Intercontinental Cry

Shell suspends drilling in Klappan Valley

Ahni — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:52:36 +0000

A little over a week before British Colombia’s Supreme Court Justice Kathryn Neilson ruled in favor of the Gitanyow First Nation, over the Forestry Ministry’s failure to adequately consult them when they leased out sections of the Gitanyow’s traditional territory, Shell Canada moved to suspend drilling in B.C.’s Klappan Valley for the remainder of 2008. Interior News, one of the only agencies to report on Shell’s decision, explains, “Shell’s sudden suspension follows almost two years of heated protests from residents throughout the Bulkley Valley [as well as the Tahltan People, among others] against coalbed methane exploration in the ecologically sensitive area known as the Sacred Headwaters, the birthplace of three major salmon-bearing rivers.” “Shell excluded the press last week in an e-mail to stakeholders announcing their plans to halt drilling. A copy obtained by The Interior News notes public pressure as but one of the driving forces behind the suspension.” Seeming to credit its own ‘nobility’ more than anything, the company says it wants to expand its environmental awareness in the Klappan and hold further consultations with the region’s stakeholders. “We feel further data is required before a number of important questions can be answered,” the email reads. “Shell is planning to continue with its environment studies in the Klappan to help us to better understand the natural setting in the Klappan, to help answer some of questions raised, and to ensure informed decisions continue to be made during these early planning stages.” To that end, Shannon McPhail from the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition (SWCC), says it’s ...

Underreported Struggles #17

Ahni — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:31:39 +0000

In this month’s Underreported Struggles: Indigenous peoples in Mindanao call for autonomy, 65 Communities Declare Victory in Peru, Chavez Government steps in to Support the Yukpa, the Comanche fights the Army over a sacred site, the Kichwa and Shuar take a stand against the Oil Industry, and Thousands of Sudanese Refuse to Leave Their Land. Underreported Struggles #17, August 2008 August 31 World Bank helps to destroy indigenous rights in Cambodia Ethnicity and Local Governance Cambodia (ELGC), a research project that analyzes state-minority relations in Cambodia, has published a report on the World Bank’s involvement and complicity in the destruction of Indigenous Peoples rights in Cambodia. August 30 Maya and Other Indigenous Groups Demand Protection for Native Languages Indigenous writers from around the Americas met at the Colegio Nacional Thursday and Friday to participate in Encuentro Internacional de Literatura en Lenguas Indígenas (International Meeting for Literature in Indigenous Languages). At the end of the congress, the group issued a manifesto that included an action plan to protect indigenous languages throughout the Americas. August 29 PNG landowners continue to halt nickel mine construction “Angry Papua New Guinea landowners say they will continue to halt construction at a Chinese owned nickel mine until they meet with the PNG government next week. Police reinforcements have been sent to the mine site to protect Chinese employees, some of who were assaulted by locals.” Judge upholds land rights in Raposa-Serra do Sol The first of eleven Supreme Court Judges cast his vote in the landmark case that will decide the future of Raposa-Serra do Sol, a legally-recognized Indigenous Territory in the ...

B.C. Court rules on consultation obligations to First Nations

Ahni — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:15:09 +0000

“The Crown’s obligation to reasonably consult is not fulfilled simply by providing a process within which to exchange and discuss information”, states B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kathryn Neilson in her final ruling on the Crown’s consultation obligations to Indigenous People. The case, Wii’litswx v. British Columbia, was centered around the B.C. Forestry Ministry’s failure to reasonably (adequately) consult the Gitanyow First Nation when they issued licenses that gave logging companies access to a part of the Gitanyow’s traditional territory. “Judge Nielson pointed out that there was ‘a long and troubled history of over-logging and unfulfilled silviculture obligations on Gitanyow traditional territory’”, notes Mohawk Nation News (MNN). “The Crown agreed that it had ‘a duty to meaningfully consult with the Gitanyow in good faith and to reasonably accommodate its concerns and interests’. It ignored them. As the judge said, ‘Meaningful consultation and accommodation’ is more than just ‘thorough discussion’. She found that the Ministry of Forests should have come up with a plan ‘endorsed by the Gitanyow’.” One thing she failed to mention, however, is the Gitanyow’s “right to decide whether foreign corporations can cut their trees.” That is, their right to informed consent. This is something that Judge Neilson, along with every other Judge in Canada, has been very careful to avoid. Ads for the Ministry’s failure, Judge Neilson states, “[T]here is no question that substantial logging and road building have occurred on those lands and that these activities have had a significant impact on the sustainability of timber resources and on other aspects of ...

