fPcN interCultural:

friends of Peoples close to Nature

Vice President of the current opposition partly in Vanuatu, Reuben Ishmael, Chief of Masoen Maramanu Tinapuna, from the 'Shepherds Alliance' party, speaks for a free and independent West Papua. And independence for all Melanesians

It is with great sadness that today, the 60th Anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights, some States have denied indigenous peoples of their rights at the 14th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC.

This morning indigenous peoples were shocked to see the final version of the Draft Conclusions on Agenda Item 5: Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action, of the 29th Session of Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). This Document (FCCC/SBSTA/2008/L.23) removed any references to rights of indigenous peoples and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This move was spearheaded by the same States (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA) which voted against the adoption of the UNDRIP by the UN General Assembly last 13 Sept. 2008.

The United Nations Fourth Committee has rejected by a vote of 61 - 40 the attempt, made through a draft resolution at the last decolonization Committee of 24 seminar, to include a specific exclusion of territories affected by a sovereignty dispute, such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, from the omnibus resolution that reaffirms inalienable right of self-determination of 11 territories.

An elected Legislative Council rules over the Falklands internal affairs.

The territories directly affected are American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands.

TOKYO -- Japan on Friday moved to recognize the Ainu as an indigenous people, pledging to support the traditionally nature-worshipping community that has endured centuries of discrimination

It is a landmark move for Japan, which has prided itself on being ethnically homogeneous but where the Ainu have sharply lower incomes and educational levels, according AFP.

The upper house of parliament voted 231-0 to adopt the resolution on the Ainu. The lower house was expected to follow suit with a unanimous vote later in the day, parliament officials and lawmakers said.

Benny Wenda, the leader of the Koteka Tribal Assembly and founder of the Free West Papua Campaign UK (partner organisation of fPcN), speaks at the UN Human Right Commission in 2005. Benny Wenda came with the help of fPcN to Geneva. The film is made by fPcN UK.

Two Reports from the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)

on TORTURE by Indonesian Security Forces

1) UN Committee against Torture begins Review of Report of Indonesia (6 May 2008)

2) UN Committee against Torture hears Response of Indonesia (7 May 2008)

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Some extracts from the Review & from the Indonesian response (for the FULL REPORT see below) :

“During his recent visit to Indonesia, the Special Rapporteur on Torture had noted that torture is routine in Indonesian police stations.”

Rome, Feb. 14, 2008 - This morning Indigenous Peoples’ representatives formally withdrew from meeting of the Working Group on Protected Areas of the International Convention on Biological Diversity to protest their suppression of their effective participation at the meeting, being held at FAO headquarters in the Italian capital.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 13 (IPS) - After 22 years of long and cumbersome negotiations, leaders of the world's 370 million indigenous people have won a powerful symbolic victory in their fight for recognition of the right to self-determination and control over their land and resources.

On Thursday, an overwhelming majority of the 192-member U.N. General Assembly said "yes" to a resolution calling for the adoption of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Human rights defenders in Indonesia’s province of West Papua continue to face torture, arbitrary detention and harassment from the country’s police, military and security forces, an independent United Nations expert said today after wrapping up a week-long visit to the Asian archipelago, which she said had also taken some positive steps in the legal realm.

Sat, 06/09/2007 - 08:51 — Jayapura , Hundreds of Papuans rallied Friday in Papua and West Papua provinces during a one-day visit by special representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani. In both provinces, Jilani was greeted with rallies.
In Papua, the protesters, from the Coalition of Community Concern on Papua and the United Front of West Papua People's Fight, welcomed Jilani, while others called on her to "stop the genocide of the Papuans" and "stop the killing in West Papua".