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AIZOL TIMES –

Aizawl Sept 16: Local activists for the protection of rights of indigenous peoples here are thrilled that the United Nations General Assembly has adopted the declaration of rights of indigenous peoples of the world saying this is a landmark issue for downtrodden indigenous peoples.

Lalmuanpuia Punte, general secretary of Zo Reunification Organization (ZoRO) which has been fighting to restore the lands that originally belonged to indigenous groups in the North East Region of India, today said this landmark decision of the United Nations Organization’s general assembly made on September 13 last week would pave the way towards the restoration of lands that had been usurped by the British and later by Indian, Burmese and Bangladesh governments.

“We had championed the cause of the rights of indigenous peoples in the NE region for some decades and we are overjoyed that the UN General Assembly adopted it last week. In fact, we did not know that it had been adopted until yesterday. It was a delightful surprise for us and this will give us an edge in getting our demands met through the United Nations Organization,” Punte said when contacted today.

According to Punte, many tribes under the Zo name had been scattered all over the region as well as into Bangladesh and Burma when India, Pakistan and Burma were given their independence by the British. It had been the objective of ZoRO to re-unite these tribes by giving them back the land in which they had original lived while empowering these indigenous tribes to protect their ancestral lands against exploitation.

By a vote of 143 in favour to 4 against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States), with 11 abstentions, the 61st UN General Assembly had adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which sets out the individual and collective rights of the world’s 370 million native peoples, calls for the maintenance and strengthening of their cultural identities, and emphasizes their right to pursue development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations on September 13, 2007.

A non-binding text, the Declaration states that native peoples have the right “to the recognition, observance and enforcement of treaties” concluded with States or their successors. It also prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.

The Human Rights Council adopted the Declaration in June 2006, over the objections of some Member States with sizeable indigenous populations. The Assembly deferred consideration of the text late last year at the behest of African countries, which raised objections about language on self-determination and the definition of “indigenous” people.

However, countries that voted against the Declaration said they could not support it because of concerns over provisions on self-determination, land and resources rights and, among others, language giving indigenous peoples a right of veto over national legislation and State management of resources.

In an informal meeting following adoption of the text last week, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, said: “This day will forever be etched in our memories as a significant gain in our peoples’ long struggle for our rights as distinct peoples and cultures.” While she respected the interpretive statements made by Member States, indigenous people believed the significance and implications of the Declaration should not be minimized in any way. That would amount to discrimination. “For us, the correct way to interpret the Declaration is to read it in its entirety or in a holistic manner and to relate it with existing international law,” she said.

She said that effective implementation of the Declaration would test the commitment of States and the whole international community to protect, respect and fulfill indigenous peoples’ collective and individual human rights. “I call on Governments, the UN system, indigenous peoples and civil society at large to rise to the historic task before us and make the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples a living document for the common future of humanity,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, Punte, speaking about the declaration too, said this would pave the way for indigenous peoples of the NER towards self determination and quoted article 3 and 4 of the declaration which said “Indigenous peoples have a right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs as well as ways and means for financing their autonomous functions.”

A few spiritualists who have strong beliefs that self determination would eventually come to the Mizos have decided to hold a thanksgiving dinner this evening and have invited all local activists to this dinner.

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