INDIGENEOUS peoples of Indonesian Borneo on Wednesday demanded a halt to internationally backed forest conservation schemes, saying they are trampling their rights and robbing their lands.
The Central Kalimantan chapter of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance issued a statement condemning the projects, including those being implemented under a deal with Norway to cut carbon emissions from deforestation.
The projects, which also involve the Australian government, Care International and WWF environmental group, fall under a UN-backed conservation drive known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).
Indigenous alliance secretary general Abdon Nababan said the rights of traditional landowners had been ignored, and forest-dependent communities faced being driven off their lands or denied their customary livelihoods.
'REDD could be the cause of cultural genocide as most indigenous people live in primary forests and peatland areas' which fall under a forestry moratorium announced by the Indonesian government last month, he said. -- AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment