THE INDIA YOU DO NOT KNOW

 May 12, 2012

I was fortunate to have met Mrs. Meenakshi Munda of the 2 million person Munda Tribal Nation of India, at the Tribal Link Project Access Global Capacity Training for Indigenous Peoples Training course; held in May 2012 in New York City USA. Meenakshi is a petite, attractive and soft-spoken soul, and I did not expect to hear of the myriad of issues she has already had to face in her young life.

Firstly, the reader may not be aware that there are over 80 million Indigenous Tribal Peoples in India; and more than 6,000 indigenous languages are spoken in India. Officially 8% of India's one Billion national population is comprised of indigenous tribal peoples.

Meenakshi's Clan & Totemic animal is the Oriya (a native bird), and this was inherited by her from her father's side of the family; members of the Clan are forbidden from doing any harm to this animal. They must respect and protect it instead. 

This blends into another point that she raised which is the misrepresentation of animist Tribal peoples such as hers as being 'Hindus' instead of their true religion which is Animism. The Indian Government census recorders generally (and it is THEY who fill out these forms not the Indigenous Peoples themselves) say things such as "Oh - you are nature worshipers? Well that is like Hinduism"... so they mark the Tribal Peoples as 'Hindus'.

If you think about it, there is a great likelihood that official statistics in India have exaggerated the percentage of 'Hindus' by over 80 million persons (the number of Indigenous Tribal Peoples resident in India).     

     

There are six 'scheduled areas' where the 'scheduled Tribes' exist in the State of India.  'Scheduled' is the old Colonial era British terminology that persist in the legal jargon of modern day India, it simply means 'Indigenous'. True to British form, the laws in India are all very diplomatically crafted (rather craftily) to sound convincingly comprehensive...but only in the vaguest way imaginable (if that makes sense to you).

To put it another way - and give but one example, examine this National Law:

"Tribal Lands are NOT to be sold or leased to non-tribal peoples"...'Officially'.....sounds pretty straightforward right?

But rampant corruption and bribery (not to mention 'legal loopholes') that has infected all aspects of Indian Civil Service - to the point where it has become a 'National Malaise'..and this consequently; results in this law (and many others) being circumvented and openly flouted daily all across India .

Were it not so, the indigenous Tribal Peoples of Jharkand State (where the Munda Tribal Nation has it's traditional territory) would actually be able to enjoy a higher and more equitable standard of living.

Jharkand is a mineral rich State in India that used to supply 40% of the coal, and 2% of the Uranium that India needs annually. Instead of the Indigenous peoples reaping the benefits of these activities - it is the Multinationals who are doing so, and they are achieving this with the collusion of corrupt officialdom; who are giving them 'legal looking' contracts to usurp indigenous tribal lands at will.

The irony of this 'economic boom' underway on indigenous territories - is that the Indigenous Tribal Peoples are being forced to migrate to the urban centers to SEEK employment, due to the fact that only skilled labor is required by the multinationals who have come into their lands; and the vast majority of tribal peoples possess only limited formal education. 

This lack of empowerment and economic opportunities leads only to the lowest paying forms of labor in the towns and cities however, with roles such as maids, nannies, cooks, clothes washers, cleaners etc. For this they are lucky to get paid the equivalent of US$1 per day - less if child labor is involved (another 'officially illegal' but widespread practice)...though the official minimum wage is supposed to be US$4 per day.

Getting back to the issue of education though....The Government of India recently announced a very noble sounding policy called 'Educate all' which is actually leading to a drop in educational standards all over India, how? Due to the fact that teachers have been instructed by India's Ministry of Education (unofficially) to 'pass' students even though they may have actually failed their exams.....why would they do such a thing you may wonder? Well, when you want to show the rest of the world 'official statistics' that PROVE how your society is 'advancing by leaps and bounds' and producing incredible numbers of formerly educated graduates each year......you get the point now right?....Yes, truly 'incredible' achievements indeed....

