News / Asia
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June 20, 2008
United Nations to Consult Indigenous Peoples on Climate Change Issues
Though Indigenous Peoples of the world are among those most impacted by climate change, and they have long histories of adapting to changing climates, their voices have frequently been excluded from climate change policymaking. That may be starting to change with this week's announcement that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has begun consultations with Indigenous Peoples to solicit their ideas on climate mitigation and adaptation. UNDP recently concluded meetings with the Indigenous Peoples of The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, and is planning additional consultations with Indigenous Peoples in India and Australia.
Link:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080618-143428/UN-consults-IPs-for-measures-vs-effects-of-climate-change
June 10, 2008
Japan Recognizes First Indigenous Peoples
In a landmark announcement the Japanese Diet which has long maintained the homogeneity of the Japanese population, voted to recognize the standing of the 70,000 Ainu People. The Diet's resolution recognizes the distinct language, culture, and religion and calls for immediate support of the Ainu who have been subjected to discrimination and who are economically disadvantaged.
Link:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j2cftd-RCW2lp5xSBwAXSH2YYfGw
May 19, 2008
Bangladeshi Tribal Leader Killed for Opposing Eco-Park Linked Evictions
Police holding Garo tribal leader Choles Ritchel in custody, returned his tortured and murdered body to his family in mid-March according to the Asian Centre for Human Rights. Ritchel had been leading the opposition to an Eco-Park that would take 3,000 acres of Garo forest land and force the eviction of about 25,000 Garo people. The Asian Centre for Human Rights along with several other Bangladeshi NGOs have called upon police to make a public report of the circumstances of Ritchel's violent death. Over the last two decades, more than 1.5 million Indigenous Peoples have been forcibly evicted from their territories by conservation projects that establish protected areas.
Link:
http://www.achrweb.org/press/2007/BD0207.htm
March 12, 2008
Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan Fighting for Government-to-Government Relations
Late last year Puyuma hunters were chased down, body search and arrested for hunting on their hunting grounds, even though the hunt had been approved by local government authorities. The arrests – and the threat they represented – catalyzed organizing in Indigenous communities throughout the island. Last month, members of different Indigenous communities joined a national march, dubbed a "sacred item relay," that took them to Taipei, the nation’s capital. There, eight Indigenous representatives met with Vice President Annette Lu, who promised direct discussions with President Chen Shio-bian, signaling a willingness to deal for the first time with Indigenous Peoples on a nation-to-nation basis, according to a spokesperson for the Indigenous delegation.
Link:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/03/09/2003404700
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