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.

BANGLADESH: Justice for all kinds of violence against indigenous women demanded

Leaders of the indigenous women’s organisations demanded to ensure justice to the indigenous women by taking necessary step to stop all kind of violence against indigenous women. They said that the biggest concern in brutal violence against indigenous women was the lack of access to justice and absolute impunity that perpetrators enjoy. Violence against indigenous women both in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and plain land were successively increasing due to failing bringing perpetrators to the justice, indigenous women leaders alleged.

Lao PDR: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination considers report of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

29 February 2012

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today considered the combined sixteenth to eighteenth periodic reports of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Introducing the report, Chaleun Yiapaoheu, Head of the Lao Delegation, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the National Committee on Reporting under the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said 49 ethnic groups lived in Lao People’s Democratic Republic in peace and harmony, all equal under the Constitution. The Criminal Code now listed discrimination based on ethnicity as an offence. The National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy focused on rural development, reduction of economic gaps and relocation of people from remote areas to new villages. The Land Titling Project had produced tangible results that ensured all Lao persons had the right to own land. Equal employment opportunities for all ethnic groups were ensured, and people from smaller ethnic groups were given priority for jobs in most major development projects. Following anthropological research on ethnic groups in the country, the Government found that allegations of maltreatment and discrimination against the Hmong ethnic group were groundless, and aimed at destroying the good image and continued efforts by the Government to cooperate with the international community in the promotion and protection of human rights.

LAO PDR: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination discusses Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Italy with NGOs

Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination

27 February 2012

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning held an interactive dialogue with non-governmental organizations from Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Italy. The reports of those two countries will be reviewed by the Committee this week.

Representatives of non-governmental organizations in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic raised a number of issues concerning the situation of indigenous minorities, saying that the Hmong population faced systematic violence and discrimination by the Lao Government. Deforestation was affecting the rights of indigenous people. Ethnic minorities were often subjected to forced displacement. Young girls and women faced a high risk of sexual trafficking.