The last and most upsetting issue facing the Indigenous Tribal Peoples of India today however, is the fact that they are often caught in the middle of armed conflicts; with paramilitary forces (locally called 'Naxals' - which means 'those against the system' ) on one side and the government security forces on the other....with both sides often inflicting serious injustices on the indigenous who have nowhere to turn for refuge. Rapes, tortures and extra judicial killings are commonplace.

It does not help when the media they turn to - to draw attention to their suffering in a last ditch attempt to have redress in the Court of Public Opinion - are entirely biased against them and refuse to publish anything they have to say; publishing only the official government 'version' of events.

Meenakshi (who is also the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Indigenous Youth Network) expressed her gratitude for having benefited from her two-year training course (2011-2012) thanks to the Tribal Link Foundation, she feels it has taught her an incredible amount about how the United Nations Permanent Forum actually functions, as well as being expertly informed in a readily understandable way -  about a myriad of various UN affiliated entities such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol, as well as establishing contacts and lines of communication with various donor agencies both inside and outside of the United Nations framework.  Last but not least - the networking opportunities and bonds of solidarity and support that this training bestows to ALL who experience it. Her desire is that other indigenous brothers and sisters from India will likewise be availed the unique opportunity to benefit from the sound training that the Project Access Global Capacity Building for Indigenous Peoples training course offers.   

INSIDERS REPORT FROM THE IV INDIGENOUS LEADERS SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS, April 11-13th Cartagena, Colombia

For the first time in History an Indigenous Leaders Summit of the Americas (ILSA) was given a high degree of prominence by the State hosting the immediately following Summit of the Americas, in 2009 the III Indigenous Leaders Summit had to be held in Panama whilst the V Summit of the Americas (for the OAS heads of State) was held in Trinidad. As a Caribbean person I felt ashamed and embarrassed by the insulting attitude of the host Government of Trinidad which only allowed for one person (Chief Ed John of the Assembly of First Nations of Canada/AFN) from the III ILSA to address the OAS heads of state for a mere 5 minutes, and only one paragraph in the entire post V Summit of the Americas made fleeting mention of Indigenous Peoples.   Despite the valiant efforts of the AFN whic did a great job organizing the III ILSA in 2009, the Political Leaders at that time generally treated the Indigenous leaders of this Hemisphere with contempt.
If this is what can be expected from a Caribbean country - then I honestly hope that no future Summit of the Americas is EVER held in a Caribbean State...with the possible exception of Dominica.
Why Dominica you ask? Because it was Dominica's UN diplomat decades ago that gave up his seat so that Indigenous Peoples could address the UN General Assembly directly, Dominica also granted it's sole Indigenous Chief of the Kalinago (aka 'Carib') Tribal Nation with a Diplomatic Passport!
The only three issues that stain the name of Dominica in the eyes of the Indigenous & Human Rights world are its inhumane refusal to increase the size of the woefully tiny Kalinago Territory - which is incapable of sustaining the present Kalinago population, it's illegal imposition of a Police Station in the Kalinago Territory against the wishes of the Kalinago people - and in violation of International Indigenous Rights Laws and OAS & UN Conventions; and thirdly - the fact that Dominica never brought the Policeman who murdered a peacefully protesting un-armed Kalinago tribesman to justice - it merely moved this murderer in uniform to another Police Station in Dominica.

In contrast, at the IV Indigenous Leaders Summit of the Americas in Colombia we were shown a level of respect that I honestly did not expect to witness.
The Secretary General of the OAS, the Vice-President of Colombia, and the Minister of the Interior of Colombia were with us from the beginning; and at our closing ceremony no less than the Presidents of Colombia, Bolivia, every foreign Minister of the OAS - and even USA secretary of State Hillary Clinton herself was present and made a well received speech.    

