[IPSM] Underreported Struggles #41, August 2010

[willowtree at mts.net]

FYI: http://intercontinentalcry.org/underreported-struggles-41-august-2010/

In this month's Underreported Struggles: Chile Court says it's OK to 
force feed Mapuche political prisoners; More than 1,000 Indigenous 
people arrested for mobilizing in Nepal; Women from San Juan Copala 
announce third peace caravan; Enbridge gets a final notice of trespass 
from Wet'suweten Hereditary Chiefs.

***

Nicaragua became the 21st Nation State to ratify the International 
Labour Organization's Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (No. 
169). First ratified in 1989, the convention is right now the only 
legally-binding international law available that specifically addresses 
Indigenous Rights.

A group of unidentified attackers burned down a Papuan Customary Council 
office in West Papua just days before the new building was scheduled to 
be unveiled. It is believed the attack was coordinated by the Indonesian 
military and police forces.

AIDESEP, the largest indigenous organization in Peru, announced the 
formation of a new political party to contend in next year's 
presidential elections. AIDESEP president Alberto Pizango, who was 
forced to flee the country after being charged with "conspiracy, 
sedition and rebellion" in 2009, will most likely run as the party's 
candidate.

The Calgary-based company Enbridge received a final notice of trespass 
from Wet'suweten Hereditary Chiefs at a council meeting in Smithers, 
B.C. At the meeting, one Hereditary Chief explained that Enbridge, the 
company behind the infamous Northern Gateway Pipeline project, has not 
obtained permission to be on the Likht'amisyu clan's territories and 
that "further trespass will be dealt with under Wet'suwet'en law."

A Chilean Court authorized officials to force feed any or all Mapuche 
political prisoners currently on hunger strike across the country. In 
response to the decision, some of the imprisoned Mapuche have said they 
will oppose the measure, even if it means putting their own lives at 
risk. This is not the first time Chile has sought to force feed Mapuche 
political prisoners, using the same methods employed against detainees 
in Guantanamo Bay.

At least four people are dead and 30 more injured after police opened 
fire on a crowd outside Chinese government offices in Palyul county, 
occupied Tibet. The crowd was protesting the expansion of a gold mine 
that is severely degrading the fertility of their farmland. Previous 
complaints led to the petitioners being simply detained without any 
investigation. Click here to sign a petition in support of the Tibetan 
protesters.

After eight long years of protests and legal battles, India's Ministry 
of Environment and Forests rejected Vedanta Resources' controversial 
plan to mine Bauxite on the Dongria Kondh's Sacred Mountain in Orissa, 
India. The announcement came just days after an investigative report 
revealed that Vedanta had been acting illegally and with "total contempt 
for the law".

During the 9th World Indigenous Women and Wellness Conference in Darwin, 
Australia, participants called for an action plan that includes the 
creation of a human rights bill for all Australians. Currently Australia 
has no legislation to protect anyone's human rights, be they white men 
or the most vulnerable population, Indigenous women.

Members of the Grassy Narrows First Nation returned to the site of their 
high profile logging blockade to stop the Ministry of Natural Resources 
(MNR) from interfering with road repairs on their traditional territory. 
The blockade renewal was, perhaps, inevitable. Aside from MNR's juvenile 
bullying, the department has threatened to resume logging in Grassy 
Narrows "as early as September". That is, despite the fact that they do 
not have the First Nation's expressed consent.

Authorities in Honduras filed criminal charges against two senior 
officials from Entremares, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Canadian 
mining company Goldcorp. The two executives were charged with violating 
Article 181 of the Honduran criminal code for their role in 
contaminating water sources near the company's San Martin gold mine. If 
convicted, the officials could face up to six years in prison.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) went ahead with its sad plan 
to install a new Chief and Council in the Algonquin community of 
Barriere Lake. INAC selected the new leadership based on a mere "six to 
ten ballots" from a community of more than 450 people. Fortunately, the 
acclaimed Chief refused the position, stating that he does not want to 
"break ranks with the community’s broad opposition to the Indian Act 
band elections." For more information, please visit 
barrierelakesolidarity.org

Mining-impacted communities and workers in Bolivia halted production at 
a silver and zinc mine to demand compensation for water usage and 
improved local services. "This is but the latest in a series of protests 
which appear to expose the government's dire failure to come up with a 
coherent policy towards foreign investment and ownership; to forge an 
equitable working relationship between state mining company, Comibol and 
small scale miners; and, not least, respect the role of women in the 
extractive sector," says MAC.

