COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS BEGINS REVIEW OF INDIGENOUS ISSUES

Commission on Human Rights
57th session
12 April 2001
Evening and Night





The Commission on Human Rights began discussion this evening of issues related to indigenous peoples, hearing from a series of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) alleging violations of the rights of indigenous groups in various parts of the world.

NGOs also criticized lack of progress in a Commission working group that has been trying for more than 10 years to develop a draft Convention on the rights of indigenous peoples -- they charged, among other things, that several States were blocking progress and were refusing even to accept the term “indigenous peoples”. The Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru”, speaking on behalf of two other organizations, said that for 10 years, indigenous representatives had come to the temple of human rights to take place in serious negotiations, but that Governments in both the North and the South were unable to agree on basic concepts such as sovereignty over natural resources and the right to self-determination. If matters continued like this, the organization claimed, there would not be a draft Declaration in 100 years.

Other NGOs had criticism for existing plans to establish a permanent forum within the United Nations system on indigenous issues. The Indian Council of South America charged that here the term “indigenous peoples” had been replaced by “indigenous issues” and contended that the forum would be placed at the lowest level of the UN and “would just be a place for shuffling papers and hot air”.

The International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movement said generations of peasants, who for free had selected seeds for centuries, were being dispossessed of their knowledge by transnational corporations filing patents based on traditional knowledge. The world's genetic heritage could not be treated like merchandise, the organization said.


Earlier in the evening, the Commission concluded debate under its agenda item on “specific groups and individuals”, hearing from a series of NGOs citing, among other things, the difficulties faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs), migrant workers, and minority groups in various parts of the world.

Addressing the meeting were representatives of Anti-Slavery International; Canadian Council of Churches; Organization for the Solidarity of the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America; Asian Legal Resource Centre; Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace; Federacion de Asociaciones de Defensa y Promocion de los Derechos Humanos; Group for International Solidarity; World Federation of Democratic Youth; France Libertes - Fondation Danielle Mitterrand; AIDS Information Switzerland; International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs; Catholic Institute for International Relations; All for Reparations and Emancipation; Indian Council for Education; International Federation of Free Journalists; International Federation for the Protection of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities; Pax Romana; South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre; China Society for Human Rights Studies; International Romani Union; World Federation of Free Trade Unions; Netherlands Organization for International Development Cooperation; Australian Council for Overseas Aid; Colombian Commission of Jurists; Latin American Human Rights Association; General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists; Worldview International Foundation; International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights; Comite d’action pour les droits de l’enfant et de la femme; ALIRAN; Islamic Women’s Institute of Iran; Franciscans International; Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru” (joint statement); Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University (joint statement); International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements; Friends World Committee for Consultation; Interfaith International; Indian Council of South America; Asian Buddhists Conference for Peace; Group for International Solidarity; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (joint statement); Netherlands Organization for International Development Cooperation; Latin American Human Rights Association; Franciscans International; International Indian Treaty Council; Inuit Circumpolar Conference; Saami Council; Asociacion Napguana; International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples; and Indigenous World Association.

Representatives of the World Bank, Estonia, Switzerland, and Cyprus also spoke.

The Russian Federation and Thailand made statements in right of reply.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 17 April, to continue its debate on indigenous issues.


Indigenous Issues

The Commission has before it a number of documents under this agenda item.

The Commission is considering the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of the programme of activities for the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (E/CN.4/2001/84). The report lists developments concerning the Indigenous Fellowship Programme; the Working Group on the draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples; the workshop on indigenous media; the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; technical cooperation; the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People; and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations.

The Commission also has before it the report of the Working Group on elaborating a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with Commission resolution 1995/32. In the report (E/CN.4/2001/85), the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group, Luis-Enrique Chavez, summarizes the general debate in the Working Group. There was a general agreement among participants that the elaboration of the draft declaration was of importance for all. Many indigenous and government representatives noted that the process of elaborating the draft declaration had been slow, and that it was important to agree on a methodology to speed up the process. Several representatives urged the adoption of the declaration within the framework of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People before the year 2004. The report then summarizes statements made on the issues of self-determination, land rights and natural resources, and the informal discussion on the articles of the draft declaration.

The Commission has before it three reports submitted to its subsidiary body, the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, at its fifty-second session held in August 2000. They include the report of the Working Group on indigenous populations by its Chairperson-Rapporteur Miguel Alfonso Martinez (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/24) ; the final working paper prepared by the Special Rapporteur Erica-Irene Daes on indigenous peoples and their relationship to land (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/25); and the report of the seminar on the draft principles and guidelines for the protection of the heritage of indigenous people by its Chairperson-Rapporteur Erica-Irene Daes (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/26).


Statements

LUIS ENRIQUE CHAVEZ, Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on elaboration of a draft declaration of on the rights of indigenous peoples, said the report of the group’s activities contained a detailed account. There had been a positive atmosphere of dialogue in the sessions, and that made it possible to achieve much work. It had not been possible to formally adopted any of the articles for a draft Declaration, but that did not mean there was no substantive progress. The adoption of articles should not be considered the sole measure of progress. The working group received helpful support from the Commission. A resolution adopted by the Commission last year invited Governments and indigenous groups to hold inter-sessional consultations, which had been helpful. It was hoped that the Commission would adopt a similar resolution this year.

Much had to be done before the end of the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples. There was a clear consensus that this working group was unique within the UN system because it was the only drafting group that had full participation of all directly concerned groups. That meant the working group had to design its own working methods. Despite its uniqueness, the resources allocated to the working group were the same as for any other working group. The facilities presently did not allow many groups to fully participate, especially groups that were able to express themselves only in their native language. It was hoped that the Commission would take this into account, and provide additional resources. Also, the dates of meetings needed to be considered. The needs of interested parties did not match with the dates set by the Secretariat. Many groups wanted to meet after the Third Committee of the General Assembly had completed its work, generally later this year.

TOVE PETERSEN, Member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations, said the Fund was established by the General Assembly in 1985 to provide financial assistance to representatives of indigenous organizations and communities to participate in the deliberations of various Working Groups on indigenous populations. The presence and active participation of indigenous peoples in Commission on Human Rights bodies dealing with indigenous issues had created a healthy environment for dialogue and confidence-building between Governments and indigenous peoples. This was always the first step towards the achievement of justice, peace and development for peoples who had been long oppressed and marginalized. The participation of indigenous peoples in the working groups had allowed them to further develop their knowledge of their rights.

