(This statement was published as paid advertisement on
page 4 of the 07 December 2006 issue of the
Philippine Daily Inquirer )

WE COMMEND the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on 29 June 2006 by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), which then recommended it to the UN General Assembly (GA). The Declaration is a product of the continuing struggles of indigenous peoples and their advocates for the recognition, promotion, and protection of indigenous peoples’ individual and collective rights and freedoms. Indeed, it is a significant achievement of and for indigenous peoples around the globe.

WE REGRET that while majority of all member-states of the UN HRC from Asia voted for the Declaration, the Philippine government abstained despite its purported commitment to uphold indigenous peoples’ rights through the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act.

WE ARE SHOCKED AND OUTRAGED that the 3rd Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee) of the 61st UN GA passed the Namibian resolution which called for a postponement of the adoption of the Declaration last 28 Nov. 2006. We believe that this came about because of the fear-mongering tactics, alarmist moves, and mounting pressure exerted by the governments of the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada on African governments.

WE NOTE that the Philippine government, along with several Asian governments, abstained in voting for the Namibian Amendment which called for the deferral of the adoption of the Declaration.

WE ARE GRATEFUL that the European Union voted as a bloc for the adoption of the Declaration at the UN HRC and subsequently voted against the said Namibian Amendment.

WE DENOUNCE AND CONDEMN the culture of impunity and the spate of killings in the country under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government. Included among the victims are indigenous persons struggling to defend their lands from large-scale mining, mega-dams, logging, and other policies and programs that promote development aggression.

As of November 2006, the Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Watch-Philippines has documented 97 cases of killings of indigenous peoples under the administration of Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo: 43 Lumads of Mindanao, 14 Dumagats/ Remontados and Mangyans of Southern Tagalog, 34 Igorots of the Cordillera, and 6 Aetas of Central Luzon. These killings are grave violations of indigenous people’s human rights.

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day and the Second Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we join the growing clamor for governments to uphold the human rights, equality, and dignity of indigenous peoples.

We call upon the Macapagal-Arroyo government to immediately stop extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances in the country, and bring justice to the victims.

We call for an independent, credible, and effective investigation of these political killings and forced disappearances.

We call on the government to uphold indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and resources, to life and dignity, and to self-determination.

We strongly urge the Philippine government to vote for the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as adopted by the UN HRC, before the current session of the UN GA ends in September 2007.

We also call upon all other governments to do the same as the landmark Declaration sets the minimum standards which will ensure the survival, dignity and basic rights of indigenous peoples worldwide.

DOMINGA ANOSAN
National Social Ministries Officer,
Episcopal Church of the Philippines

JILL CARINO
Executive Director,
Cordillera Women’s Education and Resource Center, Inc.

DR. CONSTANCIO CLAVER
President of the Board of Directors,
Montanosa Research and Development Center, Inc.

VICTORIA TAULI-CORPUZ
Executive Director,
Tebtebba Foundation, Inc.
(Indigenous Peoples’ International Center for Policy Research and Education)

GADIEL CRISTALINO
United Church of Christ in the Philippines -
Integrated Development Program for the Indigenous People in Southern Tagalog

REV. RHENERIO DADULO
President, Consortium of Christian Organizations in Rural Development

FR. HERBERT FADRIQUELA
Executive Director, Iglesia Filipina Independiente -
Visayas Mindanao Regional Office for Development

VICTORIA LOPEZ
Executive Director,
Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya

DR. ELMA NEYRA
Executive Director, Southern Christian College,
Community Education Research and Extension Administration

AUREA MICLAT-TEVES
Executive Director, Project Development Institute, Inc.

ROXANNE VERIDIANO
Secretary of the Board of Directors,
Regional Development Center – KADUAMI