Shillong, Sept 19: During the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council currently here in Geneva, the Permanent Representative to the UN and Chairman of the Meghalaya Peoples Human Rights Council while taking part in the General Debate under the human rights situation that require the council, attention he said that “In Asia, indigenous peoples rights to life, peace and security, freedom from violence are increasingly threatened by the escalation of human rights violations due to corporate operations especially by extractive industries coupled more often with militarization of indigenous communities. This is exacerbated by the criminalization of indigenous leaders and indigenous people’s human rights defenders when asserting their rights to their lands, territories and resources.”
“Moreover, many governments in Asia have some form of National Security Laws and launched anti-insurgency operation plans that have impacted heavily on the peace and security of indigenous peoples. In recent years, many indigenous communities and their leaders have been subject to attacks, harassments and extrajudicial killings as a result of these operation plans. Indigenous peoples who assert their rights over their lands, territories and resources are either vilified or attacked for their opposition or are also tagged as supporters of armed groups fighting their governments” said Dympep.
“In addition, most indigenous peoples in Asia who live in remote areas are often caught in conflicts between government forces and armed groups. This has often resulted to massive evacuations of indigenous communities for long periods of time leaving them with scarce sources for food and disruption of their traditional practices. Even efforts in peace-building between governments and armed groups often exclude indigenous peoples” said Dympep.
“I therefore, call on the Human Rights Council to take on peace and security for its next study due to its importance and its relation to the escalation of serious human rights violations happening in Asia and in other parts of the world where indigenous peoples live”.
“I once again reiterate my observation on the weak participation of governments from Asia in particular the past (Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) Sessions. This demonstrates the lack of sincere interest from our governments to hear the voices of its indigenous peoples’ and I strongly implore these governments to start showing serious effort in building relationships with its indigenous peoples and start listening to and understanding our issues and concerns conclude Dympep.(SP News)
