Augustina Chakma did not claim new state ‘Jummaland’ at UN
Several videos have been spread with the claim that Augustina Chakma has demanded at the United Nations that a new state named “Jummaland” should be formed by breaking up the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). However, Dismislab’s fact-check has found that the claims circulated with misleading captions are not true.
No such claim was found to have been made in statements made by Augustina Chakma at two separate sessions of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2023 and 2026.
Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS)
Augustina Chakma is a representative of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and the CHT Indigenous Peoples’ Council of Canada (1, 2). She has been speaking at various United Nations platforms (1, 2) to secure the rights of the Jumma community of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and indigenous women. It may be noted that in 1972, the first political party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the “Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti”, was formed under the leadership of Manabendra Narayan Larma to secure the rights of the indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Video 1
On August 12, a Facebook page named Deshbidash posted a video that is 1 minute 49 seconds long. Text within the video reads, “Augustina Chakma demands to break up the Chittagong Hill Tracts at the UN and form a new state named Jummaland for the Chakma tribal people” (verbatim). The post’s caption read, “Once again causing a stir with a forceful speech at the United Nations, Augustina Chakma, a former indigenous student who studied at Dhaka University under special government quota facility. Tribal leaders of Myanmar held a celebratory procession wishing her well. Three Indian Chakma tribal citizens detained while crossing from India into Bangladesh” (verbatim). By the time this report was published, the video had been viewed approximately 68,000 times and shared approximately 500 times.
A search using relevant keywords led to the source of the video on the website of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The scene in the circulated video, in terms of Augustina Chakma’s clothing and surrounding visuals, matches a segment from the 2-hour-41-minute mark of a video published on April 22, 2026. She delivered her remarks as a representative of the CHT Indigenous Peoples’ Council of Canada.
In the video, she can be heard saying, in English, “Jumma women and children continue to face impunity, violence, and displacement. Despite the UNDRIP and CEDAW General recommendation 39, these rights are still ignored. How long will this continue? How many more women and children must endure these horrors without protection and accountability? We, the Juma people, have been waiting for change. Waiting for the CHT Accords promises to be honored. We cannot afford to keep repeating the cycle, asking for the same things, year after year, protection, justice, and change with no real progress.”
She was also seen speaking on gender-based violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, the protection of Jumma women and children, and many other issues. Throughout her remarks, she was not seen to make any claim about establishing “Jummaland.”
A relevant keyword search located a report published by a media outlet named ipnewsbd regarding Augustina Chakma’s remarks. According to the report, Augustina Chakma delivered remarks at the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York on April 22, 2026. In her remarks, she highlighted various important aspects of the human rights, protection, and rights of indigenous peoples.
Video 2
The same page posted another video on August 12, with the caption, “Presenting the blueprint for Jummland at the United Nations, using government fund grants, Augustina Chakma, former indigenous student of Dhaka University, abroad. It may be noted that Augustina Chakma is the granddaughter of Santu Larma. She was married in 2019 to Pallab Chakma, a citizen of Rakhine, Myanmar. In addition, she works as a model in Canada. And she has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the rights of the Chakma tribal people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Myanmar and Bangladesh. She got the opportunity for admission at Dhaka University through the quota facility” (verbatim).
Text within the video reads, “After going to the United States using quota facilities at Dhaka University and financial assistance from the Bangladesh government, Chakma student raises demand for formation of the state of Jummaland” (verbatim). By the time this report was published, the video had been viewed 70,000 times and shared more than 500 times.
A keyword search led to the source of the video on the website of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The scene in the circulated video, in terms of Augustina Chakma’s clothing and location, matches a segment from the 1 hour 41 minute mark of a video published on April 25, 2023.
In the video, she can be heard saying, in English, “I would like to emphasize the crucial importance of land ownership for Indigenous communities. The right to self-determination is closely linked to land rights, and without it, sustainable socio-economic development is impossible. I want to draw your attention to the situation of the Indigenous Jumma peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (known as CHT) of Bangladesh. The lands, forests, hills, ponds, streams, and small rivers are essential for their survival. Unfortunately, most of the Indigenous lands in the area have been grabbed or occupied by Bengali outsiders or settlers, who were brought into the CHT by the government, numbering about 500,000…It is worth noting that although the honorable delegate of Bangladesh claimed in this forum last week that 1,555 development projects have been approved for the development of CHT this year. Indigenous peoples are continually losing their lands and being displaced from their traditional lands.”
In this statement as well, she did not make any claim regarding the establishment of “Jummaland.”
Through a relevant keyword search, Dismislab located a report published in a news portal named “Hill Voice”. The report reveals that Augustina Chakma delivered remarks at the 22nd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York on April 25, 2023. There, as a representative of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, she highlighted various important aspects of the development of indigenous peoples.
In other words, videos of remarks delivered by Augustina Chakma at two separate United Nations sessions held in 2023 and 2026 have been cut and circulated with misleading captions attached. While the remarks addressed the rights, protection, security, and development of the indigenous population of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, no claim was made regarding the formation of a new state named “Jummaland.”
