United Nations Asked to Probe Plight of Pacific's Indigenous Peoples

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Indigenous People's Issues Today:

Five Important Indigenous People's Issues for the Week of April 22 - May 5, 2008
Indigenous Ainu People to Press Demands at G8 Summit

Japan's hosting of the G8 summit in Hokkaido in July will afford a rare opportunity for the Ainu people who live on the island to press their long-standing demand to be recognized as an indigenous people.Officially, for the Jul 7-9 summit of rich nations, Japan’s leaders have said they would like to see global health high on the agenda as also sustainable forest development, climate change and development.But the Ainu have other plans to roll out in Hokkaido at the Jul 1-4 Indigenous Peoples Summit, ahead of the G8 event. "If the government recognizes the Ainu as indigenous people everything would change," said Saki Mina, an Ainu leader, at a press conference here last week.There are about 200,000 Ainu living throughout Japan though most are concentrated in the northern island of Hokkaido. Ainu were once thought of as the remnants of a Caucasoid group but this is yet to be proved. Read the rest of the story here....

United Nations Asked to Probe Plight of Pacific's Indigenous Peoples

Representatives of various indigenous groups in the Pacific region have asked a United Nations panel to sponsor seminars and visiting missions that would look into the rights and situations of the natives of colonized territories, whose environments are said to have been exploited by "foreign superpowers."Environmental destructions through toxic waste dumping, mining and deforestation were among the top issues tackled by indigenous peoples in the Pacific region at the Seventh Session of the United Nation's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.Michael Dodson, member of the permanent forum, said indigenous lands and waters were being targeted by industrialized nations for dumping of toxic or radioactive wastes from industrial or military operations, often without informing residents of dangers. Read the rest of the story here....

Indigenous People's Hunger Strikers in Mexico Released from Prisons

After years of asserting their innocence, a group of indigenous Zapatista advocates are free, for now.The Mexican government released 149 political prisoners in the first two weeks of April, including 37 hunger strikers, almost all of whom were indigenous people from Chiapas who had been alleging they were the victims of torture, false imprisonment for political reasons, and other abuses. Another 20 prisoners are still incarcerated in Chiapas and Tabasco, but activists have not relented in their efforts, as further abuses in and outside the prisons are coming to light.The vast majority of the freed prisoners was indigenous activists, and had been imprisoned at some point between 1994 and 2006. They were involved with social change groups such as the Zapatista Other Campaign, the Independent Agricultural Worker and Campesino Center (CIOAC in Spanish) and the Pueblo Creyente (Believing People), a group of indigenous Catholics active in social justice issues. Most of the freed men were from the Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Tojolabal or Chole communities in the Chiapas region. Among the leaders who first came out were Zacario Hernandez, Enrique Hernandez, Pascual Heredia Hernandez, Jose Luis Lopez Sanchez, Ramon Guardaz Cruz and Antonio Diaz Ruiz. Read the rest of the story here....

Hearings of Proposed Tipaimukh Dam Available: Indigenous Peoples Resource

Tipaimukh Dam Public Hearings from 2004 till 2008.The month of March 2008 events two public hearings for proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project, one at Tipaimukh dam site, Churachandpur District on 31 March 2008 and another at Keimai village, Tamenglong District, Manipur on 26th March 2008, both organized by the Manipur Pollution Control Board. The public hearing at Keimai village registered extraordinary support from the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Forces camps nearby and slaughtering of pigs for handpicked participants by project proponents in both hearings. The first public hearing on Tipaimukh dam project at Darlawn Community Hall, Darlawn, Mizoram on 2 December 2004 was severely criticized for its lack of transparency of the project proponent, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) and failure to provide vital documents, including Detailed Project Report, Environment Impact Assessment etc.The Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project, to be constructed 500 Metres downstream from the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers, in South-western corner of Manipur over Barak river, with firm generation capacity of 401.25MW, has been one of the most controversial mega developmental projects in Manipur. While the project proponents, the Government of India and Manipur and NEEPCO hailed the project as bearing immense potentials and economic benefits, several issues remained unresolved, primarily the insensitive attitude of the Government and the project proponents to the legitimate concerns of the project affected villagers in the upstream and downstream portion of the Barak River. Find the resource here....

Indigenous People's Voices Demand Climate Justice

In the massive half-moon shaped United Nations conference auditorium filled with hundreds of individuals robed in colorful traditional clothing, jewerly and ceremonial items, a young female’s voice echoes from the center of the room.“We indigenous peoples are emphatic in stating that those primarily responsible for climate change are the governments and companies of the industrialized world,” said Edith Bastidas, executive director of the Centro de Cooperación al Indígena in Bolivia, during a day of testimonies April 22. “[They] are encouraging a production and consumption model that is destroying the biodiversity and natural resources of our Mother Earth.” Catch the rest of the story here....

US Accused of Human Rights Violations by Chamorro Activists

Press Release
Monday, 9
June 2008

US accused of human rights violations

Two Chamoru representatives from Guam visiting Australia for a month-long international awareness campaign today accused the United States of glaring human rights violations of the indigenous Chamoru people.

"The new wave of U.S. militarization of Guam means to be decisive," said Chamoru writer Julian Aguon in Sydney today. "It is not simply more of the same. Part of the U.S. military realignment in the Asia-Pacific region includes the controversial relocation of 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam. The move will have devastating consequences for the indigenous Chamoru people, who have been struggling for decolonization of their island home.

