Oral Intervention, the Fourth ( 4th) Session of the UN Human Rights Council Agenda Item: Delivered by Ms Olga Djanaeva for Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law & Development I am Olga Djanaeva, speaking as the convener of Rural and Indigenous Women Task Force of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD). We are in full support of the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. In the 2nd session of the UNHRC in 2006, the APWLD was given an opportunity to make an oral intervention about the worsening situations of the human rights of the women human rights defenders, many of whom were from indigenous communities of the Philippines, Nepal, and from the rural communities in Sri Lanka. We pointed out to the Council- of extra-judicial killings in each of these countries and specific cases of the forcible abductions of women students of Philippines University- which to-date have never been found; the cold blooded murder of a 38-year old wife and mother who spent her life assisting peasant farmers in San Mercelino, remain unsolved. As we gather for the 4th session of the UNHRC, the situation in each of these countries especially as concerning women human rights defenders and rural and indigenous women has not changed. The APWLD is deeply disturbed by recent events occasioning deaths of women human rights defenders in Philippines, and India, to name just two, continue. In Sri Lanka, more than 200,000 indigenous people in the east coast of Sri Lanka, in Baticoloa District have been displaced. This comes as a result of the aerial bombings and clashes between the LTTE and Sri Lankan Army. The bombings and fighting have further caused more than 200,000 people to migrate to Tamil Nadu India; these people are forced to seek refuge there and only find further mistreatment and life in unbearable situations with inadequate food, shelter and unhygienic facilities. It is not uncommon to hear and see of women and children being harassed and encounter unaccounted disappearances at these refugee camps. The situation in Sri Lanka is worsened with the freezing of freedom of expression and with journalists arrested and their lives threatened – with some already been killed. Furthermore, as countries transit and progress more into market economies, rural and indigenous women regress further into poverty. Such is the case in Kyrgyzstan which is but just one of the countless transitional countries in the Asia Pacific Region. Throughout our region, economic conditions have caused many women to be migrants within their own countries. Women seeking employment are increasingly vulnerable to trafficking and other dangerous pressures. Women despite being backbone of the agricultural labor force do not have any role in setting the agricultural policies or priorities of development. We bring to your attention issues faced by poor rural women who are vulnerable to sex traffickers and the exploitation that follows. Statistics show more than one thousand young girls are trafficked into sex industry each year. Most are rural young women. Whilst organizations such as the APWLD continue to advocate for rural indigenous women’s rights to, natural resources, better health, access to information and participation at decision-making and political processes at various levels, - immediate action is required of the UNHRC. We call for immediate intervention, not only to ensure accountability for one of the basic pillars of humanity – namely, protection of right to life- but also actually save the lives of one:- Angelina Bisuna-Ipong (62), a peace and development worker, Leni Robinos Nicerio (25), a mother and active organizer of rural farmers in Pampanga, Riza Fanilag (31) wife and peasant women organizer in Misamis Occidental from the Philippines. Also for the lives of the countless indigenous women and children in Sri Lanka and West Bengal. We call for UNHRC to intervene and hold the governments of Philippines and India accountable for the loss of lives. As recent as March 14, 2007, a massacre ending 20 peasant lives occurred in West Bengal under, reportedly, government orders. We reiterate our call for the UNHRC under its relevant bodies to undertake an independent investigation into the political killings in, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and India. We urge the Special Rapporteur On the Situation of Human Rights & Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People to inquire into the situations faced by rural and indigenous women various countries throughout the Asia Pacific and include specific cases in the upcoming report. In conclusion, we endorse the Special Rapporteur’s mandate be continued on the Situation of Human Rights & Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People. We further urge States and UN bodies to adopt the recommendations the Special Rapporteur makes in urging governments to ensure de-jure and de-facto human rights of indigenous and rural women in protection of their rights, promotion of a substantive equality approach to gender equality and an intersectional approach to addressing the multiple forms of discrimination indigenous and rural women face.
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