Last Saturday, I gave a keynote address and declared open a Tribal Art Exhibition at the Wawasan Open University in Penang,Malaysia,and drew the attention of the audience to the mostly unknown UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
The Declaration provided the world with a framework for reconciliation,healing and peace as well as harmony and cooperation based on the principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights,non-discrimination and good faith!
It was finally adopted on 23 September 2007 , 16 years ago, after two decades ,I repeat ,two long decades of negotiations.
Not well known is the shocking fact that 4 countries (in alphabetical order)- AUSTRALIA, CANADA , NEW ZEALAND and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.. opposed the Declaration. Shockingly also, a dozen other countries of mostly ex colonial powers even abstained!
HYPOCRISY AT ITS WORST!
Over the next few years, however,feeling the shame and the pressure of people with conscience most of them acceded to the Declaration.
SADLY ,AND UNCONSCIONABLY,HYPOCRISY AT IT WORST CONTINUES WITH THE MASSACRE AND GENOCIDE OF PALESTINEANS
We have to keep on fighting these evil forces.
We must never give up.
Anwar Fazal, Penang, Malaysia, Right Livelihood Awardee (popularly known as the ” Alternative Nobel Prize’