Detailed information on the Fund's financial situation was available to the Commission in the Note by the Secretariat to the Working Group on Indigenous Populations (E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.4/2000/3), as well as in the Report of the Secretary-General to the last session of the General Assembly (A/55/268) and in the Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the present session of the Commission on the activities of the Decade, including updated information on the activities of the Fund in 2000 (E/CN.4/2001/84). According to the Fund's estimated, US$550,000 would be needed to cover all the activities envisaged for 2002, including project grants, workshops and seminars.

CHRISTIANE DEHOY, of Anti Slavery International, said that over the last two decades, Bangladesh had been burdened by two mass exoduses of Rohingya refugees, each of approximately 250,000 people. While most of them had been repatriated, more than 100,000 were currently living in Bangladesh in refugee-like situations and this invisible population was now labelled economic migrants.

The Rohingya Muslims had been subjected to forced labour, forced relocation, rape and plunder by the military in Burma. In addition, the Rohingyas had been deprived of the fundamental right of citizenship. As a direct consequence of their lack of legal status, the Rohingyas had less freedom of movement than other Burmese. Another area of major concern was the situation of undocumented Burmese migrants in detention. While in Thailand, many had been indiscriminately repatriated across the border with no regard to their safety or status. Their situation was even more critical in countries such as Bangladesh.

TIMOTHY WICHERT, of Canadian Council of Churches, said that refugees and asylum-seekers were recognized as one of the most vulnerable groups of human beings. They were forced to flee because of human-rights violations; and increasingly their right to seek and enjoy asylum was being restricted. The right to life and freedom promised for refugees and asylum-seekers was threatened in various ways.

Refugees in camps in countries of asylum were too often attacked by militaries and militia. Upon reaching developed countries, refugees were facing an increasing array of restraints on their fundamental rights. Many faced coordinated policies of "deterrence and detention" which allowed for indefinite, mandatory or arbitrary detention. The right to work and the opportunity to become self-sufficient were often denied. Access to health care could be limited and movement within a country of asylum was sometimes restricted.

CIPRIANO CASTRO SAEZ, of Organization for the Solidarity of the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America, said the roots of migration lay in structural poverty, neoliberalism, and despotic regimes which were responsible for thousands of assassinations, disappearances, exiles, refugees and displaced persons, as well as local wars. Massive population movements continued to be a fundamental characteristic of today's world.

The industrialized countries tried to solve the problem for themselves by adopting stringent measures such as expulsions. But punitive measures could not bring about a lasting and effective solution to the problem of migration. Indeed, far from decreasing the phenomenon, these measures resulted in an increased number of undocumented migrants who put their lives at risk and often fell into the hands of traffickers. Although every State had the prerogative to control and regulate its migration policy, these policies should be in line with international human-rights instruments.

ESTER INDAHYANI JUSUF, of Asian Legal Resource Centre, said the multiple problems of ethnic and religious minorities, political segregation and xenophobia, which had plagued Indonesia for so long, still continued.

There were still 62 discriminatory regulations in the Indonesian legal system. Most of those were specifically targeted at the Chinese ethnic group. The regulations covered virtually all sectors of life, including economic, social, cultural, educational and religious life. Although President Wahid had abolished some regulations, those efforts had not gone far enough. One serious case involved the ethnic Chinese people from Tegal Alur in West Java. Most of these people did not have legal documents because the Indonesian bureaucracy and discriminatory regulations had robbed them of their citizenship.

MOHAMMAD AHSAN, of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace, said that minority rights were indivisible from all other rights and enjoyed equal priority. The Commission and the international community were urged to continue to determine practical means for influencing Pakistan's ruling oligarchy and military so that they were encouraged to implement international covenants guaranteeing minorities in Pakistan their basic human rights. It was imperative that the ruling oligarchy and military of Punjab respond to the needs of the minority provinces.

The minority provinces should be considered as part of Pakistan instead of colonies of Punjab. The plight and misery of Sindha and Balochistan should not be considered as an internal matter but also a global one. A solution required international interest and responsibility to resolve the inequalities and oppression faced by these two provinces for the sake of civil, political and economic stability in the region.

MIKEL MANCISIDOR, of the Federacion de Asociaciones de Defensa y Promocion de los Derechos Humanos, said that the expulsion of a foreigner should be done with due respect for the law, which included a warrant for expulsion. Reform of the law in Spain related to foreigners had changed the conditions of life of immigrant labourers, especially those with irregular documentation, and these legal steps had limited the exercise of fundamental human rights. The new law increased the possibilities for expulsion and limited the reasons under which foreigners could stay. The administration had been abusing the rights of migrants in the country.

It was important to remember that migrant groups had come to Spain in search of jobs because of the poor situations in their countries of origin.

OM GURUNG of Group for International Solidarity, said that many war veterans and widows of Gurkha soldiers who died in active combat during various wars had not yet been compensated in any way. According to the British Government, 15,253 Gurkhas were killed in the First and Second World Wars alone, but many of their widows had not received any compensation or benefits entitled to them.

During the times of war, thousands of Gurkhas had been recruited, but they had been sent back home empty handed and barefooted immediately after the wars were over. The British also made various excuses and compelled thousands of Gurkhas to take early retirement without compensation or with inadequate compensation. Gurkha soldiers did not enjoy the same benefits as their British counterparts in matters of promotion and family life.

MEHRAN BALUCH, of World Federation of Democratic Youth, said that the people of Balochistan in Pakistan had avoided speaking before the Commission in the past, in the hope of a democratic solution to their problems. They had faced atrocities at home at the hands of the Pakistani army since 1973. The Pakistani Government had no right to deprive the people of Baloch and the Pushtun tribes of Balochistan of their belongings.

The Pakistani establishment had always restored to military solutions to achieve its goals in Balochistan and urban Sindha, including Karachi and Hyderabad. The people of Balochistan and Sindh provinces would be grateful for all the moral support the Commission and the world community could provide them.

