[Onthebarricades] Indigenous protests, December 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* WEST PAPUA: Human rights activists storm police HQ over political 
detention
* WEST PAPUA: Human rights day demo makes unexpected demands for arrest 
of politicians
* INDIA: West Bengal - Adivasis clash with police over harassment
* TAIWAN: Filmmaker shaves head in solidarity with Aboriginal 
anti-eviction protesters
* INDIA: Gorkhas revive homeland protest
* US: Arizona - Indigenous people protest coal mine on ancestral land
* PHILIPPINES: Protest against mining in indigenous area
* NEPAL: Adivasi group calls for constitution







http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/04/papuan-activists-storm-police-headquarters.html

Papuan activists storm police headquarters
Thu, 12/04/2008 10:40 AM | The Archipelago
JAYAPURA, Papua: Some 50 Papuan human rights activists staged a rally 
outside Papua Provincial Police headquarters on Wednesday, demanding the 
release of pro-independence leader Buchtar Tabuni.
Police arrested Buchtar for organizing an Oct. 16 rally demanding 
Papua's independence.
"Buchtar violates Articles 106 and 110 of the Criminal Code as well as 
Articles 160, 212 and 216 for sedition, agitating the crowd and 
resisting officers," said Papua Police Chief of Detectives Sr. Comr. 
Paulus Waterpauw.
However, rally organizer Victor Yeimo said the protesters also demanded 
independence, challenging the police to arrest them as well.
"Buchtar is not the only separatist demanding independence. We all 
demand independence, so arrest us," he said.
The protesters maintained their presence in front of the police 
headquarters as late as 7 p.m. local time causing no disturbances to 
residents' activities. -- JP





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Human Rights Day demo in Jayapura makes unexpected

demands Tapol



Cenderawasih Pos - December 10, 2008



A demonstration in Jayapura which was organised by

the Students Anti-Violence Alliance (AMAK) under

its leader Zacharias Horoto, included among its

demands the call for three of Papua's leading

personalities to be arrested: Tom Beanal, chairman

of the Papuan Presidium Caouncil (PDP), Forkorus

Yaboisembut, chairman of the Papuan Traditional

Council (DAP) and Thaha al Hamid, secretary-general

of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP).



The demonstration which, according to Cepos, was

attended by around thirty people, said that these

three people were responsible for all the actions

undertaken by the youth of Papuan and they are the

ones who should face charges.



Commenting on these demands, Forkorus said that

while people were entitled to raise their voices

and make demands, students should be able to act

rationally and not make all manner of demands.

Everything he himself had done can be fully

justified as conforming with basic traditions,

democracy and human rights. Everything had been

done in accordance with the human rights of the

Papuan people and it was not a question of acting

on the basis of a sense of authority. The students,

he said, need to explain scientifically why they

are demanding the arrests of these leading figures.



He explained that he himself and other leaders had

been democratically elected by their organisations

and had never incited anyone to do anything but

have always explained the initiatives which they

have taken.



The students leaders involved in the demonstration

had only recently visited him at his home to share

their thoughts with him about the situation in West

Papua, but what they were now doing was in contrast

to these discussions. He wondered whether they had

been put up to it by certain elements in society.



During the demonstration, the demonstators carried

two coffins representing the two assassinated

Papuan leaders, Theys Eluay and Arnold Ap, which

were draped in black cloth which they had intended

to burn, as a mark of the destruction of human

rights in Papua, but were prevented from doing so

by the police.



A declaraion read out on behalf of the

demonstrators drew attention to the fraudulent Act

of Free Choice in 1969, and called for a referendum

and for the release of Buchtar Tabuni and said that

Papua was not yet a zone of peace partly because

the influx of migrants from Indonesia and the

increasing number of military.



[Abridged translation by TAPOL.]



---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------



Papuan activists storm police headquarters



Jakarta Post - December 4, 2008



Jayapura, Papua -- Some 50 Papuan human rights

activists staged a rally outside Papua Provincial

Police headquarters on Wednesday, demanding the

release of pro-independence leader Buchtar Tabuni.

Police arrested Buchtar for organizing an Oct. 16

rally demanding Papua's independence.



"Buchtar violates Articles 106 and 110 of the

Criminal Code as well as Articles 160, 212 and 216

for sedition, agitating the crowd and resisting

officers," said Papua Police Chief of Detectives

Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpauw.



However, rally organizer Victor Yeimo said the

protesters also demanded independence, challenging

the police to arrest them as well. "Buchtar is not

the only separatist demanding independence. We all

demand independence, so arrest us," he said.



The protesters maintained their presence in front

of the police headquarters as late as 7 p.m. local

time causing no disturbances to residents'

activities.



