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Consensus on all CHT issues,agreement soon

By Special Correspondent
A consensus has been reached on all issues with the Parbattyo Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) to bring peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Abul Hasnat Abdullah. Chairman of the National Committee on CHT. said here yesterday.
"We arrived at a consensus on all issues. An agreement will be signed soon.” Abdullah told reporters with a triumphant smile last night at the porch of Padma, the state guest house where he held four days of intensive negotiations with the PCJSS delegation led by Jy-otindrlyo Bodhipriyo Larma alias Shantu Larma.
But he declined to elaborate.
Shantu Larma. standing beside him, only smiled when Abdullah made the announcement.
Abdullah also said the PCJSS delegation is not going to meet the Prime Minister. PCJSS sources said earlier that they had sought an audience with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to "break the impasse" in the talks which began on May 11.
The PCJSS delegation is leaving for Dudukchara in Kha-grachari sometime this afternoon. They will brief their 'comrades' on the progress of negotiations which was the
24th since peace talks began in 1986.
On demands for land rights the government had earlier said that tribespeople would have their traditional rights on the land. Several thousand tribal refugees who returned home from Tripura in India were given back their lands in cases where those were occupied illegally.
More refugees are awaiting their turn to return home, bidding their time on the outcome of the peace negotiations. Yesterday's announcement would definitely spur their return, according to sources concerned.
On the crucial issues of
withdrawal of security forces, as demanded by the PCJSS in their five-point demand, the authorities clearly told them that it would not be possible to withdraw the forces. They would stay in their Cantonments once the ceasefire becomes permanent and peace is restored after decades of violence.
Precisely on what issues and terms the negotiators worked out the 'consensus' to prepare the ground for an agreement was not known.
A ceasefire is holding in the three hill districts of Ranga-mati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban since August 1992, despite occasional breaches. The
ceasefire will expire on June 30.
The prospects for peace brightened when the National Committee was reconstituted and talks began in earnest in October last year. This was the fifth in the series since the new committee resumed negotiations after 13 round of talks between the previous committee and the PCJSS failed to negotiate a settlement. But two BNP members of the present committee did not attend the current series of negotiations.
There had been serious disagreement on extension of the tenure of the three hill councils which ends on June 30. PCJSS leaders want them to be re-
placed by a regional council' with wide powers. But government wants to give the hill district councils wide authority under elected leaders. As per their five-point demand the 'regional council' is to have autonomous power, with its Chairman enjoying the rank of a minister.
There had been disagreements on the fate of settlers from the plains who constitute nearly half of about 800,000 people in the hills, home to 13 ethnic minorities belonging to different tribes.
The Chakmas who dominate the PCJSS constitute 24 percent of the hill population. They want the settlers out.
Everything depends on how Shantu manages the 'extremists’ who are suspicious of any deal. Already, they forced him relinquish the command of the insurgents, the Shantibahini. analysts said.
Tne people in the hills want peace. The pressure of people would ultimately prevail over everything, some optimists among the CHT watchers pointed out.