Thanks to gracious sponsorship by the Organization of American States (OAS) I was availed the opportunity to attend the IV Indigenous Leaders Summit of the Americas in Cartagena Colombia, from April 11-13th 2012, I was the only representative for the Caribbean on the Planning Committee and the lone representative of the Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean present at the Summit. Key people in the OAS know that I function as a de-facto in-house indigenous journalist for the Caribbean and I use my exclusive 'eyes & ears' presence to subsequently write news articles for local, regional and International media - which enables thousands of others to be informed about key OAS efforts that concern Indigenous Peoples.
In my humble opinion, it is a far more valuable contribution for me to function in this capacity in the service of my regional brothers and sisters - instead of merely making verbal interventions that few will ever hear...and even fewer will ever re-discover once interventions become archived for posterity. Indeed I will speak myself if I deem it imperative for me to do so, but at this Summit - there was no shortage of eloquent speakers nor lack of subject areas comprehensively covered (with the exception of the status of our Indigenous Taino Peoples of the Greater Antilles being officially recognised despite the political status of Puerto-Rico for example), so I listened in order to share now what I heard with all of you.


A SYNOPSIS OF STATEMENTS AT THE IV INDIGENOUS LEADERS SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS AS TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPANISH -ENGLISH TRANSLATOR



* Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States:

"I am sad to say that there are still countries in the Americas that do not yet even recognize the de-facto existence of indigenous peoples in their own States - and these countries should do so immediately." (NB - Suriname was not named by the Secretary General, but is one such country within CARICOM that is guilty of this disgrace - a fact that I have been highlighting in my articles for several years - Damon Corrie).

"In the year 2000 44% of this Hemisphere's Indigenous Peoples and Afro Descendants were listed as 'living in poverty', in the year 2011 - only 30%, so we can see that some progress is being made."



* Ismael Paredes, High Councilor of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC):

"It is time for the States of the Americas to stop 'talking' and start 'doing'."

" 'Poverty' has an entirely different meaning for Indigenous Peoples than it does for non-Indigenous Peoples.
For example, the non-indigenous will look into an indigenous home and say that because they have no concrete or tiled floors they are therefore 'living in poverty', but for us indigenous peoples who practice traditional spirituality - we know that having an earthen floor...allows us to enjoy direct contact with the invisible energies of Mother Earth; and this is one of the greatest sources of our spiritual wealth! Our perspectives and cosmovision are radically different...and the non-indigenous peoples still fail to comprehend that."



* Angelino Garcon, Vice-President of the Republic of Colombia:

"ALL governments must strengthen local organizations that safeguard the autonomy of Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Peoples are not merely 'NGO's or 'minority groups', they have their own histories, cultures, languages, spirituality and territories - and ARE autonomous with their own forms of government; this is a fact all states must be cognizant of and respect.
There is great importance in these times for dialogue between States and Indigenous Peoples, the progressive democracy of the Republic of Colombia has ratified ILO 169 and supports the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples...and all countries of the Americas should do the same.
States have an ethical and legal imperative to ratify and honor these International instruments concerning Indigenous Peoples."

"When Indigenous President Evo Morales democratically won the Presidency of Bolivia it was a fiscal basket-case, but his government has turned Bolivia's outlook 180 degrees....and now it is well on the road to success; and Colombia wants to be part of this noble effort in Bolivia."

"I am sad to say that criminal violence has led to the death and disappearance of thousands of Indigenous leaders throughout the Americas."

"Indigenous Peoples have the right to criticize the governments of the States in which they live - and NOT be labelled as 'troublemakers' or 'subversive elements'." 


       
* Vargas Lleiras, Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Colombia:

"A constant and respectful dialogue between States and Indigenous People, it is the only option we have in this Hemisphere as we go forward into this 21st century."

"For the first time in Colombia's history the President took his oath of office FIRST before the Indigenous Peoples of Colombia - the landlords of this country, and after this he took the oath in our Parliament; this shows his respect and commitment to Indigenous Peoples."

