Report of the Asia Pacific NGO Conference on Human Rights
and NGO's Statements to the Asia Regional Meeting
Workshop IV: Situation of the Indigenous Peoples of Asia and
Pacific
Alienation of land and resources, imposition of alien social
and economic systems through colonization, militarization,
population transfer or transmigration of population,
development strategies leading to genocide, ethnocide,
arbitrary arrest, detention, extra-judicial execution,
sexual assault, child abuse, assimilation, etc. on the one,
and on the other, ecological destruction.
Indigenous Peoples Rights: The Indigenous People in general
are struggling for their right to self-determination in
different forms and different means. For the tribal peoples
in Thailand it translates into recognition of their
citizenship and the rights to their lands; for the native
peoples of Malaysia and India, Adhivasis and Dalits, the
recognition of their status as first peoples; for the
indigenous Jumma Peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts in
Bangladesh, Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, the Ainu of
Japan and the aborigines of Taiwan it is "Genuine Autonomy";
for the indigenous peoples of Burma it means democratic
federation; for the Bougainvillians, Timorese of East Timor,
West Papua, Moluccans, Aches, Kanaks, Aborigines of
Australia, it is the decolonization of their territories and
for the Nagas of India and Burma, it is the recognition of
independence.
Recommendation for the Protection and Promotion of the Basic
Rights of Indigenous Peoples:
1. Recognition of the rights to self-determination in the
(draft) Universal Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous
Peoples.
2. Creation of a UN Commission for Indigenous Peoples for
active and effective monitoring of the implementation and
the observance of international standards by the
government.
3. Creation of an international mechanism for conflict
resolution and strict enforcement of agreements and treaties
reached between Indigenous Peoples and the government.
4. Draw up a convention for obtaining information and free
consent of the Indigenous Peoples for any
project/development program affecting the lands and
resources as a necessary condition for taking up such
projects or development programs.
5. Ensure representation in the UN body of indigenous
members nominated by the representative organization of the
Indigenous Peoples.
Action Plan:
1. Immediate enforcement of UN resolution with regard to
East Timor, West Papua, Bougainville and others.
2. Recognize the rights to self-determination of Jumma
Peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, Nagas,
Bougainville, East Timor, West Papua, and other Indigenous
Peoples of Asia and the Pacific.
3. Call immediate demilitarization of the Asia Pacific
Indigenous Peoples area, territories, regions, etc.
4. Reaffirm the inalienable rights to land of Indigenous
Peoples; it includes cessation of all policies of
acquisition and dispossession.
5. Declare the concept and practice of untouchability
against the Dalits of India as a crime against humanity.
6. Stop population transfer or transmigration policies into
the indigenous territories like Chittagong Hill Tracts,
Bangladesh, East Timor, West Papua, Malucca, and other parts
or regions and withdraw/remove the illegally settled
non-indigenous peoples from the areas.
7. Monitoring, documentation and investigation of
ethnocide, killings, atrocities, extrajudicial executions,
assimilation, refugee situations, of Indigenous Peoples
areas by the appointment of a UN special rapporteur.
8. Ensure the participation of Indigenous Peoples
organizations and indigenous representatives of Asia and the
Pacific in the forthcoming World Conference on Human Rights
and in the UN body.
For more information on this book (265 pages), please
contact:
Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD)
PO Box 26
Bungthonglang
Bangkok 10242, Thailand
Tel: +662/377 93 57
Fax: +662/374 04 64
The price of the book is US $10.00 or 250 Baht.
**Reprinted with permission**