APIYN Presentation to the Second Session of
the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Agenda 4(d) Environment
by Jiten Yumnam of the Centre for Organisation, Research and Education.
12-23 May 2003

Mr. Chairman,

I am expressing my gratitude to you and to all members of the Permanent Forum for this privilege to present this statement on behalf of the Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network, formed at the International Indigenous Youth Conference, Baguio City, Philippines in April 2002.

APIYN also thank our indigenous elders for bringing up indigenous children and youths as the theme of the second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and considers this as fully respecting and observing in spirit and practice both international standards and customary values towards involving children and youths in all process.

The human rights situation of Indigenous Peoples in Asia Pacific Region continues as grave, with indigenous youths suffering enormously, as most nation states failed to recognize the inherent rights of indigenous peoples, especially the right to self determination. Indigenous peoples effort for political control over their land, territory and resources are reacted by states with heavy militarization, justifying it with political jargons, including 'state sovereignty' and 'national security', best exemplified in situations like Cordillera in Philippines, Kachin, Shan states in Burma, West Guinea, Kalimantan in Indonesia, Manipur, Nagaland, in India, Chittagong Hill Tract in Bangladesh and Nepal in South Asia. The militarization process in South Asia is also associated with imposition of extra legal legislations, sanctioning institutionalized climate of impunity, where justice is perennially denied. Pacific Islands presents a different picture as many are being developed as military bases and weapon testing sites by powerful countries. Kwajalein Atoll in Marshall Islands is used for US ballistic missile tests and Hawaii hosts the US Pacific Command and 7th fleet. Intensification of developmental aggressions in indigenous peoples land promoted by national governments and multinational companies further intensified the militarization process.

The militarization has taken a serious toll on Indigenous children and youths, many are being targeted to extrajudicial executions, torture, sexual harassment, violence against women, arbitrary detention etc, affecting their physical and mental integrity. The violations occurs with excess Impunity,
as the perpetrators of violations are exempted from legal proceedings. In Karen, Kachin states, many indigenous peoples, including youths were used as forced labors and violence against indigenous women is escalating in Burma. The militarization process has also destroyed the cultural, historic and environmental legacy of indigenous lands and resources and as in Hawaii and Guam Islands, the forces failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact study due to militarization process. The land and resources, source
of survival and sustenance of indigenous peoples and youths has been destroyed and are being thrown into the perennial cycle of violence.

The Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network would like to request all members of Permanent Forum to urge upon states to fully respect, observe the fundamental right to Self Determination for full guarantee to indigenous peoples, and in particular to adopt the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in its original text. The states must also to respect the observations and conclusions delivered by various human rights monitoring bodies of the United Nations to resolve all political conflicts through political means and to cease all militarization of indigenous peoples lands and territories. All states with military bases in Pacific Islands to transfer all land and territory to indigenous peoples and to urge for an immediate halt to all weapon testing. The participation and involvement of indigenous peoples in all decision making process affecting indigenous peoples in all national and international process must be ensured.

The Indigenous youths would like to affirm our request and call upon all members of the Permanent Forum to recommend to all states, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations Agencies and indigenous peoples organization to support the efforts and initiatives of indigenous youths to build solidarity to empower and consolidate capacity to enable us to contribute constructively in the indigenous peoples movement for asserting our rights to a self determined future. And as strengthening solidarity among indigenous youths has been identified as an important objective of the Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network, this further requires a paramount consideration

Thanking you once again.