Displaced village exposed to Uranium in Jadugoda, India

Ahni — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:04:42 +0000

Pipes carrying uranium tailings in the eastern state of Jharkhand, India, burst on the 16th of August, “spewing the village of Dungridih with radioactive waste,” according to a recent report by Sanhati It’s the latest in a series of uranium spills that have taken place over the last two years: Incident 1: December 2006 In the first instance of tailing pipe leakage in Dec 2006, the radioactive waste contaminated the local water canal in Dungridih, killing all acquatic life in the channel. UCIL officials only reached the site after the villages blockaded the road, after the waste had been spilling for 9-10 hours. A report of this incident is available here: http://www.jadugoda.net/Accidents/index.html Incident 2: April 2007 In the second instance, 4 months later, we know that 1.5 tonnes of solid radioactive waste and 20,000 liters of liquid radioactive waste was leaked (this is the smallest of the recorded leaks) but more information is lacking. Incident 3: February 2008 In Feb 2008, tailing pipes burst again in Dungridih and radioactive sludge entered the streets and houses of the local villagers. After a sustained campaign by local activists, the UCIL CMD, Mr Ramendra Gupta informed villagers that they would be relocated to safer places and all protective measures will be taken to ensure that no further leakages happen from the tailing pipes. However, no such steps have been taken so far. Incident 4: July 2008 In July 2008, Jadugoda received record rainfall, which caused tailing ponds at Turamdih to spill over into the village ponds and lakes. UCIL acknowledged this spill but claimed that there was ...

World Bank helps to destroy indigenous rights in Cambodia

Ahni — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:42:18 +0000

Ethnicity and Local Governance Cambodia (ELGC), a research project that analyzes state-minority relations in Cambodia, has published a report on the World Bank’s involvement and complicity in the destruction of Indigenous Peoples rights in Cambodia. Titled, “Money Now, Compliance Later: Worldbank-Support to Decentralization in Cambodia and Indigenous Peoples,” the detailed report reveals a series of “blunders” involving the Worldbank-support Rural Investment and Local Governance Project (RILGP) in Cambodia. One such blunder is the RILGP policy toward the negative impacts of development and the projects that have been requested by indigenous peoples. “[A] Screening Study in 2002 included an assessment of the types of projects and activities most urgently needed by indigenous peoples,” the ELGC report explains. “42 indigenous discussion groups were asked to list the top 5 indigenous priority needs. Here is the result of the Bank-commissioned assessment (number in brackets indicates number of discussion groups who ranked the particular need among the top 5 priorities): Health related projects (40 out of 42) Education-related projects (30 of 42 groups) Road infrastructure (16 of 42 groups) Wells (’very common request’) Water storage and irrigation (’common request’) Agricultural extension projects (’common’) Livestock projects (’very common’) (Screening Study: pp.136). “Significant negative socioeconomic impacts were identified only for one type of project, road infrastructure, a need prioritized by only a minority of groups, as follows: “The discussion groups did identify potential negative impacts associated with road projects. These potential negative impacts can be listed as follows: That some bad and clever outsiders may come after the road is built and exploit the assets of the village. That outsiders may ...

Leaving Fear Behind: A Documentary by and about Tibetans

Ahni — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:04:21 +0000

Leaving Fear Behind (in Tibetan, Jigdrel) is a documentary film shot by Tibetans from inside Tibet, who longed to bring Tibetan voices to the Beijing Olympic Games. Completed on the eve of the Tibetan Uprising last March, the 24 minute film provides a much need space for the Tibetan People to share their views on the XXIX Olympics, and what grievances they have against China. To make “Leaving Fear Behind“, Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme, the film’s Tibetan filmmakers, interviewed over 100 Tibetans, collecting more than 40 hours of testimonies throughout Tibet. The footage, which was smuggled out of their occupied homeland, “reveals with stark clarity that Tibetans are frustrated and embittered by the deterioration and marginalization of Tibetan language and culture; the destruction of the lifestyle of Tibetan nomads through Chinese forced settlement policies; the lack of religious freedom and the vilification of the Dalai Lama; and the broken promises made by the Chinese government to improve conditions in Tibet in the run up to the Olympic games,” explains the film’s official website. “All are united in their reverence for the Dalai Lama and long for him to return, and as some even dream, to attend the Olympic Games.” “Shortly after concluding the documentary, Dhondup and Golog were arrested. They have now been missing since late March,” reports the video advocacy group, WITNESS. “In July, the family received word that the filmmakers had been ’severely tortured’ for ‘at least five days’. Since then, their whereabouts have remained unknown. The film was edited and completed by Gyaljong Tsertin, ...

Judge upholds land rights in Raposa-Serra do Sol

Ahni — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:26:19 +0000

The first of eleven Supreme Court Judges cast his vote in the landmark case that will decide the future of Raposa-Serra do Sol, a legally-recognized Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian state of Roraima. “Magistrate Carlos Ayres de Britto, the first and only judge to have voted so far, used the Portuguese word ‘esbulho’ (dispossession or unlawful possession) to describe the occupation of parts of the reservation by non-indigenous landowners who want to break up the 1.7 million hectare reserve in order to hold on to the land that they farm,” writes IPS News. Here, Britto is referring to the group of vigilante rice farmers that have refused to leave the territory, despite being ordered to do so by a 2005 Presidential decree. A key judge in the case, Britto further stated that the reservation must remain intact in order for Brazil to uphold the constitutional rights of the the Makuxi, Wapixana, Ingariko, Taukepang, and Patamona peoples who share the territory. He also emphasized that the five communities are the region’s original occupants, and that “territories like Raposa-Serra do Sol which border other countries are not incompatible with national security, as the military have claimed,” notes a press release by Survival International. Following Britto’s ruling, which took about two hours to deliver, the next judge in line to vote requested an adjournment to further examine the case. A final ruling is expected to be handed down by the end of the year. Photo: www.sisejuferj.org.br c/o brasil.indymedia.org

