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Bangladesh: Election by year-end
May 2008
Current electoral rolls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) include non-permanent Bengali residents, such as Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Rifle Division personnel stationed in the region, settlers and seasonal workers, along with more 300,000 Rohinga refugees from Burma. The votes of over 100,000 troops would have a significant impact on the results of an election and the ability of the Jummas to elect their representatives as Members of Parliament from the CHT district.
 Read more from BangladeshNews.com.bd (weblink)
Read also: "Restoring Democracy in Bangladesh" - News report from International Crisis Group, 28 April 2008 (weblink)
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Bangladesh: Constitution has no bias against ethnic groups
May 2008
Former chief of a caretaker administration Justice Habiur Rahman said that he found no discrimination agains any social, religious or ethnic groups in the constitution and suggested that anyone who would find it should come up with specific recommendations for addressing the issue. Habibur Rahman advised the indigenous communities to pursue their demands, particularly the one related to their consitutional recognition...
Read more on the blog: Indigenous Jumma People's Movement in North America
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7th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues - April 21 - May 2, 2008
The special theme of this year's session is Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges. Read more on our 7th session webpage with links to UN News Center, YouTube videos, opening statement by Vicky Tauli Corpuz, press conferences etc.
Find more (Internal link)
Updated May 5 |
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USA: Sacred Bear Butte threatened
April 2008
Bear Butte is a sacred mountain located eight miles west of Sturgis, South Dakota. It is registered as a National Historical Landmark. Bear Butte is sacred to the Plains Tribes who continue to travel to the mountain each summer to pray and hold their annual ceremonies. For the past few years there has been a continual encroachment of bars and venues heading towards the sacred mountain.
Read more
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The Indigenous World 2008 is out
The Indigenous World 2008 is out and was launched in New York Tuesday April 22 2008 at the 7th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). This volume includes 60 country profiles and 5 reports on international processes. The Indigenous World 2008 is edited by Kathrin Wessendorf. Order a CD-ROM or a printed version by mailing iwgia@iwgia.org or download it for free from our download section.
Read more (internal link)
Read the article about the book launch on 22 April in New York (doc) |
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Two IWGIA supported journalists kidnapped in Bolivia
April 2008
On Sunday 13 April, the Bolivian Vice-Ministry of Lands attempted to enter the Alto Parapetí area to undertake an inspection of large ranches that are allegedly holding indigenous Guaraní communities captive. The Vice-Minister was accompanied by, among many others, the cameraman Fernando Cola and journalist Tanimbu Estremadoiro who were making a documentary for IWGIA and the local NGO, CEJIS, on indigenous territorial demands in Bolivia. Both Fernando and Tanimbu were attacked.
Read more
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Nepal votes
April 2008
The election of a 601-seat Constituent Assembly in Nepal has been touted as the cornerstone of a 2006 peace deal struck with former rebels, known as the Maoists, following weeks of unrest that forced Nepal's king to cede power. The voting system of the Constiuent Assembly is complex; a mix of direct elections and a nationwide proportional representation system with quotas for women and Nepal's many ethnic and caste groups.
The newly elected Constituent Assemby will be writing the country's new constitution; a constitution that will ensure the equal rights of all citizens of Nepal, including the diverse indigenous peoples making up more than 50% of the total population.
Read more:
BBC's story: Final results declared in Nepal (web link)
The Indigenous World 2007 - chapter on Nepal (pdf, 196 KB, 8 pages)
BBC's story (weblink)
Nepal Election Portal (weblink)
Election Commission of Nepal (weblink)
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Bangladesh: 7 Indigenous Jumma villages burnt down by Bengali settlers in Sajek in CHT
April 2008
Newly infiltrated Bengali settlers with the direct support of Bangladesh military forces attacked on the 7 villages of indigenous Jumma peoples throughout the 4 kilometre long area from Nursery Para to Gangaram Mukh areas of Sajek union under Baghaichari upazila (sub-district) in Rangamati district in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) on 20 April 2008 at night.
Read the New Age sub editorial of May 12 2008: Unidentified terrorist in the hills
Read the "Fact Finding Committee Report: 20th April 2008 Incident at Sajek Union, under Rangamati District, Chittagong Hill Tracts". (web link)
Read more on The Indigenous Jumma People Net's blog (web link)
Read the ACHR Weekly Review (doc)
Read the story from MyNews.in (web link)
Read letter from Lord Avebury to the foreign affairs minister of the caretaker government (pdf)
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The first three from the Mro community ever to study in a university
April 2008
Only 18 percent of Bangladesh' literate people are from 45 Adivasi communities, with only 8 percent of them being women.
Read more on BangladeshNews.com.bd
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Bangladesh: CHT Land Commission to be active before Caretaker Government term ends
April 2008
The caretaker government has taken it upon itself to reactivate the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Commission, after a long seven-year lull.
Read more (pdf) - bdnews24.com - 22 April 2008
Read the editorial of The Daily Star - 2 April 2008
Read The Daily Star article - 1 April 2008 (Govt to reconstitute CHT Land Commission soon )
Read the article from The Daily New Age - 1 April 2008
Read the article from BangladeshNews.com.bd - 1 April 2008 (Govt to reconstitute CHT Land Commission soon)
Read the article from BangladeshNews.com.bd - 28 March 2008 (CHT accord is to uphold hill people's rights)
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Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples an historic opportunity to advance human rights
April 2008
The Organization of American States (OAS) is a vital regional agency committed to the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. The Inter-American human rights system has a strong tradition and record of progressive action in relation to the promotion and protection of human rights. The Indigenous peoples participating in this process call upon Canada and the United States to withdraw their reservations, to not block consensus, and adopt a constructive attitude to ensure the timely adoption of the draft American Declaration, that reflects in a true and effective manner our human rights.
Read the statement by Canada (14 April 2008) - (doc)
Read the public statement from Amnesty International Canada (14 April 2008) - (weblink)
Response of the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus of the Americas (15 April 2008) - (doc)
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Russia: Lukoil tries to pacify indigenous people
April 2008
The Nenets autonomous district is home to lucrative projects for Lukoil and Rosneft. It is also home to a population of 7,000 indigenous Nenets whose livelihood and semi-nomadic way of life are being increasingly threatened by the growing oil industry. Read the Moscow Times article Read more in the International Herald Tribune
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 Photo: Ina Hume, 1998 |
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Statement on the situation in Bolivia
April 2008
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Mr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen, today stated that he had completed the report on his visit to Bolivia in December of last year.
Read the statement
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Canadian Parliament to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
April 2008
On Tuesday, April 8, the House of Commons passed a resolution to endorse the Declaration as adopted by the UN and calling on Parliament and the Government of Canada to “fully implement the standards contained therein.”
Read the News Release on Amnesty International Canada
Read the press release from the Office of Dr. Wilton Littlechild
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Russia: Giant dam project could spell disaster for the Evenks
April 2008
The Evenks, an indigenous people that leads a nomadic life herding reindeer in northern Siberia, fears its way of life will be lost forever if plans go ahead to build one of the world's largest hydroelectric dams.
Read more on Tradingmarkets.com (weblink)
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