The armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) blocked all avenues of dialogue with the peace-building committee in Bandarban’s Ruma and Thanchi upazilas, with bank robberies, armed robberies and the kidnapping of a Sonali bank manager. As a result, it is not possible to continue dialogue with them.
Kya Shaihla, convener of the peace establishment committee and chairman of the district council, said these things in a press conference at the conference room of the Bandarban hill district council on Thursday (April 4).
In the conference, he discussed with the KNF and the peace establishment committee for a long time and highlighted the current status of the peace establishment committee with them.
At this time, he gave a written statement in front of the journalists. In the statement, he said, “Last April 2 in Ruma Upazila, KNF attacked Tarabi worshipers during the holy month of Ramadan, took hostages of government officials and pedestrians, attacked Sonali Bank to loot money, kidnapped the bank manager, looted 14 weapons of police and Ansar forces. On behalf of the peace establishment committee, I strongly condemn against the despicable activities like taking hostages of locals and robbing two banks on April 3 in Thanchi upazila.

A discussion meeting was held at Arun Saraki Town Hall in the district in the presence of leaders of various ethnic groups on May 29 last year to bring the armed organization Kuki-Chin National Front back to normal life. In continuation of this, a peace establishment committee consisting of 18 members was formed on June 9 last year. Later, after several rounds of virtual meetings between the peacekeeping committee and the KNF, an opportunity was created to hold a direct dialogue based on the views of both sides.
He said that two direct dialogues were held on November 5 last year and March 5 this year. In both the dialogues, two memorandums of understanding were executed regarding KNF’s desistance from armed activities and other matters. But they broke the agreement completely and continued armed activities at various times. Although the committee was repeatedly informed in this regard, they did not heed. Instead, sporadic attacks, abductions, and extortion continued on local residents. We the Peace Establishment Committee are deeply shocked and outraged by the recent incident. In this incident, all ongoing efforts of peace establishment committee have been questioned.

In this situation, this committee feels that through these incidents, KNF has closed all the ways of dialogue with the peace establishment committee.