---------------------------------------------------











http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/tribals-clash-with-police-in-west-bengal_100126838.html

Tribals clash with police in West Bengal
December 3rd, 2008 - 11:41 pm ICT by IANS -
Kolkata, Dec 3 (IANS) A group of tribals clashed with policemen in West 
Bengal’s West Midnapore district, protesting alleged police excesses 
after the Nov 2 landmine blast in Salboni targetted at Chief Minister 
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy.The clash took place when hundreds of 
tribal villagers, led by Police Santras Birodhhi Committee (anti-police 
atrocity committee) members, came to Kalaboni in West Midnapore to dig 
up roads. The police force that had arrived there tried to prevent them 
from cutting off road connectivity.
“It’s true that a section of tribals demonstrated at Kalaboni and 
surrounded some of our policemen there. A police team led by district 
sub-divisional police officer is there to tackle the situation,” state 
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.
“Our officers are now trying to resolve the protest and are dealing with 
the issue,” he said.
Four protesters were reportedly arrested following the clash. Soon 
after, thousands of tribals who came from adjoining villages also staged 
a demonstration, protesting the arrest of four of their representatives. 
They laid siege to the area, demanding the immediate release of the four.
Trouble began in the tribal-dominated areas of West Midnapore district 
last month after the police arrested some school students and allegedly 
heckled tribal women following the landmine blast Nov 2 targeted at the 
chief minister’s convoy.
Tribals dug up roads and placed large tree trunks across, virtually 
cutting off the trouble-prone zone from the rest of the district.
They also demanded a public apology from the district police for the 
alleged excesses committed against them during the course of 
investigations into the landmine blast.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120455201000.htm

New Delhi

Tribal protest, a people’s struggle: Medha
Special Correspndent
KOLKATA:Social activist, Medha Patkar on Wednesday described the 
agitation against alleged police excesses by a section of the tribal 
population of West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district as “a people’s 
struggle” even as protestors later clashed with the police when 
prevented from digging up roads in new areas in the Jhargram sub-division .
Some policemen were surrounded by the protestors demanding the release 
of four persons arrested in connection with the incident. Parts of the 
district remained cut off as a result of the agitation that is 
continuing for more than three weeks.
Dialogue
Speaking to The Hindu over telephone during her visit to Lalgarh – one 
of the areas worst affected by the agitation – Ms. Patkar said that she 
did not “think that the Maoists are in the lead in this situation though 
there may be some in the agitation.” Extending her support to those 
involved in the “struggle,” she called for immediate dialogue by the 
State authorities with the protestors to resolve the impasse.
“Dialogue should be held immediately and the same mistake in Nandigram 
should not be repeated”, Ms. Patkar said.
The State Government has been insisting on talks with the protestors 
though the local administration is averse to accepting the demand of 
those behind the agitation that discussions should be held at Dalilpur 
where the first protests against police activity had been made.
Proper investigations
Referring to the alleged police excesses against local villagers during 
raids to track down those responsible for the IED blast that narrowly 
missed Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy on November 2 
Ms. Patkar wondered why “the police had to enter homes of the villagers 
in unearthly hours of the morning.” “Proper investigation should be 
conducted,” she added.





http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/12/09/0812092114_tribals_protest_maoist_activities_west_bengal.html

Tribals protest against Maoist activities in WB Tuesday, December 09, 
2008 21:12 [IST]
Kolkata: Thousands of people Tuesday gathered at tribal-dominated 
Belpahari area of West Bengal to protest against the activities of 
Maoist rebels in the region.
The disgruntled villagers also decided to put up a united front against 
the Maoist guerrillas and vowed not to cooperate with the separatist 
forces, which were active in the violence-hit West Midnapore district.
"Nearly 10,000 people, mostly tribals, gathered at Bhulabheda area of 
Belpahari to protest against the growing Maoist terror in the district. 
They held a public meeting where many tribal representatives said they 
would not give any food and shelter to the Maoist rebels," West 
Midnapore police superintendent R. K. Singh said.
"The villagers openly made it clear that they will chase the Maoists and 
also help the police arrest them. They said they would not hesitate to 
kill these extremist elements, if needed," he said.
The public meeting at Belpahari was jointly called by tribal 
organisations Bharat-Jakat-Majhi-Marwa organisation and Jowan-Gaonwa 
organisation. Villagers from various parts of the district participated 
in the rally with improvised weapons and drums
and demonstrated in front of the makeshift podium as part of their token 
protest against the Maoist atrocities.
"The tribals have admitted that theyre misled by the Maoist leaders into 
standing up against the district administration and the police," said Singh.
Belpahari, a forest area under the Dama Hills, is about 45 km from 
Jhargram town.
Trouble erupted in West Midnapore district after the district police 
allegedly arrested some school students and heckled tribal women after 
an attempted landmine ambush of the convoy of West Bengal Chief Minister 
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Bhadutala near Salboni last month. Union 
ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada were also in the convoy. 
Four policemen were injured in the blast.
Participating in a violent protest, the tribals dug up metalled roads 
and placed large tree trunks across them, virtually cutting off the 
region from the rest of the district.
The region witnessed a series of protests, as the villagers had demanded 
a public apology from the district police for the alleged excesses 
committed against them during the course of investigation into the 
landmine blast.

