Tribal Rights Still Being Violated to Favor Mining Interests

Tribal Rights Still Being Violated to Favor Mining Interests

The Aquino government continues to implement Arroyo’s National Minerals Policy, said Piya Malayao, spokeswoman of KAMP. “Aquino’s private-public partnerships would further hasten foreign investments on mining at the expense of indigenous peoples,” Malayao added.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – For the indigenous peoples in the Philippines, the year 2010 is a continuation of their struggle for land, their right to self-determination and their most basic human rights.


In August, leaders of the Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP or Alliance of Indigenous Peoples) submitted an indigenous peoples (IP) agenda to President Benigno S. Aquino III. Their demands include: Stop the plunder of ancestral domain, stop all destructive projects, repeal the Indigenous People’s Rights Act (RA 8371), end militarization and violations of IP rights, justice for IPs whose rights were violated, uphold the integrity of the partylist system that is infiltrated by government and military-backed lumads, advance peace talks, and implement international agreements that the Philippine government has signed that respect the rights of IPs.

None of their demands have so far been acted upon by the new administration.

Large-scale mining continues to threaten the lives and livelihood of indigenous peoples (IP).

The Aquino government continues to implement Arroyo’s National Minerals Policy, said Piya Malayao, spokeswoman of KAMP, in an interview with Bulatlat. “The priority mining projects remain. Out of the 62 areas identified for mining, 39 are IP lands,” Malayao said. “Aquino’s private-public partnerships would further hasten foreign investments on mining at the expense of indigenous peoples,” Malayao added.

KAMP is a national federation of indigenous people’s groups with 285 local organizations from 41 provinces nationwide.

Citing data from the Mineral and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), KAMP said that from January 1 to June 29 this year, 54 mining explorations, sharing agreements, processing permits and other mining agreements covering IP lands were approved and renewed. Under the five-month old Aquino presidency, more than 24, 316 hectares of land were earmarked for mining exploration..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2010/12/31/tribal-rights-still-being-violated-to-favor-mining-interests/