Prime Minister Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 Australia The Hon Kevin Rudd MP Dear Prime Minister 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 17 0 en_en 3 Australia 0 aborigines 0 0 0 I am gravely concerned that in a prosperous country like Australia, the indigenous population continues to suffer appalling health problems. Only if they can regain some measure of control over their lives and lands will their chronic health problems, such as a lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality than most Australians, be improved. The answer to these problems is not to remove control of Aboriginal peoples’ lives and communities from them, but to give them a greater say over decisions that affect their future. the Aborigines aborigines 3 2010-01-06T10:35:04+00:00 0 Ministro da Justiça Ministerio da Justiça Esplanada dos Ministerios, Bloco T Brasilia DF 70064-900 Brazil Dr Tarso Genro Dear Dr Genro 89 en_en 3 Brazil akuntsu I am very concerned about the situation of the Akuntsu tribe in Rondônia state. There are only five Akuntsu Indians. They are the survivors of massacres which occurred when their lands were invaded and cleared by cattle ranchers in the 1980s and 1990s. Although their land, the Omerê territory is demarcated and ratified, various cattle ranchers maintain large herds of cattle there. Recently one rancher was illegally clearing land to create more pasture. The presence of the cattle and the ranch hands who look after it is illegal and puts the Indians' health at risk. It also threatens to destroy more forest which is essential to the Akuntsu’s survival. I urge you to ensure that all measures are taken to remove the cattle and ranch hands immediately. the Akuntsu akuntsu 3 206 2009-10-06T16:28:32+01:00 Justiça Federal Seção Judiciária do Estado do Maranhão Av.Senador Vitorino Freire, n°300-Areinha São Luis-MA 65031-900 Brazil Ministro da Justiça Esplanada dos Ministerios Bloco T, 70064-900 Brasilia DF Brazil Juiz José Carlos Madeira Mr Tarso Genro Your Excellency Your Excellency 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 jose.madeira@ma.trf1.gov.br gabinetem@mj.gov.br +55 98 221 3697 +55 61 3224.4784 Your letter really can make a difference to the Awá of Brazil. Please write a brief and polite letter or fax (in Portuguese, English or your own language), including the following points: 2 0 en_en 3 Amazon, Brazil 0 awa 0 1 0 I am extremely concerned at the situation of the Awá Indians in Maranhão. Although their lands have been demarcated they are heavily invaded by loggers, ranchers and settlers who kill the animals and fish, the Indians’ main source of food. Uncontacted Awá are highly vulnerable to attack and diseases transmitted by outsiders. I urge you to ensure the removal of all illegal occupants from Awá lands and the speedy resolution of Awá land cases in the courts. the Awá awa 3 2 47 2009-04-02T17:12:31+01:00 0 Presidente de la República del Paraguay Paraguayo Independiente c/ Ayolas Asunción Paraguay His Excellency Fernando Lugo Your Excellency The Ayoreo-Totobiegosode suffer greatly from the theft of their land - although the Paraguayan constitution guarantees Indian land ownership, the Ayoreo's land has almost all been taken over by ranchers, forcing them out of their forest and making it very difficult for them to support themselves. Many of the Indians' relatives continue to live uncontacted in the forest. Unless this area is quickly secured and transferred to them, much of it will be destroyed. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 secretariadecomunicaciones@presidencia.gov.py + 595 21 493 910 Please write to the President of Paraguay and the President of INDI, the Paraguayan government's Indian affairs department, to urge them to title the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode's remaining lands to them without delay. You can use this sample text or write your own: 11 0 en_en 3 Paraguay 0 ayoreo 0 11 0 I am extremely concerned to learn that several of the Brazilian companies who own land within the ancestral territory of the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode Indians in the Chaco have been clearing it illegally. This is in flagrant violation of injunctions which prohibit any such work in the area. The Ayoreo-Totobiegosode have been claiming a small part of their ancestral territory since 1993, but have still only recovered a fraction of it. Some members of the tribe are still uncontacted, and their survival is seriously at risk as more and more of the forest where they live is being destroyed. The deforestation is also in clear violation of Paraguay's laws and Constitution, which explicitly recognise the right of the indigenous population to the ownership of their traditional lands. I urge you to ensure that the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode's land is titled to them without delay. the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode ayoreo 3 11 16 2009-01-02T12:29:58+00:00 0 Malacanang Palace JP Laurel Street San Miguel, Manila NCR 1005 Philippines Chairman Second Floor Provincial Capitol Complex Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines Hon. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Hon. Governor Joel T. Reyes Your Excellency Hon. Governer Reyes The Batak are ‘negrito’ peoples who live on Palawan island in the Philippines. They are shifting cultivators who also hunt, gather and fish. Their way of life has also been threatened by conservation schemes which seek to ban shifting cultivation and other subsistence practices. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 Please write a brief, polite letter to the President of the Philippines expressing your concern about the threats facing the Batak. 