GUILLAUME BONDI, of France Liberté - Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, said that despite the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq for more than 10 years, the policy of expulsion, displacement and Arabization of the oil region inhabited by the Kurds continued unabated under the Iraqi authorities. Various testimonies and reports by human-rights associations attested to flagrant violations of human rights of the Kurdish population in the cities of Kirkouk, Khanaqin, Mandeli, Sindja and other locations

In Kirkouk alone, 108,000 Kurds had been displaced since 1992. No measures had been undertaken by the international community to protect this displaced population. The attention of the Commission was also drawn to the situation of the Kurds in Turkey. As a result of the armed conflict, more than 3 million people had been forced to flee towards big metropolises, where they constituted the most disfavoured and fragile members of society.

BARBARA BULAMBO, of AIDS Information Switzerland, said the organization was concerned by the unjust distribution of medicine between the North and South with regard to AIDS. An equitable distribution of medicine should be guaranteed to the victims of AIDS in developing countries. The principles of combatting the HIV/AIDS epidemic should applied in all places on equal basis. In addition, scientific information on the disease should reach all people of the world without distinction.

The group was planning to submit a draft resolution on the protection of people threatened by the disease in which it would request all States to allocate more resources to research on HIV/AIDS.

SAW KWE HTOO WIN, of International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs, said successive Burmese regimes had refused to recognize the rights of minorities in Burma. Intolerance had grown to a point where the country found itself in civil war. The internal armed conflict between the Burmese Government and the Karen people had created more than 120,000 Karen refugees along the Thai-Burma border. The estimate of internally displaced Karen people living in the Burmese jungle was now between 200,000 and 300,000.


These threatening numbers should already tell the Commission about the situation of the Karen people in Burma, where the rights to citizenship, language and other guaranteed rights of minorities were far from reality for the Karen people or for other minority groups in similar situations.

NANG LAO LIANG WON, of Catholic Institute for International Relations, said military campaigns in Burma were still going on, and people from the conflict areas were fleeing into Thailand. The price of consumer goods was skyrocketing every day, and salaries were low. Migrants fled to Thailand to find means to support their families. Because of their status as undocumented workers, they were open to abuse and violence from Thai employers.

Women workers faced more difficulties than their male counterparts, including rape. Few survivors of such abuses were willing to come forward and press charges against their perpetrators. The armed conflict was at the root of the problem, as it was forcing people out of Burma.

SILIS MOHAMMAD, of All For Reparations and Emancipation, said that to this date, the African-American people had been denied and deprived of the human right of speaking their mother tongues in violation of Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the United States had ratified. The United States Government committed daily the international wrongful act of denying the existence of the African-American people, while claiming respect for human rights.

For the injuries done during 400 years of plantation slavery and its ongoing subsequent lingering effects, such as forced mixed breeding, wherein identity was demolished, the United Nations was urged to place a reparations sanction on the United States Government.

A. S. NARANG, of Indian Council of Education, said as a means to peaceful coexistence and de-escalation of ethnic conflicts, multiculturalism had emerged as a major theme of contemporary intellectual discourse in many plural societies. It emphasized the accommodation of differences based on race, religion, language, culture and habitat found among the citizens of modern plural societies. In a sense, it was a new term for cultural pluralism. It allowed diverse social groups to preserve and enhance their separate cultural identities while participating as equal partners in society.

Multiculturalism was thus opposed to any type of amalgamation in which each ethnic group contributed something, but lost its identity as the people of a State found a totally new identity. In the sphere of policy making, it aimed at maintaining harmony among different ethnic groups and between the State and the ethnic minorities. Further, it emphasized recognition of the contributions of minority ethnic groups to the national heritage in the fields of art, literature and scientific achievement. Multiculturalism thus gave the image of a mosaic with competing social groups having distinct cultural identities and together making a complete whole.

ALGIS TOMAS GENIUSAS, of International Federation of Free Journalists, said disinformation was often used by repressive regimes in an effort to influence world public opinion and thus impede the right to self-determination of national minorities, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups such as the Chechens, the Tibetans, the Ingushetians, the Kashmiris and others.


Many national minorities and indigenous peoples such as the Crimean Tatars, the Kalmyks and the Finno-Ugric peoples were largely denied access to the media and the free flow of information in their native languages and subjected to deprivation of their national identities and social and cultural rights. In the Russian Federation, the Finno-Ugrians were hardly recognized as ethnic minorities or as an indigenous peoples. Their local administration and education were carried on in Russian.

KYRIACOS KALATTAS, of International Federation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities, said the phenomenon of mass exoduses, ethnic cleansing and displaced persons as a consequence of military, political and/or economic processes had acquired horrifying dimensions.

Cyprus ha been invaded by Turkey in July 1974. In the course of its invasion, Turkey had committed barbarism and atrocities which had involved large-scale killing of the Greek-Cypriots. As a result of the invasion, one-third of the Greek Cypriot indigenous population had been forced to abandon their ancestral homes and they continued to be refugees in their own country. The General Assembly, the Security Council and the Commission, as well as other international organizations, had demanded in a series of resolutions the urgent and full restoration of all human rights of the population of Cyprus, in particular of those of the refugees.

KANG EUN-KYUNG, of Pax Romana, said that in her report to this 57th session, the High Commissioner for Human Rights had rightly pointed out that the world had made the movement of goods, money and ideas more free, but strangely, not the movement of people. In Spain, the Government had recently passed a new immigration law that imposed limitations on basic human rights such as the right to education for migrant children under 18 years old "without papers" which was against article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also had imposed limitations on family reunions, which was against article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and excluded legal assistance to those migrants without papers with regard to criminal or labour proceedings.

Similarly, in the case of South Korea, most migrant workers had been facing various human-rights violations such as denial of the right to housing and health, the right to education of their children, citizenship, and religious tolerance.

PETRADU LOUW, of South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center, said thousands of Hindus, a religious minority in Bangladesh, had been dispossessed of their land under the patently discriminatory Vested Properties Act of Bangladesh. This was the reincarnation of the Enemy Properties Act of the former Government of East Pakistan. A few hundred thousand Hindus had fled to neighbouring India after their properties were seized. The Government of Bangladesh had asserted that there were no legally identified enemies of Bangladesh. The Government also asserted that no property of any bonafide Bangladeshi Hindu National had been enlisted as vested property from the independence of Bangladesh to date. It did take note of the enactment of the Vested Properties Return Bill of 2001. This was a very positive first step.

