumma women in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of Bangladesh, the authorities' systematic failure either to prevent sexual and other violence or facilitate access to justice for survivors, and by the Bangladesh military's complicity in human rights abuses; notes that while attending the recent Commonwealth Summit, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was challenged on her country's human rights record; further notes that the Bangladesh army is currently the second-largest troop-contributing country to UN peacekeeping forces; urges the UK to make the case for proper scrutiny of all Bangladesh military and other personnel prior to serving in the UN peacekeeping forces to certify that they are not committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international law; calls on the Government to encourage and support Bangladesh and Indigenous Jumma communities in the implementation of the 1997 CHT Peace Accord and de-militarisation of the CHT; and further calls for an end to UK arms sales to Bangladesh while there is a risk of weapons and other military equipment being used to commit human rights abuses in CHT.

This motion has been signed by a total of 13 MPs.