"The situation of Guam serves as one of the greatest indictments of U.S. democratic legitimacy, as Guam remains one of only 16 non-self-governing territories in the modern world. The military build-up now underway in Guam, which will include an influx of a military personnel population comparable in size to the entire indigenous population (55,000), is being done entirely without the input or consultation of the indigenous people and over their deepening dissent."

Dr. Lisa Natividad, a professor at the University of Guam, stated that the new wave of military buildup will only worsen the well being of the Chamoru people, who already suffer from the classic symptoms of a colonial condition such as dramatic health disparities. "For example, rates of nasopharyngeal cancer among my people are 2,000% higher than in the United States, and the rate of diabetes is five times the national U.S. average," Dr Natividad said.

"Although Guam is only 30 miles long, it contains 19 sites designated by the US Environmental Protection Agency as the most highly contaminated and toxic sites in the entire United States." Dr. Natividad said. These toxins include radioactive and carcinogenic materials, dioxins, etc.

"We come to Australia in the hope of raising awareness about the human rights deprivations of the Chamoru people by the U.S, to build solidarity among the peace and justice groups here and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, who are all endangered by current U.S. militarization of the region," she said.

For more information and interviews with Lisa Natividad and Julian Aguon.
please contact Dr Hannah Middleton on 0418 668 098

The Worse is Yet to Come

Guam Editorials :: 'The worse is yet to come'
The Marianas Variety
Tuesday April 22, 2008

The relocation of approximately forty thousand plus U.S. military personnel and their dependents coming to Guam in the years ahead (some are already here as advanced party), plus thousands of self-interest groups of business people and their associates, alien workers, and "pretend" tourists will mean the worse is yet to come with dangerous wastewater sewage overflows and other infrastructure disasters.

Now that the glorious federalization bill to control CNMI immigration has passed awaiting the President's signature, Guam can now prepare to embrace even more of an exploding population --- with hundreds, if not thousands, seeking safe haven coming over from CNMI, in addition to those from Compact Impact areas.

Greed is spreading like wildfire with big business and Chamber of Commerce associates, especially now with their latest initiative for a part-time legislature. The people will be run over by those with only their self-interest in mind. The people will have no voice in our government.

Chaos is also brewing among our government leaders who think this impending massive military build-up will enhance Guam's failing economy. It is already evident that the sick, the poor, the manamko, the common and ordinary people who cannot make ends meet to survive are the ones being sacrificed to satisfy federalization and the military buildup.

Human trafficking and alien smuggling is nearly a routine thing on Guam with so many undetected boats carrying aliens landing on our shores, capsized boats hitting our reefs, prostitution in night clubs and massage parlors, and with the fake driver's license scam. Where else? What else?

This military buildup has nothing to do with improving Guam's failing economy or providing job opportunities. This military buildup is all connected to China's increasing might, from tension with Tibet and Taiwan to issues with North Korea. This is why Guam is being fortified like there's no tomorrow.

Guam has experienced the agony of war and major natural disasters. Guam and her colonized people will suffer more catastrophes like never before under the impending massive military buildup. This is why Guam is doomed for disaster --- gone with the wind!

Fanmanaitai yan si Yu'os u bindisi hit todu! Pas para todu!

Vicente "Fa'et" Garrido
Tamuning

Progress at Urunao?

Progress at Urunao?
by Ronna Sweeney
KUAM News
Wednesday,
January 23, 2008

The $13.6 million Urunao cleanup project undertaken by Andersen Air Force Base to right the wrongs of their past is just over halfway completed. But has if one makes the trek up north, has any headway really been made? It's been quite the transformation up at Urunao since KUAM News first began reporting about the site back in February 2007. At the time it was nestled amidst dense jungle, with the steep terrain was riddled with unexploded ordnance, tires and metallic waste from the World War II era. Today environmental flight chief Russell Littlejohn says crews are slightly more than halfway through the expansive cleanup process, noting the sheer number of munitions and explosives of concern has been surprising."So far we've found 30,000 pieces of MEC," Littlejohn confirmed. "Those MECs right now are being stored and then they're burned in burn pits. So we have alternating burn pits where we do about 150 in each pit; about 750 pieces of MEC per week." Returning the area to its once-pristine condition is challenging, from caterpillar and crane operators to screeners and project leads, Shaw Environmental, the contracted company in charge of the cleanup, employs around 50 people on a daily basis. And to make sure contaminants aren't being left behind, there are even employees brought in just to test the soil. "We have a grid set up right now, about 72 grids on site one and as we go through and look at each grid so we can concentrate our efforts on each grid and do verification soil testing there," he added.Besides disposing of MEC and making sure the soil is safe, plenty of old tires and metallic debris has also been hauled off the Cliffside. Most of which Littlejohn says will be recycled. He adds that besides being the most extensive cleanup undertaken on Guam by the Air Force, it's also the most unique. AAFB is actually leasing the piece of property from a member of the Artero family on a monthly basis until the project is completed. Said Littlejohn, "We're working it. It's going to be cleaned up and it's going to be a piece of property that in the end we're going to give back to Guam in a better condition than when we took it."