Source : DNA




http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/12/20/2003431577

Hou Hsiao-hsien shaves head in Sanying protest
GET OUT: The Taipei County Government posted an eviction notice on 
Monday, giving Sanying Aboriginal Community residents seven days to 
vacate their homes
By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Dec 20, 2008, Page 2

Film director Hou Hsiao-hsien, center, has his head shaved on Ketagalan 
Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office yesterday as a show of 
support for the residents of the Sanying Aboriginal Community in Taipei 
County.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Film director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) shaved his head to show support 
for residents of the Sanying Aboriginal Community (三鶯部落) who staged 
a demonstration yesterday to protest a Taipei County Government plan to 
demolish the community.
“Aborigines have been living on this island long before the migrants 
from China moved here,” Hou said after shaving his head on Ketagalan 
Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office as Sanying residents and 
supporters protested. “The Aboriginal way of life should be respected.”

Besides Hou, Aboriginal actors Ma Chih-hsiang (馬志翔) and Suming, as 
well as writer Chu Tien-hsin (朱天心) attended the protest.

“It took Sanying inhabitants a lot of effort to rebuild their homes 
after they were destroyed, but as soon as next Monday, the community 
might be destroyed again,” Sanying Self-Help Group spokesman Chiang 
Yi-hao (江一豪) told reporters and demonstrators.

Sanying is located on a bank of the Dahan River (大漢溪) in Taipei 
County near the Sanying Bridge (三鶯大橋), which connects Sansia (三峽) 
and Yingge (鶯歌) townships.
“Aborigines have been living on this island long before the migrants 
from China moved here ... The Aboriginal way of life should be respected.”

— Hou Hsiao-hsien, film director

Inhabitants in the community are mostly Amis Aborigines from Hualien and 
Taitung counties, working in Taipei as construction workers. They could 
not afford housing in the city, so they built their homes on a piece of 
abandoned land along the river around 20 years ago.

Saying that the area was classified as a “flood zone” that could not be 
inhabited, the county government has torn down the community several 
times — most recently in February — but residents rebuild their homes 
each time.

Although the county government has built an apartment complex to house 
Sanying residents, problems remain — some of the residents refuse to 
move, some cannot afford the rent, while others are nots qualified to 
move into the apartment complex since they did not live in Sanying when 
the government took a census in 1994.

As successive rounds of talks between residents and the government 
failed to generate a consensus, the county government posted a notice on 
Monday warning it would evict them within seven days, adding that they 
would be removed with force.

Lee Tsung-kwei (李宗桂), county Information Office director-general, 
appeared at the demonstration, explaining to reporters that the county 
government was acting according to law, and was trying hard to 
accommodate Sanying residents.

“This area has been classified as a flood zone and no one has been 
allowed to live in flood zones since the Water Conservation Law [水利法] 
came into effect in 1994,” Lee said. “We understand that many people 
have lived there since long ago, so we’ve built an apartment complex to 
accommodate them.”

When asked how the county government would help those who could not 
afford the rent, Lee said he would have to find out, adding “perhaps 
they can get help from the Social Welfare Bureau.”

Following a meeting held later yesterday, Lee said the county government 
has decided to postpon the decision on whether or to enforce the 
eviction till after the Lunar New Year holidays. This year’s Lunar New 
Year falls on Jan. 26.






http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2008/12/20/188556/Renowned-filmmaker.htm