"Indigenous Peoples have an entirely different view and interpretation of the words 'progress' and 'development', and this is why it is imperative that every government maintains the principle of constant communication with Indigenous Peoples in order to obtain their 'free, prior and informed consent' as stipulated in International Human rights Laws and Conventions... this MUST be done before any project that will or may effect them is ever started."

"In 2011, 168 planned projects were discussed with over 500 Indigenous communities in Colombia before anything was done... Indigenous Peoples in Colombia have never been mobilized to such a great extent for dialogue with the National Government in the entire history of Colombia!"  



* Jaime Arias Arias, Deputy High Councilor of the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia (ONIC):

"We call upon the States of the OAS to honor their commitments and pay their dues to the OAS, only two countries regularly make payments...the other 32 do so only infrequently or never at all; and this is why the OAS often lacks funds to carry out projects that can benefit Indigenous Peoples.
Since these States all deny us our sub-surface mineral rights - which has consigned us to the poverty that we still endure as a result of this inequity...the very least they can do is pay their dues to the OAS so that a tiny fraction of their indebtedness to our many peoples will be able to reach us - like proverbial crumbs that fall off the Lord's banquet table."



* Feliciano, Chief of 50,000 members (25%) of the Nasa Tribal Nation of Colombia (the largest in that country):

"Government spokesmen come before us and give nice speeches, but only ever cosmetic solutions result....never anything serious or equitable for us Indigenous Peoples.
'Internationalism' and 'Globalization'...these are the two key words being used by the Elites of this world to deceive - and which will ultimately destroy all of us Indigenous Peoples!". 



* Alberto Achito, a Chief of the Embera Tribal Nation of Colombia:

"Cuba SHOULD be allowed to participate in the OAS...they should not be denied because as the Americans say 'they do not practice Democracy' - but rather should be allowed back into the OAS because the rest of the member states DO! Everyone knows that every country in the Americas continually votes to let Cuba back into the OAS and to lift the criminal embargo.
TRUE DEMOCRACY is not the ritualistic holding of General Elections every 5 years, it is the pluralism of a society - where ALL views are taken into account....not a diplomatic exercise of mob rule where the majority triumphs.
If we are truly democratic societies in the Americas as we love to boast - and none louder than the USA...how is it possible that one country can veto the decisions of ALL others?
Are we living under the rule of an invisible de-facto American Capitalist Empire - where money is all that really matters?
We Indigenous Peoples have our own territories and autonomous tribal governments, and International Law has recognized this fact...yet the rich elites come here to ink deals purely to satisfy their own insatiable avarice....and they give no thought or concern whatsoever for us Indigenous Peoples who will suffer the most from what they do in their private meetings and negotiations."         

OAS HEADS-OF-STATE HAVE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MAGNANIMOUS HUMANITARIAN GESTURE THAT INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF MANKIND!

On 9th February 2012, in the Gabriella Mistral room at the GSB Building of the Organization of American States located at 1889 F st. NW Washington DC; a Consultation Session with the working group on 'Access to and Use of Technology' was held. Only two indigenous representatives were directly involved and physically present at this event, Nelson Kantule of the Kuna General Congress in Panama, and Damon Gerard Corrie of the Pan-Tribal Confederacy of Indigenous Tribal Nations (the only multi-racial worldwide Indigenous Confederacy in existence). Damon describes himself as a Caribbean man, with ancestral connections that include Barbados, Guyana (Lokono-Arawak), Venezuela, Trinidad, Dominica (Kalinago-Carib), St. Kitts & Saba island. 

Participants were asked to make concrete recommendations/suggestions under the theme 'Access to and Use of Technology' - which would be submitted for the permanent records of the Organization of American States (OAS) and for the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) on February 13th. The SIRG is the core management body of the Summits Process and comprises the 34 democratically-elected governments of the Hemisphere, which are represented by their appointed National Coordinators. The SIRG is responsible for reporting on the progress achieved in the fulfillment of previous Summit mandates and in the preparations of the upcoming Sixth Summit of the Americas - which will be held in Cartagena Colombia in April 2012.