However, the organization remained concerned based on the criticisms made Bangladeshi NGOs and the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance on the shortcomings of the draft bill. It looked forward to addressing the next session of the Commission following an in-depth study of the new bill.

YOU XUEYUN, of China Society for Human Rights Studies, said that for long periods before 1959, Tibet had been a society of feudal serfdom under the despotic religious-political rule of lamas and nobles, a society much darker and more cruel than the European serfdom of the Middle Ages. The democratic reforms carried out in Tibet in 1959 had ended the history of a feudal serfdom and had given serfs and slaves in Tibet the right to be their own masters.

Following the democratic reforms, Tibet entered a new era of social development and progress in human rights. Before the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, there were no proper schools; the serfs and slaves in Tibet had no chance to receive education at all. At present, the enrollment rate of school-age Tibetan children had increased to 85.8 per cent. In old Tibet, cultural protection was virtually nonexistent. Tibetan people now enjoyed the right to profess and practice their own religions. Since Tibet's economic and social development, which started at a very low level, had been hampered by unfavourable natural conditions, Tibet remained economically underdeveloped. As a result, the human rights of the Tibetan people had yet to be further improved, but their current situation was a vast improvement compared with that before 1951.

PAOLO PIETROSANTI, of the International Romani Union, said the problem the international community faced was one of viewpoint. If the goal of the great European federalists had become a reality, even those people today would have made up a minority. The Roma in Europe were 11 million strong. How was it possible to consider them a minority when they were more numerous than the populations of a lot of European States?

In July 2000, the International Romani Union had held a world congress in which the declaration of the Roma Nation was approved. The Roma did not want to become a State but wanted representation, even in the frame of the United Nations. One thing was certain this year -- on 4 April, the anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, an agreement between the Roma minority and the Czech Republic had been signed.


AIDA AVELLA, of World Federation of Trade Unions said that the number of migrant workers was on the increase in some parts of the world as a result of the neoliberal practices and privatizing zeal of many countries. Added to this was the impoverishment of peasants. There was a continued globalization of poverty. Increasing numbers of workers were dismissed from their jobs. Millions of young people had no job opportunities in their countries of origin and had to cross borders in search of work. Often they travelled illegally and their journeys ended in tragedy.

When they reached their destinations they were often detained, ill-treated, repatriated and humiliated. When they managed to remain in their destination countries they were clandestine and had to put up with degrading situations. They received low salaries and sometimes they had to work long hours, at night, and do especially difficult jobs.

SARA EMARINA SOSELISA, of Netherlands Organization for International Development Cooperation, said there was a problem of internal displacement in the Indonesia Moluccas. For the last two years, the Moluccas had seen communal violence on a large scale. Since January 2000, more than 5,000 people had been killed. Accusations of bias on the part of the military and the police had been widely reported. It was estimated that the number of Moluccan IDPs had reached more than 400,000 people. Most of these had been evacuated from their villages to other destinations and camps within the Moluccas, and about 100,000 had moved to other parts of Indonesia.

The organization requested the Commission to urge Indonesia to disseminate and apply in the field the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, and to specifically provide protection and security guarantees to international and local humanitarian workers. Also, it suggested allowing the Special Representative on Internal Displacement to visit IDPs in the Moluccas and other relevant areas, and to improve law enforcement in the Moluccas and end impunity, since this was crucial to peace and reconciliation efforts.

SURAIYA KAMARUZZAMAN, of Australian Council for Overseas Aid, said the armed conflict between the Indonesian military and the Free Aceh Movement had resulted in brutal violence and extreme suffering among the civilian population, which was caught in the middle. There had been much internal displacement, as life in the villages was felt to be unsafe; the internally displaced went towards the cities or into makeshift camps where they had little security; in some cases the army attacked the camps, saying they harbored rebels. Humanitarian volunteers also had been targets of military attacks. When the internally displaced returned to their villages under military pressure and without security guarantees, they faced difficult circumstances.

The Commission was requested to urge Indonesia to apply the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement; to provide protection and security guarantees to humanitarian workers; to allow the Special Representative on the Internally Displaced to visit internally displaced persons in Aceh; and to improve law enforcement in Aceh, end impunity, and initiate a peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict.

NATALIA LOPEZ ORTIZ, of Colombian Commission of Jurists, said it welcomed the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on internally displaced persons. In Colombia, some 315,000 people were displaced. More than half the victims of forced disappearances were women and children. The paramilitary groups had been responsible for 71 per cent of the disappearances in the first half of this year. The situation of impunity in Colombia was a problem. About one of the recommendations of the Special Representative, according to the Constitutional Court, it was difficult to provide humanitarian care because it placed displaced persons in arbitrary situations.

The situation of forced displacements was a social disaster. The Commission should grant internally displaced persons refugee status, and when dealing with them should follow the norms of international refugee law.

MARCELO ORELLANA, of Latin American Human Rights Association, speaking on behalf of two other NGOs, said forced displacements had led indigenous peoples of Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama to flee their ancestral lands. Indigenous communities in these countries had been terrorized and their rights had been systematically violated, in most cases as a result of Colombia’s continuing internal conflicts. Some had returned to their lands a few days ago after receiving care from international aid agencies, only to find their houses had been destroyed and their crops eliminated. These peoples needed protection and legal guarantees to ensure they could remain on their lands.

In southern Panama indigenous peoples, particularly the Embera, had had to leave their lands on the border following paramilitary incursions from Colombia. Indigenous peoples were especially vulnerable to displacement, as their whole lives and identities were tied up with their ancestral lands. Destruction of the lands of the indigenous peoples of Colombia, including those of the Colombian Amazon, was ongoing and had worsened since the organization had spoken of it last year. Armed groups had taken their food, carried out enforced disappearances, and undermined local authorities. The international community was called on to address this situation. An office of Special Rapporteur for indigenous peoples should be established.

JONATHAN GALLAGHER, of General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, said tragically, in matters of religion, the persecution and intolerance of a religious minority by a majority power impacted the very heart of human rights. Minority faiths in Turkmenistan had been targeted for intimidation and persecution by the State. Baptists, Pentecostals, Adventists and others were targets for State-sponsored attacks on their faith. Only those following Islam and Orthodox Christianity were registered as recognized religious groups.

