Assassinations, racism and imprisonment target Indigenous Peoples, UN told in Geneva

United Nations: Australian Aboriginal children seized, 'green energy' impacts worsen for Saami

Brenda Norrell, Censored News, July 9, 2024

GENEVA -- Australian Aboriginal children continue to be seized from their families by the government, and the situation for Saami in Norway is worsening because of "green energy" projects, Indigenous representatives told the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on Tuesday.

Both Norway and Australia had country engagements with the U.N. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples during the past year. However, Australian Aboriginal and Saami representatives told the U.N. that conditions are not improving.

Urgent Plea from Indigenous Women in Guatemala

A representative of Peace Brigades International told the U.N. that Mayans in Guatemala are suffering from the displacement and violence caused by extractive industries seizing their land. Palm oil, sugar cane, hydro-electric power industries are forcing communities out, and illegal armed groups are carrying out expulsions.

"International standards are not being fulfilled," she said, describing how this has led to a humanitarian crisis in Guatemala for women and children. Now, there are more than 1,700 arrest warrants for human rights defenders. Indigenous women have been sentenced to 75 years in prison for defending their land, water and communities.

"Indeed it is getting worse," she said, appealing to the U.N. Expert Mechanism for an urgent action.

Colombia: Assassinations of Indigenous Continue

On Monday, Indigenous described how the murder of Indigenous Peoples continues in Colombia, and there has been no relief from the violence from armed groups.

The Indigenous Peoples Rights International condemned the escalation of violence in Colombia by armed groups and the murder of Indigenous leader Carmelina Yule Pavi, who was killed on March 17.

Australian Aboriginals and Saami Struggle for Rights

Dr. Hannah McGlade told the U.N. that Australian and Torres Strait Aboriginal children continue to be seized by the government without involving family members.

Dr. McGlade said the Australian government is not making it clear that Aboriginal children are being removed from their homes at high rates or that there are high rates of incarceration, and high rates of suicide. Dr. McGlade, an Australian academic, human rights advocate and lawyer, is a Kurin Minang Noongar woman of the Bibulman Nation.

Aboriginal representatives told the U.N. that the systematic racism in Australia means that Aboriginal children are being seized by the government from their families, and placed with non-family members. These children are engulfed in the system of foster care and many become part of the large number of Aboriginal children in Australia's prison system.

New Zealand Diminishing Maori Rights in Law Reform

“New Zealand is often held up as a world leader in recognising Indigenous rights. However, the reality is that in the absence of constitutional protection, Māori rights are extremely vulnerable. Our government is currently working through an extensive law reform programme that looks to diminish and even delete Māori rights," said Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission’s Tatau Urutahi shared leader Julia Whaipooti. Read more:
https://tikatangata.org.nz/news/new-zealands-commitment-to-indigenous-rights-under-international-spotlight

Saami Land Seized for 'Green Energy' in Norway

During Tuesday's session, the second day in the week-long session, Sami told the U.N. that conditions in Norway are worsening for Saami, because their land is being seized for "green energy" projects, including wind energy projects.

Saami said that climate change is drastic in the Arctic in Norway, far worse than in other regions, and that fossil fuel industries continue to destroy Saami lands.

Free, prior and informed consent, as stated in the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is not being honored in regards to Saami reindeer herders by the government of Norway.

The U.N. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples engaged in a country visit to Norway in March. Consultation, energy law, and Norway's new mineral act, were among the topics.

A representative from Africa, responding to the report, said the impacts of green energy on Saami shows that the exploitation of Indigenous Peoples for green energy projects is a global issue. While Indigenous lands are being seized for minerals, the minerals and products are exported, and are not of benefit to Indigenous Peoples whose land the minerals are taken from.

Saami in Finland said the government of Finland is violating the rights of Saami by failing to fully recognize Saami people.

The session in Geneva focused on Australian Aboriginals and Saami on Tuesday morning, following country engagements. Indigenous representatives from other regions also described global attacks on Indigenous rights. A Native representative told the U.N. that Native hunting and fishing rights continue to be violated by the government of Canada.

Russia's Anti-war Indigenous Denied Credentials for Session

Leyla Latypova, Indigenous correspondent for Moscow Times, reports that Russia's Indigenous were denied participation at this year's U.N. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

"While Indigenous and ethnic minority activists from Russia are under no illusion that today’s UN is a largely dysfunctional institution in desperate need of reform, they also recognize that it holds some of the few avenues for political engagement and visibility currently available to them."

"Unfortunately, the Kremlin appears to have become acutely aware of the latter fact as well. That’s how things became very tricky." Continue reading at Moscow Times:

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/07/09/are-indigenous-activists-from-russia-being-shut-out-of-the-un-a85657

Maori Selected as New Chair

Valmaine Toki from New Zealand was elected Chair of the U.N. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the opening of the 17th session on Monday, July 8, 2024.

The National Iwi Chairs Forum congratulated and celebrated Dr Valmaine Toki (Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Wai, and Ngāpuhi) on her appointment to the role of Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva today, 8 July 2024. Dr Toki has been a member of EMRIP since 2022 and contributes to the international advancement of Indigenous rights through her work there as a Professor of Law at the University of Waikato. Source: Scoop https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2407/S00287/wahine-maori-appointed-as-new-united-nations-emrip-chair-to-advance-indigenous-rights.htm

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Volker Turk, U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights, welcomed Indigenous from all part of the world during the opening session, and said Indigenous have been excluded and silenced too long.

"Indigenous Peoples are estimated to have direct links to some 13 per cent of the Earth’s land surface, meaning that your experience and knowledge are indispensable to finding a path together through the triple planetary crisis." https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/07/hc-turk-it-crucial-value-and-honour-knowledge-and-perspectives

The 17th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, EMRIP, provides the Human Rights Council with expertise and advice on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It assists Member States in achieving the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, EMRIP said.

Read more at Censored News:

Interior Sec. Deb Haaland doesn't care about the yellow-billed Cuckoo, or the irreplaceable ancient village of the ancestors of San Xavier O'odham. So, the Tohono O'odham and San Carlos Apache Nations sent her a letter on Monday, appealing to the Laguna Pueblo Native to halt the bulldozers and the "green energy" destruction by bulldozers, and the helicopters frightening away migrating birds during breeding season.

Haaland is cheerleading for SunZia's transmission line, now cutting a path through sacred places, burial places, ancient village sites, and medicine gathering areas of Tohono O'odham and San Carlos Apache in the San Pedro River Valley southeast of Tucson. The transmission line is for wind energy produced in New Mexico, Haaland's home state. A federal judge in Tucson refused to grant a restraining order for Haaland as the tribes asked for in federal court.

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/07/deb-haaland-doesnt-care-about-yellow.html

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