This is the recommendation/suggestion that was made by Indigenous Representative Damon Gerard Corrie:

"I would humbly suggest to the OAS heads of state to seriously consider making a joint declaration that 1% of each of their respective National Military budgets for just ONE given year (say 2013 for example) - would be re-allocated to fund various national projects focused on creating national infrastructural platforms that would then be used to introduce, educate and include - virtually every citizen in their various populations into the information age.

The States would then invite private sector entities & individual grass-roots level beneficiaries themselves - that have a vested interest in information technologies to sustain this historic effort on behalf of the States - by providing/creating self-sustaining funding to ensure it's continuity. It can be metaphorically likened to the State agreeing to provide the fishing boat - and the recipient agreeing to provide the fuel and necessary maintenance required to keep said boat 'in operation' - to the ultimate benefit of both parties."

DAMON'S RATIONALE FOR HIS SUGGESTION IS AS FOLLOWS:

"Money is difficult to access in these times, instead of looking to implement small scale here-and-there projects towards this meritorious stated end, or trying to raise new funding in difficult economic times... why not spend a small sum of existing funds in a more humanitarian way instead? Let us be honest with ourselves, we are blessed in the Americas to live in THE most peaceful major geographical area on mother Earth, and a minor 1% one-time re-allocation in the Military budgets of each OAS member country for one specified year (decided at their consensual discretion) is NOT going to adversely effect our national security for it to be invested in the noble goal of introducing, educating and including - virtually every citizen of this Hemisphere (a Global first I might add!) into the information age; furthermore - this will not only be viewed as a tremendous and unprecedented magnanimous historic leap forward by the rest of the world...but will also be a concrete demonstration of political foresight and a genuine practical investment in the human resources of the citizenry of the entire Western Hemisphere!

If one can see a bigger picture emerging - this feat can then be adopted and replicated the rest of the world, the African Union, Asia-Pacific, etc.

In short, our Heads of State in the OAS have a real golden opportunity to lead the entire world by example - into an era where National Budgets can finally begin to be re-directed, slowly but surely, into non-lethal purposes that bring us - as the collective sea of humanity we are - one blessed step closer to the proverbial promised shore of a peaceful and equitable life on this planet for ALL."   

SAN TRIBESMEN & WOMEN IN BOTSWANA ILLEGALLY ARRESTED BY GOVERNMENT SECURITY FORCES

On December 13th, 2006 a verdict was issued in the 'Central Kalahari Game Reserve Legal Case'; was decided in the High Court of Botswana - IN FAVOR of the San Indigenous Community who were declared "TO HAVE A RIGHT TO RETURN TO LIVE IN THE CENTRAL KALAHARI - WITH THE RIGHT TO HUNT THERE FOR SUBSISTENCE PURPOSES"   

On April 10th, 2012, a group of 8 tribesmen and women from the Metsiamanong San Indigenous community  in Botswana were arrested for hunting in the Kalahari Game Reserve by the Botswana Army and Police Forces.

On May 5th, 2012, the government of Botswana sent Botswana Army, Police, and Department of Wildlife and National Parks officers to camp at Metsiamanong in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve - in order to intimidate the nearby San Indigenous community from practicing their traditional hunter-gatherer subsistence. 

The San Indigenous Community STILL does not know the whereabouts of their 8 tribal members who were ILLEGALLY arrested by the Security Forces of the Government of Botswana.

I ask you....is this the behavior of a 'progressive' state that recognizes and respects the human rights of Indigenous Peoples resident within it's borders?

Did the Government of Botswana which openly declared their support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was passed in the General Assembly at the UN on 17th September  2007 - only do so in order to deceive the world and receive the undeserved praise and salutations from their Nation State peers?  

