Fwd: The Brus of Mizoram: Unequal , Unwanted and Unwelcome – A fact finding report on ex odus of Brus in November 2009

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ACHR REVIEW <achr_review@achrweb.org>
Date: Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 6:49 PM
Subject: The Brus of Mizoram: Unequal , Unwanted and Unwelcome – A fact finding report on ex odus of Brus in November 2009
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 January 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has the pleasure to share its latest
report, "The Brus of Mizoram: Unequal, Unwanted and Unwelcome – A fact
finding report on exodus of Brus in November 2009". It is available at
http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/BRUS2010.pdf

The report is being released with specific recommendations on the eve of
the talks being held between the State government of Mizoram (India) and
the Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum (MBDPF) tomorrow i.e. on 22
January 2010 in Aizawl. The ACHR was invited by the State government of
Mizoram to visit the affected areas and the fact-finding team (FFT)
visited Mizoram and Tripura from 8 December to 14 December 2009. The FFT
among others had met the Honourable Chief Minister of Mizoram, the
Honourable Home Minister of Mizoram and Chief Secretary to the State
government of Tripura.

While welcoming the forthcoming talks, ACHR stated that Mizoram must learn
the lessons from the failed repatriation of November 2009 which was a
recipe for chaos and conflicts. The absence of a written agreement prior
to the proposed repatriation in November 2009 created fears and suspicion
among both the Mizos and Brus and the murder of a Mizo youth, Zarzokima
has been used to stall the repatriation process.

According to the State government officials at least 383 houses belonging
to the Brus were fully burnt. About 5,000 Brus were displaced. Of them
about 2,000 Brus crossed over to neighbouring Tripura State and joined
about 35,000 Bru IDPs who had earlier fled in 1997 following similar
communal attacks.

The Fact Finding Team in its report stated that, while the murder of
Zarzokima must be condemned, it does not justify violence against the Brus
en masse. The State government of Mizoram failed to make timely
interventions to stop the burning of the Bru houses from 14th  to 16th
November 2009. The Mizoram government ought to have been aware that there
would be backlash against the Brus during the funeral of Zarzokima that
took place on 15th November 2009 but it was only on 17th November 2009
that the District Magistrate of Mamit had assigned the responsibility to
the police officers for security of the Brus to the concerned officers.

Wherever the police were present, they had failed to act impartially and
often sought to justify their inability to uphold the rule of law on the
ground that the mob was unruly. As the burning down of the houses in
Damdial village in Mamit district showed the administration and the police
were more interested to appease the miscreants by letting them to burn a
few houses.

None of the arsonists have been prosecuted despite arsons taking place in
front of the police personnel in some cases and the rule of law in Mizoram
had collapsed.

While the State government of Mizoram promptly provided relief but it has
not provided adequate rehabilitation. The State government of Mizoram
failed to conduct any assessment of the damages. According to the survey
conducted by ACHR, the Brus claimed damage/buring down/taking away of
5,10,708 kgs of paddy, 11130 kgs of Sesame, 2820 kgs of rice, 5 shops with
goods worth Rs.50,000, 17,986 kgs of Chilies, in addition to destruction
of many properties and domestic animals and burning down of 1 TATA 407
vehicle.

The Fact Finding Report also blamed the State government of Tripura for
failing to provide timely relief to the displaced Bru IDPs who sought
shelter in Tripura.

ACHR stated that repatriation of the Brus without verification, unless the
Mizoram government accepts all the displaced Brus, is counter-productive.
The State government of Mizoram failed to show any seriousness to resolve
the Bru crisis.

For resolution of the Bru crisis once and for all, ACHR recommended to the
Mizoram government and the Union Home Ministry to recognise the right to
proper relief and rehabilitation of each Bru family residing in the six
relief camps of North Tripura; identify each and every Bru as to their
places of origin before any repatriation takes place, and sign an
agreement to dispel fears and suspicion and consider the demand for relief
and rehabilitation of the Brus.

With regard to the demands of the Bru IDPs, ACHR stated all the demands
relate to human development of the Brus and even fall below what the
Government of India has been providing to the Kashmiri Pandits as well as
the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and the Sri Lankan Tamil displaced persons.
The Central government must uphold the principles of equality and
non-discrimination while providing financial allocations to the Bru IDPs.

We thought you would find the report of interest.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely


Suhas Chakma
Director

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