Editorial
Army pullout from CHT
Step towards implementation of CHT Accord
THE first major pullout of the army from the CHT since 1997 -- when the CHT Peace Accord was signed followed by limited withdrawal-- began last Friday with the dismantling of an army camp.
The issue has to be placed in the right perspective, as it has far-reaching implications insofar as the future of the CHT and its people are concerned. The first point to be taken note of is that the pullout is in keeping with the accord. It is a solid step towards its implementation and is an indicator of the government's trust in the abilities of the local administration and the people of the CHT to maintain peace and order. After all, deployment of the army for patrolling the areas, which were once the scene of a long-drawn, self-attritional insurgency, had to come to an end with the end of the insurgency itself. People of the CHT have begun their journey along the path to peaceful coexistence and it was necessary to go by the accord which laid the foundation of a fresh beginning. A government official has quite rightly expressed his optimism, which reflects the opinion of the majority, that law and order will not worsen after the army camps are dismantled.
The critics of the government move are apparently getting a partial picture of the situation. It is not a total withdrawal, that some quarters are apparently worried about, for a cantonment will remain in the CHT as any other part of the country.
The withdrawal of the camps is indeed a sign of the army's success in its CHT mission. Their work in the CHT over the years has created a situation in which maintenance of law and order can be vested in the civil administration which will, we believe, get full cooperation of the local people. The work done by the army has actually changed the lives of the CHT people in many ways. The army has set up schools, libraries and constructed roads and buildings as part of the plan to improve the overall infrastructure facilities in the hill districts.
The security concerns as expressed by those opposed to the pullout, if any, have to be addressed, but no less important is normalisation of life in the CHT and handing over matters pertaining to administration and enforcement of the law to civilian authorities.
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