THE BANGLADESH MILITARY - BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES, AND AMONG THE WORST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS IN ASIA

People in the Commonwealth only think of Bangladesh as being 'that country next to India with a sometimes good cricket team', and Cricket fans may recall the happy dancing Indigenous Christian & Buddhist Jumma women the Bangladesh government paraded for the cameras during the Cricket World Cup - in order to fool the world that Bangladesh is a happy country with no indigenous problems worth mentioning....in fact - if you listen to the idiot who is the First Secretary of the Bangladesh Government's Mission in New York, he actually said "There are no indigenous People in Bangladesh". 

YET, you can see from an OFFICIAL Bangladesh government poster I have attached which reads "Indigenous women in Bangladesh" (which was re-edited after this ignorance was uttered by the First Secretary to delete the word 'Indigenous' from the posters - also attached here for photographic proof) that the Neo-Colonial government of Bangladesh is not to be trusted on this issue...let's not play those silly diplomatic games and politely refrain from calling a spade a spade, when it comes to their violations of Indigenous peoples within their over-extended borders - the Government of Bangladesh is led by a very low calibre of persons that we in the Caribbean prefer to describe as 'Bold-faced Liars'. 

And just for the record - I enthusiastically invite the Government of Bangladesh to sue me - I would welcome the chance to keep highlighting their gross human rights violations in the worlds media and will be very grateful for their help in doing so by taking me to Court. Any publicity is good publicity they say!   

Ladies and gentlemen, what I am about to tell you AND show you may very likely make you sick to your stomach - especially with the photographic evidence attached.

I cannot tell you the real name of the hero who smuggled this information out of the Chittagong Hills and supplied it to me, for he would be assassinated by the Bangladesh military like so many other indigenous heros who tried to get the TRUTH out to the wider world before him. 

We shall just call him 'Runu Jumma' - in honor of the late great war hero of the Jumma Tribes of the Chittagong Hills, who successfully fought the British...who were themselves the first outsiders in recent history to invade and attempt to conquer this beautiful and remote area. 

The British eventually had to sue for peace - as they could not win the Guerrilla war of liberation waged by these valiant tribesmen in their mountain stronghold. In the face of the tyranny they endure to this day - why did they stop the armed struggle you may ask?

Well, they gave peace a chance because in 1997 the Danish Government brokered in good faith - a Peace Accord between the Bangladesh Government and the Indigenous Jumma Freedom Fighters, the Jumma handed over all of their weapons (their biggest mistake) and upheld their end of the agreement, but the Bangladesh Government is YET to uphold their end of the agreement some 15 year later - and to the contrary have continued their murderous rampage leaving the Government of Denmark to shoulder the guilt of disarming a violently oppressed people who are now completely defenseless - like lambs to the slaughter....did I not describe the Bangladesh Government as being led by bold faced liars? I rest my case! 

It should be clear to everyone by now that the only option the Jumma have left is to re-arm and continue to fight the just war of self defense that they had been fighting before 1997.

It is very easy for someone far out of harms way to mouth empty wishful-thinking words such as 'violence solves nothing', for these types do not have to endure the daily horrors that the Jumma of Bangladesh do; even the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that the use of violence in defense against tyranny IS JUSTIFIED UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW.  

The Chittagong Hills is an area under the illegal military occupation by the government of Bangladesh...a thoroughly criminal political entity that encouraged AND still protects the 400,000 non-indigenous Muslim Bengali settlers (from 1979 to 1985 alone) who invaded and annexed Christian & Buddhist indigenous Jumma tribal lands; because the Bangladeshi government promised them military protection and food if they took the land that belonged to someone else! You can even see the Bangladesh Military in one of the photos in the backround as illegal Bengali settlers rampage in the foreground!

