MYCJN

By Gan Pei Ling

It’s close to the end of this two-week Bangkok negotiations and Copenhagen is closer than ever, however, the indigenous people highlighted today that the proposed language in the current negotiation text is still weak when it comes to upholding indigenous people’s rights.

“[Indigenous people] have for centuries lived low-carbon, sustainable livelihoods and lifestyles, [yet they] are now disproportionately bearing the worst impacts of climate change,” said Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education executive director Victoria Tauli-Corpuz in a press conference.

“[They have been] doing their own mitigation and adaptation measures using their traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, without much support from the international community,” she explained.

Victoria added that indigenous peoples should not bear the costs of mitigating climate change. Instead, it is time for developed countries to provide the needed financial and technological support to the indigenous peoples’ from developing countries.

No Rights, No Redd

Ideally, the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) mechanism should protect both their right to self-determination and their habitats – natural intact forests. Additionally, it should recognise indigenous peoples’contributions in helping to combat climate change.

However, the negotiation text on REDD has yet to recognised the indigenous people as rightsholders, not just stakeholders.

To make matters worse, existing national policies in most countries such as those on forests, do not recognise indigenous peoples’ rights to control, own, and manage their forests.

“[Even when] there are any, their rights are not fully recognised and are often in conflict and compromised by existing national laws and policies,” said Victoria.

Yesterday, the indigenous peoples representatives from Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Asia Pacific organise an action in front of the UN building in Bangkok to remind government negotiators to recognise and uphold their rights in the negotiations.

Additionally, they were also part of the 2,500-strong Asian People’s March for Climate Justice on Monday.

Back home

Jennifer Rubis, a Dayak from Malaysia, co-chairs the ongoing International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) in Bangkok. She talked to MyCJN on Tuesday and told us that the changing climate is already affected the indigenous people in Malaysia.

“Their food security is threatened when season that was supposed to dry became wet and reduce their food production as a result. Furthermore, hotter climate also increased their risk of contracting diseases,” said Rubis, who did a study on the impact of climage change on the Dayaks in Sarawak which is going to be published soon.

To add to that, most indigenous communities in Malaysia have limited access to health and education.

Where to from here for our indigenous folks?

Disclosure: The writer attended both the march for climate justice on Monday and the action for indigenous people outside the UN building yesterday. She strongly believes that indigenous people around the world including Malaysia have been marginalised and neglected long enough. It is time for mainstream folks such as us to push for their rights to be uphold by governments in any international or national policies – particularly their right to self-determination.

Suggested further reading:

Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change: Briefing Paper, Bangkok