Updated Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:46 am TWN, By Dimitri Bruyas, The 
China Post
Renowned filmmaker endorses aboriginals’ protest
Taipei, Taiwan -- Renowned Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien shaved 
his head yesterday to protest against the government’s dismantling of 
Sanying Aboriginal Community, Taipei County.
He further vowed to do a film about the plight of the aboriginal people.
“It’s regretful that these people — whose ancestors had lived on the 
Taipei Basin at times earlier than the Chinese Han people and any of the 
first Western immigrants in Taiwan had arrived — have now been deprived 
of their basic rights to residence,” he said, while attending a sit-in 
demonstration staged in front of the Taipei Guest House.
Hou contended that the homes in the Sanying Community are located in 
what was legally defined a “flood area” last February, in line with the 
government’s announcement of new legislation on flood prevention.
The Taipei County Government then decided to relocate the community by 
the end of the year so that it could open a riverside park across 
Xindian City, he pointed out. However, most residents cannot afford the 
price tag of the newly built apartments.
Hou argued that the real estate market in Taiwan is already 
overdeveloped and expressed his support to “the way of life of 
aboriginal people.”
The community of Amis aborigines is scattered on the river banks on both 
sides of Sanying Bridge, which connects the townships of Sansia and Yingge.
Its residents moved to Taipei to work over the last 30 years. But 
because they couldn’t afford housing in the city, they built their homes 
with whatever materials they could find on the banks of the river.
Hou’s films have been awarded prizes from prestigious international 
festivals such as the Berlin Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, 
the Nantes Three Continents Festival and the Hawaii International Film 
Festival.
Six of his films to date have been nominated for the Palme d’Or (best 
film award) at the Cannes Film Festival, though the prize has so far 
eluded him.
The protesters reminded President Ma Ying-jeou of his controversial 
statements during the run-up to the presidential election while 
campaigning on the bank of the Xindian River in December 2007.
When an aboriginal woman came to him and asked his support to prevent 
the community from being relocated to a new complex built by city 
authorities, Ma then lectured the elderly person and said, “I will treat 
you like a person ... and I will educate you well and provide you with 
opportunities.”
He further added that “aborigines should adjust their mentality.”
In response to the protesters, Lee Tsung-kwei, director general of the 
Information Office of Taipei City Government, said the houses in the 
community were built against the law on the flood plain of the river. 
Every time a typhoon approaches, the county government must evacuate the 
residents for the sake of their safety, he added.
He stressed that many of the current residents in the Sanying community 
have moved there over the past year, rather than being the originally 
documented dwellers.
The demolition of the illegal structures was originally scheduled for 
next Tuesday, but has been postponed to after the Lunar New Year, which 
falls on Jan. 26.






http://www.newslocale.org/world/wnews/ethnic_gorkhas_revive_protests_on_their_demand_of_separate_homeland_2008120910731.html

Ethnic Gorkhas revive protests on their demand of separate homeland

Written by ANI
Tuesday, 09 December 2008
Darjeeling, Dec 9 (ANI): Members of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) have 
revived their demand by calling indefinite strike of all State 
Government's offices in Darjeeling Hills.
GJM claimed that their call for shutdown got an overwhelming response 
and all the State Government offices such as forest offices, banks, 
local council offices and others remained closed on the first day of the 
indefinite strike.
The protest comes in the wake of tripartite talks that were supposed to 
be held in November did not convene.
"The date for the tripartite talks was supposed to be out by last week 
of November, but it is still not fixed. Now, tripartite talks will not 
be held. We just demand separate 'Gorkhaland'. To support the 
'Gorkhaland' issue, all the offices of the State Government like forest 
offices, banks, Panchayat offices, in entire Gorkhaland area will remain 
cl osed," said Raj Singh Diali, Secretary of Youth Wing of GJM.
The GJM, comprising about half a dozen parties, has been organizing 
protests over the past few months in the Darjeeling Hills over the 
statehood demand.
GJM is demanding that a separate state of "Gorkhaland" be carved out of 
West Bengal to protect their culture and heritage.
Gorkhas constitute one million of West Bengal's 80 million people, most 
of them concentrated in Darjeeling. (ANI)






http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_11172123

Tribes protest proposed Ariz. coal mine on ancestral lands
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/09/2008 12:30:00 AM MST



Arvin Bedonie of Big Mountain, Ariz., marches with Navajo and Hopi 
members and supporters Monday to a downtown Denver rally. (Joe Amon, The 
Denver Post )
Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe representatives on Monday pressed the 
federal Office of Surface Mining not to grant a permit to Peabody Energy 
for its proposed Black Mesa coal mine in Arizona.
The group, which included picketers, met with officials at OSM's Denver 
office.
Al Klein, regional mining director, said the Black Mesa proposal, 
although not the preferred alternative, was part of the 
environmental-impact statement issued in 2006. He also said Peabody's 
permit application is in order.
Black Mesa is the ancestral homeland to thousands of Navajo and Hopi 
families and is regarded by the Navajo as a sacred mountain. "This is a 
sad day for the Hopi and Navajo," said Hopi Tribal Chairman Ben Nuvamsa.
Mark Jaffe, The Denver Post






http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2008/11/06/news/international.group.protests.mining.in.macambol.html

Thursday, November 06, 2008
International group protests mining in Macambol
By Ben O. Tesiorna

INTERNATIONAL group Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod) 
protested the alleged irregularities committed by the two mining 
companies in their mining operation in the City of Mati.