One Adventist pastor reported that his church had been repeatedly refused registration despite its compliance with existing legislation in Turkemenistan. The large Adventist chuch in the capital had been torn down by the authorities. The pastor had been imprisoned for three days, during which time he was continually interrogated and not allowed to sleep. All States were called upon to recommit themselves to respecting the human rights of their respective minorities, and to preventing the abuse of minority human rights whether by State-sanctioned officials or other groups in society.

SENG HURNG, of Worldview International Foundation, said the situation of human rights in the Shan State of Burma remained as bad as in previous years. Massive forced relocations, displacement and other types of involuntary population movements carried out by the Burmese military regime in the central Shan State since 1996 were still continuing. Over 300,000 people from nearly 1,500 villages, mostly farmers, had been dispossessed of their lands and homes and forcibly displaced by the army. Thousands had been seized by the army to work on road construction and other projects without pay.

The relocation areas were still being declared free-fire zones and people found in these areas were still being shot on sight. Among the 300,000 displaced, over 120,000 had fled across the border to Thailand, while the remaining were hiding in the jungle near their old villages. Another cause of the massive involuntary population movements in Shan State was the so-called resettlement of the ethnic "Wa" villagers from the north of Shan State to the south.

TIJANA VUKOJICIC, of International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, said the recent armed violence in Macedonia did not surprise the organization. But even without further violence, the situation was very complex and the interethnic dialogue was heavily burdened. On the one hand, the events resulted both in the growing sensibility of the Macedonian majority population and in their growing mistrust and fear of movements towards secession. On the other hand, the ideas of bilateral dialogue or bi-nationalism had provoked reactions from other minorities in Macedonia -- ethnic Turks, the Roma, ethnic Serbians, and Vlachs.

In this situation, the Government needed to be encouraged to open dialogues with a wide range of citizens on a wide range of issues. This dialogue should not exclude persons belonging to different ethnicities, and it should not be based on the idea of bi-culturalism, thus ruining the authenticity of the multiethnic approach. Individuals should be involved and respected. Citizens should be encouraged to work together as citizens, not as members of ethnic groups.


HAPPY AZIAH, of Comité d'action pour les droits de l’enfant et de la femme, said that in 1985 there were 597 million illiterate women in the world. Across Africa, women worked harder than men. Although the situation of women had improved slightly, indicators remained unsatisfactory in many countries. The impact of the economic crisis had been further exacerbated by galloping population growth.

In Northern Africa, efforts undertaken in the fields of health and education were commendable but women remained marginalized socially and economically and were deprived of the exercise of power. Indeed, there were very few women in Parliaments and even fewer in Government positions. Many women held low-paid jobs with no prestige or prospects for promotion.

DEBORAH CHRISTINE STOTHARD, of ALIRAN, said there were two particular cases that although quite different stemmed from the same root causes -- the oppression of ethnic nationality and religious minorities in Burma, and the prevalent use of forced relocation. These causes had led to an increase in the number of internally displaced persons. Many of these IDPs ended up becoming refugees, trafficked persons and migrant workers seeking to escape the intense oppression perpetrated by the Myanmar regime.

On 18 January, a 14-year-old girl had been sold at the town of Mae Sai in Thailand. Her brother tried to bring her home, but was told he would have to buy her back for 20,000 baht. When he returned with the money, she and her new owner had disappeared. In Malaysia, a man of Chin ethnic nationality from Burma faced deportation at the hands of the SPDC because he went to observe a protest at a public event held at the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. ALIRAN called on Malaysia to stay the man's deportation until his application for refugee status and subsequent resettlement could be processed. If he were deported, he would be sent to Myanmar, a country that perpetrated human-rights violations against activists and members of ethnic and religious minorities.

Ms. BAGHERI, of Islamic Women's Institute of Iran, said that among the Middle East countries, which enjoyed rich cultures and old civilizations, Iran had the most cultural and ethnic diversity. Iranians included Persians, Kurds, Balooches, Arabs, Turkmen and some others. However, there was a long way to go to achieve fully their fundamental rights.

Iran was playing host to about 2 million migrants and refugees, mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the refugees were documented but some still were not. In order to examine the ongoing problems of the refugees and migrants, several meetings and workshops had been held in Iran over the past two months. These gathernings concluded that lack of access to adequate sanitation and education were the major problems from which the refugees in Iran were suffering.

BOBBY VADAKKAL, of Franciscans International, said the organization was concerned about the displacement of vulnerable groups in the name of development. The tribal people in the state of Jharkhand in India had been resisting non-violently the mega project of the KOEL-KARO dams for the last 30 years. If the dams were realized, they would submerge 135 villages and displace more than 100,000 persons. Of late, in an attempt to demoralize these people, the state government, saying that it was under pressure from multi-national corporations and international financial institutions, had been resorting to violence on the tribal members to weaken their struggle against forced displacement.

There was a similar situation in Brazil, and Franciscans International called on the Brazilian Government to refrain from the construction of any new dams until the critical situation facing the affected populations was resolved by reparations or compensation. It called upon the governments of India and Brazil to conform their national laws with the provisions contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which they had ratified. It also urged them to adopt the recommendation of the World Commission on Dams, and to apply the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement whenever and wherever they were relevant.

PATRICIA GUERRERO, of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, said 300,000 displaced persons had been added to the flow of human beings whose fundamental human rights were being violated in Colombia. According to the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, paramilitaries were responsible for 71 per cent of forced displacements and 76 per cent of selective massacres. Harassment, massacres and destruction of land were some of the strategies used by the paramilitaries to counter agricultural reform.

Women were the most affected by forced displacement. In Colombia, women and children accounted for 57 per cent of the displaced population. Furthermore, 37 per cent of displaced women suffered from family violence and were mostly illiterate, undocumented and lived in extreme poverty. They were the ones who were discriminated against by the State which placed them in conditions of vulnerability and did not protect their fundamental human rights. Forced displacement constituted one of the most serious violations of international humanitarian law in Colombia.