More than 1,000 Indigenous people were arrested as agitators for taking 
part in a National Transport Strike that stalled Nepal's capital city . 
The month-long strike, totally ignored by the press, was organized by 
Nepal's Indigenous People's Federation to urge a timely drafting of 
Nepal's constitution and to address concerns related to the inclusion of 
Indigenous Rights.

The President of Costa Rica authorized the violent removal of more than 
20 indigenous leaders and others from the country's National Legislative 
Assembly. The indigenous people had assembled to peacefully demand the 
passage of an autonomy law, something, notes Real World Radio, that the 
government has delayed "for decades."

Women from the autonomous municipality of San Juan Copala in Oaxaca, 
Mexico, announced plans to carry out a Third Peace Caravan to demand the 
federal government dismantle paramilitary groups and help bring peace to 
the municipality. The announcement comes just two weeks after Oaxaca 
state troopers raided San Juan Copala to recover the body of a leader 
from UBISORT, the paramilitary group that has terrorized San Juan Copala 
for the past several months. Immediately following the raid, UBISORT 
seized control of the entire town... and the Oaxaca police did nothing.

Activists from Indonesia said they are planning to submit a draft bill 
on the rights of indigenous peoples to the House of Representatives by 
the end of August. If legislated, it would be the first bill in 
Indonesia to recognize and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

A new constitution received overwhelming support in Kenya, bringing hope 
and a long-needed sense of recognition to Kenya's Indigenous Peoples. 
The new document, bearing some resemblance to Bolivia's groundbreaking 
constitution, represents "a clean break with the past and provides 
several avenues for the pursuit and strengthening of indigenous peoples 
individual and collective rights," said the International Work Group for 
Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA).

Roughly 2000 Indigenous people set up river blockades in northern Peru 
to demand the fulfilment of several agreements, including the 
implementation of a medical facility and compensation for the regular 
use of the rivers and land by oil companies. The protest formally began 
on July 23.

Indigenous groups in Malaysia accused the government of using religion 
as a condition to receive development aid. They say that infrastructure 
is being offered to them but only if they agree to abandon their 
indigenous traditions and embrace Islam. The government claims it has 
done no such thing.

More than 200 fishing boats gathered in waters near Hsinchu County in 
northern Taiwan, to protest live-ammo training exercises performed by 
the Chinese military. The protesters, mobilized by the Hsinchu Area 
Fishermen's Association, demanded roughly US$4 million in compensation 
because, they say, the exercises are severely affecting their 
livelihoods. the military holds its land-to-sea firing sessions an avg. 
195 days a year.

Videos of the Month

Apples and Indians - Apples and Indians is a whimsical and profound 
5-minute ride that sees Lorne Olson speeding through decades in search 
of his true identity.

Manufacturing the Intervention - Chris Graham, former editor of the 
National Indigenous Times, uncovers another layer of controversy 
surrounding the Northern Territory Intervention, dating back one whole 
year before the "Little Children are Sacred" report was published. His 
focus: an ABC Lateline program that aired on 21 June 2006... a program 
that was almost completely fraudulent.

Colombia: Indigenous Peoples Under Threat - In Colombia, over two 
decades of conflict between the government and paramilitary groups has 
uprooted more than 3 million people. Today the conflict poses an even 
greater threat of extinction to 34 distinct Indigenous Peoples in 
Colombia. Among them, in the Uraba region of northwest Colombia, the Tule.