21.   The rebels say the government and the military is encouraging Muslim settlers to build homes in the Chittagong Hills to reduce the predominance of Buddhists in the area.

22.   The rebels demand the expulsion of Muslim settlers from the plains.

23.   The rebels say that the Bangladesh government is promoting Muslim settlers in the hills to dilute the traditional claims on the land by the tribespeople.

24.   The rebels say that the Muslim settlers should be moved out of the hills as a precondition for any settlement.

25.   The tribespersons, who were mostly Buddhist, resented the Muslim settlers from the plains.

26.   This also leads to communal rifts between local people and Muslim settlers from other islands.

27.   This leads to communal rifts between local people and Muslim settlers from other islands.

28.   Tribal leaders have been critical of the government for including three Muslim settlers in the council set up to run the affairs of the three hill districts.