The protest action was conducted in United Kingdom last week and a 
launching of its report is set in Davao City on Thursday.

In its report entitled "Kept in the Dark", Cafod accused BHP-Billiton 
and its estranged local partner, Asiaticus Management Corporation 
(Amcor), of committing errors in getting their Free and Prior Informed 
Consent (FPIC) from the indigenous community in Barangay Macambol, where 
the mining area is located.

"The process between 2001/08 to secure approval for the project from 
Macambol's indigenous peoples, as required under Philippine law, was so 
seriously flawed that it cannot be considered valid.

The authority of the indigenous leader who gave consent for mining is in 
question.

This indigenous leader was allegedly on the payroll of Amcor, 
BHP-Billiton's joint venture partner.

Individuals were prevented from speaking out and some indigenous groups 
known to oppose mining were deliberately excluded from the process," the 
report stated.

The report also accused Amcor of bribing local community leaders and 
government officials to get support for the mining project and silence 
opposition to mining.

"Amcor and Philippine government officials allegedly offered bribes to 
community leaders to buy support for the project and to silence 
opposition to mining. BHP-Billiton's code of business conduct, which 
applies to all of its joint venture partners, strictly prohibits 
bribery. Cafod has no evidence to suggest the BHP-Billiton staff were 
involved, but believes that the company has a responsibility to ensure 
partners and contractors it has chosen to work with do not partake in 
bribery or corruption. On the basis of this research, Cafod believes 
that BHP-Billiton has applied insufficient due diligence over its joint 
venture partner Amcor," it said.

Macambol Mandaya leader Rufino Mapinogos, meanwhile, denied any bribery 
made by Amcor to his community. He said what the Filipino-owned 
corporation gave the lumads in Macambol were programs and projects that 
are part of the company’s social responsibility.

"Para kanamo, dili bribery ang pagtabang kanamo aron makasustiner, 
ma-organisar ang katawhan. Dawat namo ang responsableng pagmina. Gitudlo 
na kanamo sa among partner nga local mining company ang mamahimong ilang 
buhaton kun ugaling makasugod na ang operation (Helping us sustain the 
livelihood and organize our people is not bribery. We support 
responsible mining. The local mining company has briefed us on what it 
intends to do once operation starts)," Mapinogos said.

Cafod said that BHP-Billiton has also failed to give people sufficient 
information about the project and all of its potential impacts.

"BHP-Billiton has failed to give people sufficient information about the 
project and all of its potential impacts. The community is not well 
informed and has not had access to independent analysis of the social 
and environmental impacts of mining. This has limited people's ability 
to make an informed decision. The reality of life below the poverty line 
has left people easily swayed by hope of work and promises of community 
development assistance from BHP Billiton, without evaluating the 
longer-term impacts of mining on their future livelihoods and the 
environment that supports them," the report said.

Lastly, Cafod said the project's potential dangers to the environment 
and to local livelihoods are undeniable.

"The Hallmark project falls between two nationally designated protected 
areas: Pujada Bay and the Mount Hamiguitan wildlife sanctuary. Mining 
development in this area of rare and endangered species, including the 
Philippine Eagle, could lead to irreversible loss of biodiversity," it 
said.

"Mining could lead to increased soil erosion, landslides and 
flashfloods. Pollution from mine waste or chemicals could endanger the 
livelihoods of the 65,000 people from communities that border Pujada 
Bay," the report added.

The group said that making things worse is the fact that the Philippine 
government agencies responsible for monitoring the environmental impacts 
of mining are "under-resourced and lack independence."

Mines and Geosciences Bureau chief for Southern Mindanao Edilberto 
Arreza meantime described as premature the demand for the mining 
companies doing exploration in Mati City to make public their 
environmental protection program.

Arreza said that since the mining companies are still in exploration 
stage, they have not yet submitted any environment protection plan 
before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He 
said the environment protection plan will only be submitted after the 
exploration stage and once the company fully decides to mine the area.

"Still premature pa for them to judge or comment that the environment 
will be destroyed," Arreza said.






http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/videos/2008/dec/dec27/video03.php

Janajati group warns of nationwide protest
Speaking at an interaction programme organized in the capital on 
Saturday, coordinator of Rastriya Adibasi Janajati Ganatantric Morcha 
Kishor Bishwas has warned of fresh protests if the government fails to 
start the constitution drafting process immediately.