Report on Human Rights Situation of Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh in 2013

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Bangladesh often affirms its commitment to promote and protect human rights through its unequivocal pledge to uphold the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, international peace and security, respect for international law and rejection of colonialism and racism. However, different state agencies of Bangladesh have been directly engaged in interfering with the enjoyment of the human rights of indigenous peoples enshrined in the international laws for long, let alone the state authorities preventing violations of these rights by state agencies and other non-state actors. During the second cycle of review under the UPR mechanism on Bangladesh held at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 29 April 2013, for example, the government of Bangladesh provided incomplete and inaccurate information on implementation of the CHT Accord and constitutional recognition of indigenous peoples to the UPR session, which has proved non-compliance attitude of government’s commitment to the international human rights mechanisms.

YFIN and IPRAN submit comments on Draft Youth Charter of SAARC

7 Oct 2013

In response to call for comments from Nepal’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, Youth Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (YFIN) Nepal and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Activists Network (IPRAN) have today submitted comments on the draft of SAARC Youth Charter.

YFIN and IPRAN drew particular attention of the Ministry to the following issues with regards to the Charter :

1. The Draft Charter largely ignores the diversity of peoples, and hence the youth, in SAARC region. We are particularly concerned about non-recognition of disadvantaged and marginalized groups in the region, including indigenous and tribal peoples, Dalits, sexual minorities, persons with disability, linguistic and religious minorities, among others, in the Draft. Youth from these groups have distinct identity than other youth and have specific needs arising from long-standing marginalization, discrimination, exclusion and oppression against those groups. Thus, we highly suggest, as reflected in our comments, that the Draft obliges State Parties to recognize such diversity, distinct identities of groups and their specific needs and take targeted actions to address those needs.
2. Further, the Draft Charter proposes for a national mechanism for the implementation of the Charter and a Youth Plan of Action to operationalize the provisions of the Charter. We strongly emphasize that such mechanism and plan of action should ensure full, effective, meaningful and inclusive representation and participation of youth from the country, including those from indigenous and tribal peoples and other disadvantaged and marginalized groups.