To further help the Bengali illegal settlers to STAY on the indigenous Jumma lands that they have stolen - the government of Bangladesh started giving their settler proxies a monthly ration of 85 kg of food per family in 1979 - an 'ethnic cleansing insurance policy' if you will - which continues to the present day. These are all violations of Article 8 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Today, there are an estimated 500,000 illegal Bengali in the Chittagong Hills area of Bangladesh, in 1947 before the Bengali illegal occupation the non-Indigenous population in the Chittagong Hills was only 2%, with 98% being Indigenous Jumma tribes. Today 50% of residents in the Chittagong Hills are non-indigenous. This is a clear example of state sanctioned ethnic cleansing, and my indigenous brothers and sisters need to be alert to the ulterior motives of the Neo-Colonial states of the world who are fond of changing the indigenous demographics in order to force assimilation policies onto indigenous peoples in violation of their Internationally recognized human rights. When Indigenous Peoples begin to see non-indigenous people flooding into their territories, they should start making preparations for the inevitable war that will follow! History repeats itself in this regard. 

The vast majority of indigenous Jumma children in the Chittagong Hills cannot attend school due to the precarious lives they have been forced to lead since the Bengali invasion began (see report here), schools are on average over 6 miles away from indigenous villages and often these frightened children have to pass military checkpoints and settler homesteads - and the raping of Jumma schoolgirls by both Bangladesh Soldiers and Bengali settlers is rampant.

Little wonder then that only 8% of Jumma children complete Primary School, with only 2% completing Secondary School.  

For those who make it to the classrooms - they face racist treatment by Bengali teachers who enforce a Bengali language curriculum on indigenous children who speak their OWN languages and do not understand the difficult Bengali alphabet. This too is a violation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples to be educated in their OWN languages and in their OWN communities - according to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Article 14, and numerous other International Laws and Conventions).   

Just when you think that things could not get any worse - the Government of Bangladesh has recently passed a new law that forbids ANY financial assistance being given to the Jumma Indigenous Peoples, here is a direct quote: "No financial endowments can be given to any student or their guardians or any other individual". Do you know why these demented criminals that run the Bangladesh government passed this law? It was not for the ouright lies and convenient excuses they listed about 'national security' (sound familiar?) etc, the REAL reason was because more indigenous children were getting an education (albeit briefly - before the draconian law was enforced) with the humanitarian aid they were receiving from sympathetic donors outside of the country; but all of that is gone now. 

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury (of the Court of Public Opinion), I ask you this...is it not a GROSS insult to the conscience of all who believe in Justice, Equity, and the rule of Civilized Laws...for Bangladesh to be THE biggest contributor of Soldiers to United Nations Peacekeeping operations around the world; whilst at the same time being guilty of the most heinous human rights abuses in Asia in their OWN country!

Were we not collectively shocked (due to the 'poor innocent Bangldesh' propaganda public image that we were used to) at the time when the news aired reporting on Bangladesh UN peacekeepers stationed in Sudan who committed rapes of young African girls? (see news article here). However, now that we have learned where this criminal modus operandi was rehearsed - and upon whom - such news shall not surprise us any longer - for these uniformed criminals have been thoroughly exposed for the GENOCIDAL VILLAINS that they are! 

http://www.irinnews.org/printreport.aspx?reportid=94139

A BEAUTIFUL CONCEPT FOR HOW INDIGENOUS CHILDREN SHOULD BE EDUCATED

 May 14, 2012

I met Mrs. Suraporn Suriyamonton of the 4 million person Karen Tribal Nation of Burma/Thailand,at the Tribal Link Project Access Global Capacity Training for Indigenous Peoples Training course; held in May 2012 in New York City USA. 

Ever since I became aware in my early teens of the genocide being waged against the Karen Tribe by the government of Burma - I have longed to befriend a Karen person who could help me to find a way to support their liberation struggle, which incidentally - is the longest in modern history having lasted for over 60 years!

