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states, legal and judicial systems, schools, the mainstream religions, the market, and the mass media to respect or accommodate or even just tolerate their being different.
A Note on the Situation in Regard to Religion
Interphase has been possible between indigenous religion and some mainstream religions but not others – certainly not with fundamentalist Christianity and fundamen-
talist Islam.
A Note on the Situation in Regard to Language
Ethnologue, the website of the Summer Institute of Linguistics or SIL International, http:www.ethnologue.com lists 6,912 living languages in the world today, 2,269 of
which are Asian. But 516 are endangered languages, spoken by only a few elderly per- sons in a community, and 78 of these are indigenous Asian languages.
The following is a preliminary listing of endangered languages in Asia, with the name of the language followed by the recorded number of speakers:
• Afghanistan: Tirahi 100 • Cambodia: Samre 50
• China: Ayizi 50 • East Timor: Makuv’a 50
• India: A-Pucikwar 10 or less; Khamyang 50; Nagarchal; Nefamese; Ruga; Ullatan; Urali
• Indonesia Java and Bali: Benkala Sign Language 41
• Indonesia Kalimantan: Lengilu 4 • Indonesia Maluku: Amahai 50; Emplawas 250; Hoti 10; Hulung 10;
Ibu 35; Kamarian 10; Kayeli 3; Loun 20; Naka’ela 5; Nusa Laut 10; Paulohi 50; Piru 10; Salas 50
• Indonesia Papua: Burumakok 40; Duriankere 30; Dusner 6; Kanum,
Bädi 10; Kayupulau 50; Kehu 25; Kembra 20; Kwerisa 32; Liki 11; Mander 20; Mapia 1; Masimasi 10; Massep 25; Mor 25; Morori 50;
Namla 30; Saponi 4; Tandia 2; Woria 6 • Japan: Ainu 15
• Laos: Arem 20 • Malaysia Peninsular: Mintil 40
• Malaysia Sarawak: Punan Batu 1 30; Sian 50 • Nepal: Chukwa 100; Kusunda 7; Lingkhim. 97; Pongyong; Saam 23
• Philippines: Agta of Alabat Island 30; Agta of Isarog 6; Arta 15; Ata 4; Ayta of Sorsogon 18; Ratagnon 2
• Taiwan: Amis, Nataoran 5; Babuza 4; Kanakanabu 8; Kavalan 24; Ku- lon-Pazeh 1; Saaroa 6; Thao 6
• Thailand: Mok 7
• Viet Nam: Arem 20; Gelao, Red 20; Gelao, White 20 Most Philippine Aeta communities – also known as Agta, Arta, Ata, Ayta, etc. – no
longer speak their own languages even among themselves; they have adopted the domi- nant language of trade and government in their respective roaming areas.
There exists a Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights 1996 http:www.lin- guistic-declaration.org. The drafting and proclamation of this was supported by the
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UNESCO, but it was actually written and signed by academics, independent writers, and non-governmental organizations, and is thus non-binding on governments.
2. Plunder and exploitation of indigenous culture
Many of the sacred lands of indigenous peoples have been plundered for the natural re- sources they contain. In many parts of Asia, sacred lands are inseparable from the people’s home
sites, crop cultivation sites, small mining sites, water sources and forests because these host the remains of venerated ancestors and are also the dwelling places of nature spirits. When govern-
ments and private corporations evict communities from their villages and seize their lands to build hydropower dams, log timber, extract minerals, or develop plantations, they thus also vio-
late the communities’ sacred places.
But, along with archaeological and other historical sites, the sacred lands of indigenous peoples have also been plundered for the very artifacts they contain, including grave markers,
objects buried with the dead and even the dead themselves. The bones, mummified remains and mortuary paraphernalia of indigenous peoples’ ancestors have been taken and put on display in
public museums or made part of private collections.
Worse, living persons have been put on display: their villages become showcases along an “eco-trail”, safari or tourist route; or they are made to live in a re-creation of their village in a
fair or within a so-called “heritage park”; or they are encouraged to perform their songs, instru- mental music, dances and even their religious ceremonies out of the normal context, as a “living
museum” come-on or in festivals held to promote tourism. Some perform in hotels or as party attractions. Some display themselves in parks, charging fees for posing with tourists. The exploi-
tation of indigenous culture for commerce in tourism is especially pronounced in Thailand and the Philippines.
Sadly, poverty has pushed many indigenous people into participating in the commercial ex- ploitation – indeed, the prostitution – of their own cultures or, at least, of the most visibly attrac-
tive aspects of these.
Lately, indigenous knowledge, especially of plant genetic resources for agriculture and medi- cine, has been the target of bio-prospecting, piracy and patenting. Researchers and the institu-
tions or private corporations that employ or sponsor their work ask for information from in- digenous people, seek out the plants and animals they identify as sources of seed or medicine.
They take these to the laboratory for analysis, apply for patents as original “discoveries” or for
the pharmaceuticals to declare these produce as original “inventions”. Should the patents be ap- proved, indigenous people wishing to sell their own herbal preparations would have to do so
illegally. Discuss with the participants the state of
their own indigenous cultures in their own communities or country.
Group Interacion
Discuss with the participants the situation in their communities or country related to the
exploitation of their cultures.
Group Interacion
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2. Discrimination
In India, Adivasi, which simply means original settlers or indigenous people, has become a term equated with backwardness. In this caste society, Adivasi are regarded as even less than
Untouchables. In the Philippines, indigenous peoples – often called “tribal Filipinos” even though many of
them are not or no longer organized as tribes – have invariably been regarded as colorful, brave, and interesting but primitive peoples, left behind by history, belonging to different and inferior
“stocks” or races. This is transmitted to the majority of Filipinos by school texts, the tourism au- thority and the mass media.
Discrimination has contributed significantly to cultural erosion and acculturation because it has placed added pressure on indigenous people to give up their community’s language, manner
of dress, manner of living – to deny their identity.
B. Laws and Policies, Good and Bad
Most Asian countries are signatories to the UNDRIP, the International Covenant on
Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Most are also party to the Multilateral Convention
on Biological Diversity http:www.cbd.int conventionconvention.shtml, which con-
tains significant provisions on the recognition and protection of indigenous knowledge.
The constitutions of India, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines provide for cultural free- doms and indigenous peoples’ cultural rights. In the Philippines, for example, the Indigenous
Peoples’ Rights Act IPRA spells out these rights. But the IPRA as written text and its enforce- ment or implementation are two different things.
In some Asian countries, there are policies that outrightly violate or subtly deny cultural rights. For example, in Malaysia and in Thailand, the state promotes the concept of one country,
one race, one culture – denying diversity or even encouraging its suppression. But in many Asian countries, this is not the main or the only problem.
One problematic policy area is prioritization of cultural concerns. In the area of public edu- cation, for example, a common conflict of priorities is between the state’s centralized develop-
ment of curricula and textbooks, on one hand, and its avowed promotion of indigenous language which requires a great degree of decentralization.
Discuss with the participants the problem of discrimination in their own country.
Group Interacion
First, discuss the points raised below. Then involve participants in a Gaps Analysis of
the laws in their own country, using the table also provided below.
Suggested Method
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