Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved. Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.
att editors: please relate the following item to 'human rights:
unrepresented peoples' forum 'coming of age', moved earlier from
the hague.
utrecht, feb 5 (ips) -- the united nations 'year of indigenous
peoples' may be a starting-point for a change of attitude among
governments towards indigenous peoples, says the head of the
working group responsible for its implementation.
''but,'' adds julian burger, secretary of the u.n. working group
on indigenous populations. ''my expectations are modest.''
''the year is not meant to change the world,'' burger said in an
interview during a visit to the netherlands this week. ''it will
merely open up possibilities for action by people outside the
u.n.''.
the coordinating body for the year's activities is made up mainly
of indigenous people, who ''have participated from the beginning.
it's not a few u.n. bureaucrats who are doing things,'' burger
emphasises.
this year is mainly to raise public awareness about the plight of
an estimated 300 million people in around 70 countries who are
often driven off their ancestral lands and face disruption of
their age-old cultures.
according to burger, the geneva-based u.n. working group has
achieved a lot since its formation in 1982. ''there has been an
explosion of interest. in 1982, around 10 indigenous people took
part in the working group, in 1992 there are more than 300.
''they wouldn't come if it wasn't politically useful,'' he says,
noting that the working group gives indigenous people the
opportunity to present their cases at an international level and
to open up a dialogue with their home governments.
''it is positive that they are now recognised internationally. it
is a new thing that they can talk to governments all over the
world,'' he adds.
the awarding of the 1992 nobel peace prize to indigenous
guatemalan human rights activist rigoberta menchu is a clear sign
that the minority group are increasingly being recognised, and
taken seriously, burger says.
but still he acknowledges that respective governments are still
holding back. ''many indigenous peoples are seeking rights to land
and natural resources which many governments are not very keen to
give.''(more/ips)
human rights: 1993 may be new start for indigenous peoples/relate(2-e)
human rights: 1993 (2)
at the same time, he accuses the u.n. of having a somewhat
ambiguous attitude towards interests which go against those of
some of its member states. ''the working group has always in some
way been under threat. its position has never been absolutely
secure. some countries would be very pleased if it didn't meet.''
he complains that within the u.n. ''when there is no money the
very first victim is human rights'', and points to the relatively
small 0.7 percentage of the u.n. budget which is devoted to human
rights activities.
nevertheless, according to burger many governments have changed
their attitudes. ''until the late 1970s, most governments thought
indigenous peoples were disappearing, would integrate into the
state and be a part of the wonderful industrial world.
''now some governments see something in indigenous peoples to
take pride in, instead of feeling ashamed of them. they see them
as part of the cultural wealth of their countries,'' burger says.
and, he adds, some countries -- particularly the latin american
ones -- have even started to return land to indigenous peoples on
their territories. ''but 500 years of exploitation cannot be
reversed in one year. a lot more action is required on the part of
governments.''
burger is confident that in 1993 extra pressure will be brought
to bear on these governments. ''we don't want it to be just a
facade, a lot of empty words.''(end/ips/hr/gdb/jm/cpg/93)