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Sajek: Burnt to Ashes

Emblematic of Bangladesh's policy towards indigenous Jumma peoples

Embargoed for: 14 June 2008

On 20 April 2008, hundreds of illegal plain settlers backed by Bangladesh army launched pre-planned attacks on seven indigenous Jumma villages under Sajek Union of Rangamati district in the Chittagong Hill Tracts  of Bangladesh. Besides a church and two UNICEF run schools, an estimated 77 houses of indigenous Jumma peoples were burnt. Hundreds of indigenous Jummas were internally displaced. AITPN’s representatives interviewed many of the victims on 22 to 24 May 2008. This report examines the Sajek attack and policy of the government of Bangladesh for cultural genocide of indigenous Jumma peoples.

The State of India's Indigenous and Tribal Peoples 2008

May 2008

This 55 page report is second in the series. Among others, the report discusses who are the Scheduled Tribes of India as demands for inclusion into the STs by the Gujjars in Rajasthan and Adivasis in Assam dominated the news headlines in 2007. It also covers indigenous peoples and armed conflicts, violations of the rights of indigenous/tribal peoples with particular focus on women and children, violations by the armed opposition groups, violations of indigenous peoples' right to land, displacement of indigenous/ tribal peoples, repression under forest laws, failure of the affirmative action programmes, status of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, denial of voting rights to the Chakmas and Hajongs , the state of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and a critique on the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of 2007

The problems of non-implementation of ESCR rights in India: The tribal dimension, May 2008


This is a shadow report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the second to fifth periodic reports of the government of India (E/C.12/IND/5) to the UN Committee on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This shadow report showed, among others, the realisation of the economic, social and cultural rights issues were hamstrung by the lackadaisical implementation of the programmes launched. There are inadequate supervisory and accountability mechanisms.

UPR and Indigenous Peoples of Asia, 26 February 2008



AITPN has been in the forefront of making Asian indigenous peoples' submissions for inclusion into the 10 page summary of the OHCHR under the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council which will hold the first session of the UPR in April 2008. AITPN has made a joint -submission on India in partnership with International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs and independent submissions on Indonesia and the Philippines.

From Despair to Despondency, 22 February 2008

This publication analyses the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2007 from the indigenous peoples perspectives and experiences as discussed in the North East Regional Consultation held in Guwahati on 16-17 February 2008.

 

UPR Special:

UPR and indigenous peoples

The Human Rights Council has started the process for the Universal Review. By 20 November 2007, stakeholders i.e. NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions from the countries being considered during the first session of the UPR in April 2008 had to submit stakeholders' submissions. Are the indigenous peoples ready to take advantage of the UPR process?

 

A new mechanism on indigenous peoples:

The question of “Added Value” and possible options

The United Nations Human Rights Council in its resolution 6/16 of 28 September 2007 decided to hold one and half day informal meeting to discuss the most appropriate mechanism to continue the work of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations.  The informal meeting is scheduled to be held in Geneva on 6-7 December 2007. Indigenous peoples’ representatives will hold a caucus at the Palais des Nations on 4 and 5 December 2007. In this briefing paper, AITPN provides the justification for such a new mechanism, its "added value" and various options available for the establishment of such a new mechanism. Read more.... html / pdf

Excessive trust on the borrower: The ADB way

- An analysis of the ADB’s draft safeguards policy on indigenous peoples -

On 27th November 2007, Asian Development Bank (ADB) is scheduled to hold “Indigenous Peoples' Consultation” on its draft safeguards policy on indigenous peoples. Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network (AITPN) studied the “Consultation Draft of Safeguard Policy Statement” (October 2007 version as available in ADB’s website). A cursory reading of the “safeguard requirements for borrowers/clients on indigenous peoples” shows that the ADB places excessive trust on the borrowers to the point of rendering its revised safeguards meaningless. Read the comments of AITPN.

As good as it gets: UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People“S”

The adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples fills up the legal vaccum in international law. Future policy documents or guidelines must be developed based on the legal framework provided by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Read more intersting articles on Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh, Nepal and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Permanent Forum: Manufacturing recommendations, 20 August 2007

[Excerpts from preliminary evaluation of PFII by AITPN]
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The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) has been touted as the body to fulfill the aspiration of the indigenous peoples. With 922 recommendations to various United Nations bodies and governments in the first five years (2002-2006) the PFII should be in the Guinness Book of World Record among the UN agencies. That also explains the problems. AITPN is conducting a review of the PFII and some of the preliminary observations. AITPN invites comments/suggestions etc.

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