GRACIELA ROBERT, of Medecins du Monde, said 150,000 of refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia who were now in Guinea faced serious situations. Every day, there were attacks against the physical integrity and private property of these refugees. There was not sufficient protection for them. The Guinean Government was carrying out its UN obligations. In Kosovo, the municipal councils, which were almost exclusively made up of Albanians, were responsible for most of the administration, so minorities were kept out of the health system.

Segregation was practiced against the Roma population in Western Europe. The organization encouraged the States of the EU to respect the rights of the Roma population. There was also the problem of HIV/AIDS. The most excluded populations were the ones that were hardest hit by AIDS. The Commission should restate forcefully that everyone suffering from AIDS should have access to treatment to ensure their quality of life. The medical structures were relatively simple -- there were no excuses for people to die because they had no access to treatment. The international community should help developing countries to provide drugs at an affordable price.

GODEFROID MARUME MULUME of African Commission of Health and Human Rights Promoters, said the situation of migrant workers, minorities, displaced populations and other vulnerable groups was a matter of grave concern. They needed to be protected and provided with support.

The situation of displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of Congo was of particular concern. The number of displaced persons was on the increase overall on the African continent and international cooperation was needed to tackle this problem.


LAZARO PARY, of Indian Movement Tupaj Amaru, speaking on behalf of two other NGOs, said it appreciated the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur. The report showed that consideration of the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples was being blocked by a lack of political will from States in the North and South. The Special Rapporteur had tried to point to a presumed consensus, but in six years no tangible progress had been achieved.

States were insensitive to the sufferings of indigenous peoples. Indigenous representatives came to the temple of human rights not to talk amongst themselves or to caucus, but to take place in serious negotiations. Governments in both the North and the South were unable to agree on basic concepts -- sovereignty over natural resources, the right to self-determination. If matters continued like this, there would not be a draft declaration in 100 years. Was it reasonable to extend the mandate of a mechanism that did not work? The organization urged the Commission to extend the mandate of the working group so that in a reasonable amount of time a draft declaration could be adopted. The process of establishing a permanent forum had not properly been taken into account, either. States had followed their own economic interests -- they wanted fora not on indigenous peoples, but on indigenous issues. That meant indigenous peoples were still a problem for the international community.

HELEN SAYERS, of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, speaking on behalf of World Federation of United Nations Associations, said the world's most biologically diverse areas were associated with high concentrations of native cultures. Approximately two-thirds of the world's languages were found in 225 regions considered to have the highest biological importance. Most of the ecological knowledge accumulated by indigenous peoples in managing their environments was locked up in these traditional languages which were rapidly disappearing along with the cultures.

This traditional knowledge was essential for true sustainable development and could hold the keys to the survival of the planet. Upholding the rights of indigenous peoples was necessary for ensuring the preservation of a system of values that humanity could not afford to lose. According to a prophecy of the Cree Indians of North America, only after the last tree had been cut down, only after the last river had been poisoned, only after the last fish had been caught... only then would it be found that money could not be eaten.

PIERRE MIOT, of International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements, said corporations from developed countries had been patenting the ancient practices of indigenous peoples. The process of appropriating indigenous knowledge and turning it into profit for themselves was pure theft, a looting of ancient knowledge. It was estimated that 75 per cent of the pharmaceutical products that came from plants had indigenous roots. If developing countries wished to obtain certain products -- such as AIDS drugs -- often they could not afford them.

Brazil wanted to produce drugs at low cost to treat AIDS patients, and the US had chosen to sue Brazil. In the EU, Switzerland, and the WTO, campaigns had been launched to revise patent laws. The countries of Africa had already demanded that patents on plants be withdrawn. Generations of peasants, who for free had selected seeds for centuries, were being dispossessed of their knowledge by these transnationals without any payment. The world's genetic heritage could not be treated like merchandise.


RACHEL BRETT, of Friends World Committee for Consultation, said that for too long, indigenous peoples had been treated as if they, their systems of governance and their cultures were in some way inferior to others'. In fact everyone had a debt to them for the benefits that had been reaped from indigenous peoples and their lands and resources, often at their ongoing expense. Since contact with other peoples, indigenous peoples had been seeking recognition of their sovereignty, title, and rights; they continued to be victims of war and war-like means used to control them and deprive them of land. The truth had to be found out about past injustices and honest and fair discussions had to be held about their interests.

The organization strongly supported rapid establishment of a permanent forum for indigenous peoples; it also urged the Commission to create a Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. This could not wait for conclusion of negotiations on a draft declaration. Indigenous peoples had waited too long for justice.

CHARLES GRAVES, of Interfaith International, said the Working Group on indigenous peoples had achieved enormous success over the last 17 years, but now some indigenous groups were being threatened with exclusion under the pretext that indigenous people did not exist in Africa and Asia. Sindh, a land of peace and harmony, covered an area of about 58,000 square miles northwards of the Indian River. The 45 million Sindhis were still surviving in the villages and towns of Sindh. They had a strong bondage and relationship with their land. But more than 8 million acres had been forcibly taken from local Sindhis and allocated to military generals and other outside settlers, forcing native Sindhis to abandon their centuries’-old ancestral homes and villages. More than 200 miles of coastal land had been taken over by the defence forces, evicting local fishermen and depriving more than 2,000 families of their livelihood.

Sindh contributed 60 per cent of its budget to Pakistan, but received barely 2 per cent in return. In view of the continuing violation of human rights in Sindh, an impartial UN fact-finding mission was essential, and would be welcomed by the indigenous people of Sindh. Sindh appealed to the international community for support in this peaceful struggle against the neo-colonisation and occupation of its land and massacre of its people.

TOMAS CONDORI CAHUAPAZA, of Indian Council of South America, said Governments had sought to establish the permanent forum for indigenous peoples as a subsidiary body, despite the repeated objections of indigenous groups. There had been other difficulties in the relevant working group; attempts had been made to call Governments' positions "consensus" when there was no consensus, at least among indigenous groups. Among other things, the term for the forum was not "indigenous peoples" or "populations" but had been changed to the weaker "indigenous issues". The forum would be placed at the lowest level of the UN; it would just be a place for shuffling papers and hot air. An attempt had been made therefore to strengthen existing international indigenous bureaucracy in order to silence indigenous peoples who were tacking the hard issues and were dedicated to defending their lands and cultures.