Venezuela Moves to Support the Yukpa

Ahni — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:38:37 +0000

Following last weeks attack on Venezuela’s Indigenous Yukpa community — and the worrisome lack of support by the government to ensure their safety — President Hugo Chavez pledged on Sunday to come to the aid of the Yukpa. “Nobody should have any doubts: Between the large estate owners and the indians, this government is with the indians,” proclaimed Chavez on his weekly television show, Ala Presidente. “Chavez [also] announced that he ‘gave instructions’ to Vice President Ramon Carrizalez, Interior and Justice Minister Rodríguez Chacín, Environment Minister Yubirí Ortega, and the military commander in Zulia, General Izquierdo Torres, to ‘demarcate the indigenous lands with the participation of the indigenous councils,’ compensate the landowners, and offer the communities the protection, credits, and equipment they need to launch sustainable agricultural projects, all of which the Law clearly obligates the government to do,” explains James Suggett of Venezuela Analysis. “However, the declarations came just days [two days] after the Venezuelan National Guard beat and detained alternative media workers and leaders of a humanitarian delegation en route to assist the Yukpa in the occupied lands, causing many to suspect regional and local authorities willingly contradict central government policies in the conflict-ridden, coal-rich zone known as the Sierra de Perijá.” It may also confirm a statement made in July by Alejandro Vargas, one of the estate owners involved in the attacks. According to Guillermina Romero, the daughter of Cacique Sabino, who’s been leading the Yukpa effort to reclaim the lands occupied by the estate owners, Vargas said that pleading to the National Guard or ...

Listing of Biological/Chemical Warfare Agents an ‘error’

Ahni — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:05:20 +0000

While searching through the Treasury Board of Canada’s ‘Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory’ database last week, pollution researcher John H.W. Hummel came up on a ’shocking’ discovery: a listing that says “biological/chemical warfare agents” were found within the Campbell River First Nation’s Traditional Territory in British Columbia. Searching further, Hummel discovered eleven more sites across Canada that similarly hold “biological/chemical warfare agents” (whatever they may be). “It’s the most shocking discovery I’ve made in my whole life!” Hummel comments in an email. Following the discovery, Hummel set out to draw the media’s attention and to demand the government take action on these sites. The Campbell river site in particular, like the vast majority of toxic sites that are situated on indigenous territories (over 4400 according to the database) have no action plan assigned to them. A few days after sending his emails out, Mark Hume from the Globe and Mail got back to him. In his reply, Hume said that, according to Transport Canada, the Campbell River listing was simply a data error. He was told, “there is not and never has been any biological/chemical warfare agents detected at [the site].” “That is indeed good news,” Hummel said in his response, “but I’m curious what is contained in the other 11 contaminated sites which the Treasury Board of Canada site says contains biological/chemical warfare agents?” Perhaps they are also ‘data errors’? Same goes for the thousands of other toxic sites across the country. That’s exactly how the government seems to view them! Why else wouldn’t they be taking action ...

Venezuala’s Yukpa attacked by armed “agressors”

Ahni — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:37:00 +0000

The Yukpa, an indigenous community in the northwestern region of Venezuela, were attacked last week by hundreds of armed aggressors. “According to the Yukpa, the aggressors were hired by elite landowners to evict the indigenous population from the vast, largely idle pastures in the region known as the Sierra de Perijá near Venezuela’s northwestern border with Colombia,” writes James Suggett of Venezuela Analysis. “The attacks were the latest and largest in a string of attempts to intimidate and terrorize a Yukpa community since they intensified their land recuperation efforts over the past year by occupying 14 privately owned estates known as Haciendas,” he continues. There have also been repeated attempts to assassinate the Yukpa Cacique (chief) Sabino Romero, who is leading the recuperation efforts. Last month, an attempt resulted in the death of Cacique Romero’s father. The aggressors once again sought him out during last week’s attack. “They arrived quietly and hit me over the neck with their guns and hit me in the back. They grabbed me by the hair and dragged me and asked for Sabino, yelling dirty words and saying they are going to kill me,” testified Guillermina Romero, Sabino’s daughter (pictured above). The Chavez government, unfortunately, has not come to the defense of the Yukpa. Nor have they taken any steps in the way of demarcating their land, as they are supposed to do under the constitution, and a 2005 Indigenous Peoples law. According to government figures, the Yukpa are among 59 other cases, out of 67, that the government has been stalling on. ...