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Friday, June 4, 2010

Fwd: Repatriation of the Bru IDPs from today: A story of the ACHR's sucessesful campaign



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ACHR REVIEW <achr_review@achrweb.org>
Date: Fri, May 21, 2010 at 2:59 PM
Subject: Repatriation of the Bru IDPs from today: A story of the ACHR's sucessesful campaign
To: suhaschakma@achrweb.org


Asian Centre for Human Rights
ACHR has Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC]
C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
Tel/Fax:  +91-11- 45501889 25620583
Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@achrweb.org


                                       Embargoed for: 21 May 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has the pleasure to inform that
the repatriation of the Bru Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from
Tripura to Mizoram of India has started today. A total of 154 Bru families
displaced from Mizoram in November 2009 left for their homes today in 78
commander jeeps with one police escort for every 10 jeeps. A total of 210
Bru families will return by 26 May 2010.

There are over 35,000 Bru IDPs who fled from Mizoram and have been living
in six makeshift camps in Tripura since 1997.

Today's repatriation, the first one in the last 13 years has started after
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India provided written
guarantees to the Asian Centre for Human Rights for rehabilitation, safety
and security of the displaced Brus. The ACHR's Director has been acting as
an interlocutor between the MHA and the Bru Coordination Committee (BCC)
after the talks between the BCC and the state government of Mizoram failed
to yield any result.

The demands of the Bru Coordination Committee submitted to the MHA through
the ACHR on 15 February 2010 is available at:
http://www.achrweb.org/countries/india/mizoram/BCC-Demands.pdf

The written assurance of the MHA on rehabilitation, safety and security
provided to the ACHR on 20 April 2010 is available at:
http://www.achrweb.org/press/2010/MHA-BRUs-0410.pdf

ACHR believes that today's repatriation will build necessary confidence
between the Mizoram government and the Brus to facilitate to the
resolution of the Bru IDP crisis.

Background for starting the repatriation:

On 4 November 2009, the BCC and State government of Mizoram held talks in
Aizawl. While the Brus clearly stated that no agreement was reached, the
State government of Mizoram announced that from 14 November 2009 the
repatriation of the Brus would take place. However, on 13 November 2009,
one Mizo boy, Zarzokima was murdered by unidentified persons and it led to
a backlash against the Brus. The repatriation was stalled; about 5,000
more Brus were displaced, many of whom fled to Tripura.

In December 2009, the ACHR was invited by the State government of Mizoram
to undertake a fact finding mission. The ACHR undertook its fact finding
mission and submitted the report, The Brus of Mizoram: Unequal, Unwanted
and Unwelcome, 21 January 2010,
(http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/BRUS2010.pdf)

At the initiative of the ACHR, on 12 January 2010, the BCC expressed the
willingness to return and placed its demands for rehabilitation before the
Chief Minister of Mizoram.

On 22 January 2010, the State government of Mizoram invited the BCC
leaders for talks. However, the State government arrested Mr
Laldawngliana, Vice President of the Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum
who went to participate in the talks. He was accused of being involved
with the murder of Zarzokima which started the conflict in November 2009.
The Bru leaders withdrew from talks and since then no talk took place.

On 27 January 2010, the ACHR Director met the concerned officials in the
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to discuss the issue. It was
agreed that the ACHR Director will use its good office to convince the
Brus to return while the MHA will use its good offices with the State
government of Mizoram for the return of at least the Brus displaced in
November 2009.

On 15 February 2010, ACHR Director visited Agartala, Tripura and held
talks with the Bru leaders. The Bru leaders submitted their demands to the
ACHR.

The ACHR placed these demands of the Brus before the Ministry of Home
Affairs.

On 20 April 2010, the Ministry of Home Affairs pursuant to the discussion
with the State government of Mizoram informed the ACHR about the
acceptance of the demands and sanctioning of Rs. 24.3 million for the
repatriation of the newly arrived Brus.

After about a month discussion on logistics, the repatriation started today.

We thought you would find the information of interest.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely



Suhas Chakma
Director





--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/

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