The discussions on the draft Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples had amounted to an attack on the very existence of indigenous peoples; Governments had filed papers to undercut virtually every vital issue. Once again the most important matters would lose out. The Commission was urged not to accept these unacceptable proposals.


MAGGIE BOWDON, of Asian Buddhists Conference for Peace, said the peace accords signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the Chittigong Hill Tract (CHT) indigenous peoples three years ago had been designed to provide limited autonomy to the indigenous people and to end more than two decades of armed conflict. But unfortunately peace was still far away, and most of the vital terms of the peace accord remained either incomplete or unimplemented. There were still some 3,055 Jumma refugee families who had not yet got back their lands and homesteads from the clutch of the Bengali settlers. Moreover, the Government of Bangladesh had taken an initiative to rehabilitate some 400,000 Bengali settlers as internally displaced persons in the CHT in violation of the peace accord.

The issue of land and settlers was the most crucial. The Land Commission formed under the peace accord was responsible for the settlement of land disputes, but the Commission had taken no substantial steps to redress indigenous grievances, and traditional land rights still remained unprotected. Human-rights abuses by the military continued in the region. The Commission and the Government of Bangladesh were urged to help implement the vital terms of the peace accord.

RAJAN KUMAR DAHAL, of Group for International Solidarity, said that liberated Kamaiyas (bonded labourers) lived in suffering in Nepal due to lack of proper management by the Government of their rehabilitation. The Government formally claimed that the 1,350 liberated Kamaiyas had been provided with roughly 139 hectares of land, but most of the Kamaiyas had not received any land-owner's certificates yet. Further, the land that had been distributed was very infertile, stony and could be swept by flood anytime.

About 50 per cent of the more than 100,000 liberated Kamaiyas had been taking shelter in open fields near forest areas in humble tents. The rest had returned to their previous positions, that of Kamaiyas. The Kamaiyas living in the camps had been victims of wild attacks by forest employees and rogues on different occasions. They had been driven from one place to another. One camp was even set on fire by hooligans.

NEVA COLLINGS, of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, also speaking on behalf of the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research, said the organizations were gravely concerned about processes in the working group on the draft Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. There had been the retroactive bracketing of the term "indigenous peoples" at the insistence of only a few States, for example; an annex proposed by the indigenous group setting out in detail many examples of international usage of the term "peoples" had met with no response from those States that opposed the term. For indigenous participants this was a matter of fundamental importance to the integrity of the entire process.

It was also a matter of concern that closed informal State drafting sessions were occurring more frequently in the working group -- it was not a process that ensured equal and effective participation by indigenous delegations. The drafting of the Declaration should not fail or be drawn out over many years -- the credibility of the UN human-rights system was at stake. ATSIC supported the proposal for appointment of a Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples.

NUR AMALIA, of Netherlands Organization for International Development Cooperation, said indigenous communities were the groups that been most harmed by development policies in Indonesia over the past three decades. Even though indigenous communities were the largest
element in the structure of the Indonesian State and society, in the formulation of policies the existence of indigenous peoples had not been accommodated, or they were even systematically eliminated from the national political agenda.

At present, there was not a single member from indigenous communities in the national Parliament. The State had ignored and neglected the birthrights, the right to indigenous lands, the rights to maintain traditional cultures, ideology and customs, the economic rights and most importantly the political rights of indigenous communities. Instruments of policy and legislation enforcing uniformity and centralization had been produced and implemented systematically by the State to strengthen and defend State sovereignty over indigenous communities and their resources. Out of more than 300 corrupt Forestry Ownership Licences that stripped indigenous peoples of their land without compensation, only 11 per cent had been returned to the people.

MARCELO ORELLANA, of Latin American Human Rights Association, said the indigenous peoples of Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador had been working at establishing a permanent forum at the UN, and would be requesting a Special Rapporteur. The adoption of a Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples would foster positive relations between States, international organizations and indigenous peoples.

The situation in Colombia was marked by a lack of understanding by the armed protagonists, and showed the need for a legal instrument. In Mexico, the indigenous peoples could use a Declaration to begin a dialogue which could lead to the development of a multi-cultural society, and provide very necessary education on indigenous rights. Adoption of a Declaration would be a demonstration of the will of the international community.

PHILIPPE LEBLANC, of Franciscans International, said that notwithstanding the recent changes in Mexico, there was ample evidence to demonstrate that there remained long-standing and systematic human-rights problems related to the indigenous population which would require effective remedies and long-term solutions.

The indigenous population benefitted the least from social and development programmes. The majority of the indigenous population was poor. In communities with a high concentration of indigenous inhabitants, the rate of poverty was more than 80 per cent. Further, the educational systems and health infrastructures were also less developed, which gave rise to the highest rate of infant mortality within the whole country. Militarization was the cause of many human-rights violations such as harassment and threats against the local population, arbitrary detention and house raids. Despite the efforts made by the Government, the phenomenon of paramilitarism continued to victimize indigenous people, causing an increase in the number of displaced persons, as in Chiapas where the number had grown to over 20,000. The judicial system was also biased against indigenous peoples. They were often treated with disrespect and were victims of racial discrimination.

ALBERTO SALDAMANDO, of International Indian Treaty Council, said a Special Rapporteur on indigenous issues was necessary for the promotion and protection of already-recognized indigenous human rights and fundamental freedoms. It was not too long ago that the then-Rapporteur on the environment and human rights reported to the Commission that indigenous lands and resources were under unprecedented attack.


The extent of forced relocations, coerced urbanization, and outright massacres of whole communities, continued the so-called conquest begun over 500 years ago. It was believed a Special Rapporteur could complement the work of the other mechanisms. There was currently no opportunity for the Commission to seek a quick and immediate end to violations. Other vulnerable groups had multiple mechanisms, including Commissions and Rapporteurs that complemented each other in their defense of human rights.

HJALMAR DAHL, of Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), said the year 2000 was a historic year for the world's indigenous peoples because of the adoption of the resolution to establish a Permanent Forum on indigenous issues. The Forum would give indigenous peoples and Governments the opportunity to work together on issues related to the rights of indigenous peoples based on equality.