Suraporn was able to put me into contact with key leaders - even though she is from Thailand, and just for the record - the Thai Government treats the Karen People far better than the ignoble and oppressive regime that persecutes the Karen in Burma.

Now what I can do for Suraporn is to tell you a little about her and her life's dedication.

Suraporn serves as a board member of the Indigenous People's Foundation for Education and Environment, an organization that has a goal of increasing indigenous participation internationally.

She is actively involved with the Women's Empowerment movement, which works with indigenous women at the Community level. She is also a member of the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation (PCF) in partnership with two indigenous organizations (Inter-Mountain Peoples Education and Cultures in Thailand Association (IMPECT), and Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples Network Foundation (IKAP) and two NGOS: Foundation for Applied Linguistics, and The Life Skills Development Foundation.

Suraporn is a very kind, motherly and soft-spoken lady; and the two issues nearest and dearest to her heart are improving education for indigenous children - and the recognition of shifting cultivation as sustainably practiced by indigenous peoples...as a valid traditional agricultural practice.

The two topics may not appear to be intrinsically linked at first glance, but they most certainly are; for a malnourished child cannot reap any benefits from even the soundest education that the world can offer it.

In Thailand, though far better for indigenous peoples than Burma; problems often arise that negatively impact on the ability of indigenous peoples to feed their families - using traditional farming practices.

This is mainly because these practices (with shifting cultivation being Chief among them) are not officially recognized by sectors in the Thai government that take responsibility for Agriculture, Lands and the Environment....and consequently, indigenous farmers may run-afoul of local laws and be evicted - or have their crop fields destroyed. Thus subjecting them to a food 'insecurity' crisis.

On the other of the two main issues I mentioned, Suraporn has a very beautiful concept for how indigenous children should be educated, and I would like to spend the remainder of this article trying my best to briefly convey it to you.

Firstly, indigenous children should only be educated in the tribal languages which they speak - for the first few years of their formal education experience, it is hard enough to understand mathematics (for example) on it's own; without having to learn it from a teacher who is speaking to you in a foreign language - which you are ALSO struggling to learn and understand at the same time.

NB * The reader should note here that this actually IS a right enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - that was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 17th September 2007; see specifically Articles 14 & 15.

Suraporn says the classrooms should be staffed with indigenous teachers who would speak the language - and understand the cultures of the students in their care, thereby eliminating the kinds of discrimination and cultural contempt that most non-indigenous teachers exhibit due to their own ignorance of their indigenous wards distinct cultural identities and mannerisms.   

Also, the classrooms would feel to be a 'less emotionally sterile' of an environment - and be more conducive to learning by indigenous children.

For example, it would incorporate more visual stimulation that is of the natural world that is familiar to the indigenous children; and the teacher-student dynamic would be more family oriented...and not regimented and emotionally detached as the formal education system is in the Nation States.

The Western style education model that works for non-indigenous urban youth, does NOT work for indigenous rural youth - who have an entirely different way of seeing and understanding the world around them; and a failure to recognize and respect this fact - is to forcibly impose an illegal assimilation agenda on indigenous children....in violation of International Laws and Conventions concerning indigenous peoples worldwide.

Suraporn was thankful to the Tribal Link Foundation that made it possible  for her to attend the May 2012 training with 20 other indigenous colleagues from around the world (author included); which was held at the United Nations.

The annual training course incorporated this year the "Convention on Biological diversity, and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization"; as well as the customary introduction to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues - and how best to utilize this body to advance in the International Indigenous Rights arena.

World famous Indigenous Rights expert Mrs. Andrea Carmen of the Yaqui Tribal Nation - and senior staffer at the International Indian Treaty Council (ITC) presented again this year - as in all previous training courses, and as a 3rd time beneficiary of Mrs. Carmen's easy to understand yet comprehensive training myself (2009, 2010, 2012) I can attest to the priceless value of having her as your educator, mentor; and friend.