The Hague, February 7, 1997
DUTCH UPDATE III: NEW DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING SIGNING OF A NEW
DUTCH-CANADIAN LOW-LEVEL FLIGHT TRAINING AGREEMENT
On February 6, 1997 de Defence Committee of the Dutch parlia-
ment decided to first have a written preparation of the dis-
cussion. The deadline for comments in writing by MP's on the
agreement is February 27. We will try to have meetings with
the responsible MP's before.
As informed before the Dutch Council of Ministers has decided
on Friday December 20, 1996 that low-level flights in Canada
can ONLY be continued AFTER the parliament has discussed the
new agreement.
This means that: THE DOOR IS SET AJAR. THE TASK NOW IS TO GET
THE DOOR OPEN!
The agreement was signed in Ottawa on December 24, 1996 and
was sent to the Dutch parliament on January 24, 1997.
The Dutch parliament will also debate the ratification of the
ILO-169 convention regarding indigenous people's rights. The
government signed the convention last year and it has to be
ratified by parliament. The date of the debate on the ILO-
convention in unclear, but it will be some time this year.
In our view one cannot sign a new low-level flight training
agreement, when one has also signed the ILO-convention 169 and
the UNCED Declaration (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) [5 years ago].
We have written a petition to the parliament with the message
that in our view that they need to debate the ILO-agreement
first, before they can responsibly discuss the low-level
flying agreement.
After the debate in the Second Chamber, the First Chamber of
Parliament (Senate) must debate both the low-level flying
agreement and the ILO-convention. This will all take quite
some time we expect, and low-level flying starts in April. So
there is some change that the length of the parliamental
deliberations will effectively hinder continuance of low-level
flying in the coming season.
When you did not sent a protest letter to the Dutch parliament
already, please send a fax to:
The Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Second Chamber of
Parliament
mr. A.H. Korthals
PO Box 20018
2500 EA The Hague
the Netherlands
fax: + 31 70 3183440
It would be very good if you would also contact the Dutch
consulate or embassy in your country.
On Thursday, February 6, 1997 Els de Meijer from (NCIV) and me
had a fruitful meeting with the Canadian ambassador to the
Netherlands, Mrs. Marie Bernard-Meunier, regarding:
- the general situation of the First Nations of Canada;
- the Arctic Treaty (and Council);
- the fur-issue: The EU-ambassadors had a meeting on Febru-
ary 6, 1997. Probably they have made a decision that it
is the Council of Ministers either Trade, Environment or
Foreign Affairs that must approve the agreement regarding
the leghold trap.
The ruling on the appeal of the Metis Council of NWT
against the Dutch state is postponed (again) to February
20, 1997. In the Dutch justice system is it quite normal
to postpone the judgment in an appeal case like this.
- an AFN delegation will visit the Netherlands from April 2
to 12.
And a group of Inuit students will visit the Netherlands
as well in April.
- the Dutch low-level flights: We also spook about this hot
topic. We mentioned that the Dutch parliament shall
probably have questions about the non-participation of
the Innu in the Institute which monitors the effects of
the low-level flights.
We informed the Canadian ambassador about the current
Dutch situation and our own experience as Innu Support
Group during our stay at an Innu-hunting camp: In May
1996 we were overflown at least 4 times. This means that
the avoidance program did not work. We urged her that the
land rights must first be settled, also because of the
urgency of development regarding the mining at Voisey's Bay.
We mentioned to her the misinformation by the Canadian
government, and clarified that there are 13.000 Innu, and
not -as the government claims- 1100. DND did not provide
telephones to the camps and the planes used by the Innu
are civil, not military, and they are not paid for by DND.
She welcomed all this information and we had a good dialogue
We noted that she was familiar with the situation of First
Nations of Canada. On behalve of Canada she was involved in
establishing of the Arctic Council. She knows Marie Simon
quite well (ICC/ITC) etc. At the end, we presented the petiti-
on below.
Govert de Groot
coordinator
Innu Support Group NL
PO BOX 13670
NL- 2501 ER The Hague
The Netherlands
ph. + 31 70 3888553
NEW FAX NUMBER FROM Feb 12: + 31 70 4020943 (was 70 3887900)!
e-mail: innusuppnl@gn.apc.org (a new extra and more direct
address will follow).
Appendix:
To the Government of Canada
c/o the Ambassador of Canada
Mrs M. Bernard-Meunier
Postbus 30820, 2500 GV Den Haag
the Netherlands
The Hague, February 6, 1997.
Dear Mrs Bernard-Meunier,
The Foundation Netherlands Center for Indigenous Peoples and
the Foundation Innu Support Group like to express our general
concern regarding the situation of the First Nations of Canada.
This year, Canada celebrates the discovery of Canada 500 years
ago by John Cabot.
Canada and the Netherlands have a long and strong relations-
hip. As human rights organizations, we are concerned about the
ongoing export of low-level flights by the Netherlands to
Labrador and Quebec. In the Canadian government's view, this
export brings economical developments to the Goose Bay area.
That a First Nation as the Innu Nation must suffer from this -
some even term it cultural genocide- is in our view a price
that is too high, beside the environmental effect of low-level
flying on this unique sub-Arctic nature.
The Canadian and Dutch government have signed a new bilateral
low-level flight training agreement on December 24, 1996. We
are, with many Dutch and Canadian NGO's, very disappointed
about this new agreement. Despite the EIS-process of ten
years, the effects of the low-level flights are still not
known. The avoidance program does not work. We have experien-
ced that ourselves during our visit to an Innu-huntingcamp (of
which the position was known to the authorities) in May last
year. A week later, Dutch Mp's who visited the camp were
overflown as well. As of yet, there is no participation of the
Innu in the Institute that will monitor the effects of low-
level flying.
The Dutch government has signed the Rio-declaration of UNCED
'92 and the ILO-convention 169. To us, this is in direct
contradiction to signing the new low-level flight agreement.
The Dutch Second and First Chamber of parliament will first
debate the new agreement before the low-level flight training
can continue this Spring.
In this John Cabot year and the third year of the UN-decade
for Indigenous Peoples we ask the Canadian Government to
respect the rights of First Nations of Canada, and in particu-
lar those of the Innu in Labrador and Quebec, by stopping the
low-level flights.
Yours faithfully,
Govert de Groot
coordinator
Foundation Innu Support Group NL.