ICC suggested that 8 indigenous peoples' representatives be selected based on regional criteria and stressed the importance of establishing an autonomous and independent secretariat. It was especially illegitimate, immoral and unconstitutional for States addressing the United Nations draft Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples to seek to weaken or otherwise undermine the basic rights and obligations referred to in this aspirational instrument, which was the minimum standard for the survival of indigenous peoples.

MATTIAS AHRER, of the Saami Council, said the Commission's Working Group on the Declaration of the rights of indigenous peoples held its 6th session late last year. It was disappointing to note that the Working Group was again unable to adopt any of the provisions of the draft Declaration. That said, however, some progress had occurred. The Working Group had proceeded towards increasingly frank and open discussions. Governments should be commended for engaging in constructive discussions on how to improve the working methods of the group.

Clearly, the main obstacle for adoption of further provisions of the Declaration was the issue of self-determination. Self-determination was the keystone of the Declaration, and indeed, in indigenous peoples' rights in general. The EU should be commended for evaluating its policy on indigenous peoples. The EU's increased interest in human-rights issues was comforting.


MARCIAL ARIAS, of Association Napguana, said indigenous peoples had great expectations concerning the results of the discussions on the Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and hoped that this Declaration would be above existing international instruments and mechanisms and represent the genuine aspirations of indigenous peoples who had been historically marginalized and discriminated against.

The attention of the Commission was also drawn to the need to appoint a Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. Indeed, the Secretary-General had clearly indicated that there was no mechanism within the United Nations system for the protection and promotion of the human rights of indigenous peoples.

ORETTA BANDETTINI DI POGGIO, of International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, said the most topical issue dealt with in the draft Declaration was the principle of self-determination. No right could be more important for indigenous peoples than the right to freely dispose of their own resources, richness, culture and tradition.

Self-determination was construed as internal autonomy, self-government and self-control by indigenous peoples over their future without constituting a threat to State sovereignty. The notion of self-determination, as it stood today, was totally outdated and practically gave carte blanche to Governments to deal as they liked with indigenous peoples, be they the majority or minority, quite often with disastrous results in terms of violence perpetrated against them for rightfully defending their demands and requiring their rights be acknowledged.

KENNETH DEER, of Indigenous World Association, said indigenous peoples were the most marginalized peoples in the world and this forum was just reinforcing that fact. Indigenous peoples were insulted by the demeaning and token interest that their concerns were being given. The Commission Bureau had scheduled Item 15 on the last day of the week as it had done on other occasions -- and the slightest delay pushed it back to another week. Indigenous peoples would speak today, Governments next week. The majority of indigenous peoples would be gone and not be able to listen to these Governments nor to respond whether positively or negatively to their statements.

Indigenous representatives would return home and report that they had spent their money but did not know what Governments or United Nations agencies had to say about indigenous peoples.

ALFREDO SFEIR-YOUNIS, of the World Bank, said the rights of indigenous peoples were fundamental for the future of humanity. These rights touched on a particular group in society, but they also should be understood as some of the most important pillars for development sustainability for all citizens of the world. The contributions of indigenous peoples, indigenous knowledge and indigenous cultures should permeate all the decisions being made regarding the natural and human environment, the care that would be given to future generations, and the capacity that would be found in putting together a consensus and shared vision of a common future.

Historians were already writing about what had been left behind in terms of heritage during the last century. Judgment would be rendered by the legacy that was left behind, in terms of poverty, war and conflicts, and degradation of the environment. How would judgments be made regarding contributions to the betterment of indigenous populations? Today, the World Bank was ready to assist, expand its cooperation and ensure that everybody's future was secured.

MERIKE KOKAJEV (Estonia) said the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples was at its midpoint and a lot remained to be done to achieve the Decade's objective of strengthening international cooperation for the solution of the problems indigenous peoples faced in the fields of human rights, environment, development, education and health.

The activities undertaken so far under the Decade had undoubtedly served to increase the awareness of the specific problems encountered by indigenous people, as well as the need to address and find solutions to these problems both at the national, regional and global levels. The two most important indigenous activities carried out by the United Nations were the Working Group to elaborate a draft Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and the establishment of the Permanent Forum for indigenous peoples within the United Nations system. The Permanent Forum would soon be in a position to make its own contribution towards realizing the goals of the Decade.


FRANCOIS NORDMANN (Switzerland) said it was impossible to name all of the indigenous peoples who were forgotten in the world today. They would be the topic of a forum in Geneva later this year. Indigenous peoples should enjoy the same rights as non-indigenous peoples. Before considering signing an ILO Convention about indigenous peoples, Switzerland had sought out information about its scope. Some indigenous peoples in Switzerland were already protected by other international instruments to which Switzerland was already a party. Switzerland was interested in the idea of appointing a Special Rapporteur on indigenous rights.

HELENA MINA (Cyprus) said that Cyprus welcomed the efforts at drafting a Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples as well as the establishment of a Permanent Forum for indigenous peoples, where these unfortunately marginalized social groups would be given the opportunity to bring to the attention of the international community the exclusion and the violations of human rights which were committed against them. Cyprus also actively supported the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations as well as the Voluntary Fund for the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, which aided the participation of the representatives of indigenous communities in UN activities and provided financial assistance to indigenous projects.


Rights of reply

A Representative of the Russian Federation, speaking a right of reply, said this was a suitable opportunity for a friendly discussion of the problems of human rights in Latvia -- this was not said in anger. In the report from the European Community on the Latvian Programme to move into the EU, several serious shortcoming were mentioned -- the process of naturalization of non-citizens was being criticized because of the law on the national language. If, in Latvia, everything was as it should be with the rights of minorities, why did the Parliament not ratify the framework with regard to national minorities? Russia would be happy not to raise the question of the rights of minorities in Latvia any longer, but Latvia must provide that opportunity.

A Representative of Thailand, speaking in right of reply, said at present there were between 2 and 3 million illegal migrants in Thailand. To ensure that migrant workers were not ill-treated and to protect them under the law, the Government had allowed the registration of migrant employees in certain occupations. The cause of the problem had to be addressed, first and foremost, in the country of origin and with the assistance of the international community. The Thai Government attached great importance to the issue of human trafficking and had tried its utmost to promote active cooperation with neighbouring countries.




* *** *