60 0 en_en 3 The Philippines 0 batak 0 12 0 I wish to express my concern at the grave situation facing the Batak tribe of Palawan Island. Loss of land and restrictions on the way they grow food have made the Batak vulnerable to hunger and disease – their very survival is in danger. Despite the Philippines’ ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act’ (IPRA), the Batak’s rights over their land and resources have not been recognised. The government’s anti-shifting cultivation measures have dramatically reduced the Batak’s ability to grow food. Swidden cultivation (uma) is also a fundamental part of the Batak’s ritual practices and religious beliefs. Restrictions on these practices violate the IPRA law, which recognises the right of tribal people to their religious ceremonies and practices. I am also concerned about the encroachment of illegal rattan and almaciga (resin) collectors who are invading the Batak’s land. They are destroying their ability to harvest these essential items themselves. Illegal miners are also polluting their drinking water. Lastly, I urge your government to consult the Batak, and the neighbouring indigenous communities, on all decisions that may affect their land rights, such as the expansion of the San Paul Subterranean River National Park. Please ensure that no conservation and development schemes are implemented on the Batak’s land without their free, prior and informed consent, as enshrined in both Philippine and international law. the Batak batak 3 60 210 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0 Office of the President Private Bag 001 Gaborone Botswana Minister of Local Government Ministry of Local Government Private Bag 006 Gaborone Botswana H.E. President Ian Khama Ms Margaret Nasha Your Excellency 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 00 267 395 0858 00 267 390 2263 Please feel free to use the following letter as a guide or write one of your own: 3 0 en_en 3 Kalahari Desert, Botswana 0 bushmen 0 2 0 I am extremely concerned about the situation facing the Bushmen of the Kalahari. After being forcibly removed from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, many Bushmen living in the resettlement camps are exposed to diseases including HIV/AIDS, which they never experienced before. Alcoholism and depression is widespread. The High Court ruled that the evictions of the Bushmen were illegal and unconstitutional. I urge you to embrace the spirit of this ruling by allowing all of the Bushmen who wish to return home to do so, and by allowing them to hunt for food and to access their own water using the pre-existing borehole at Mothomelo, within the reserve. Refusal to allow the Bushmen to use their existing borehole at Mothomelo can only be interpreted as a clear sign that you are determined to continue the past government’s misguided policy of keeping the Bushmen from returning home. the Bushmen bushmen 3 3 11 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP Dear Prime Minister Time and again, writing letters to those in power has proved to be one of the most effective tools for securing concrete change for tribal peoples. Survival letter-writing campaigns have helped tribal peoples win recognition of their land rights, put an end to logging or mining on their land, or halt government violence and oppression. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 +44 (0)20 7925 0918 Your letter really can help the world's tribal peoples. Please write a brief and polite letter. Use the following letter as a guide or write your own: 7 0 en_en 3 UK 0 collectiverights 0 7 0 I wish to express my grave concern that the UK government is blocking the recognition of indigenous peoples' rights at the UN. A UN declaration on indigenous rights would be the most important advance for tribal people for fifty years, and would greatly help them to protect their lives, lands and livelihoods from the many threats that they face. It is essential that such a declaration properly protects tribal peoples' collective rights. The government must listen to tribal peoples and work with them to ensure that their collective rights are fully recognised in the UN declaration. the recognition of collective rights collectiverights 6 7 14 2009-02-10T11:07:54+00:00 0 Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Environment and Forests Paryavaran Bhavan CGO Complex, Lodhi Road New Delhi - 110 003 India Minister Jairam Ramesh Dear Minister If Vedanta Resources are allowed to mine the Dongria Kondh's sacred mountain, their lives will be changed forever. Under the Indian 'Forest Rights Act', the Dongria Kondh have rights over the forest they live in, but these rights are being ignored by Vedanta, and by the Orissa government. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 Please write to the Minister of Environment and Forests, urging him to uphold the Dongria Kondh's rights and safeguard their future. 62 0 en_en 3 Orissa, India 0 dongria 0 0 0 I am deeply concerned for the Dongria Kondh people of Niyamgiri in Orissa, India, whose land and future are threatened by Vedanta Resources’ and the Orissa government’s plan to mine their sacred mountain for bauxite. Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, the Dongria Kondh have rights to use and protect parts of Niyamgiri. Vedanta’s mining project has completely ignored these rights, as have the clearances already issued by your ministry. I also understand that Vedanta needed to get all the necessary clearances for the mine within a period of five years, which they have failed to do. All clearances for the project are therefore void and your ministry should revoke them. I strongly urge you to order an immediate halt to the mining project, and to ensure that the Dongria Kondh’s rights are determined and enforced before the company is allowed to apply again for a mining licence. the Dongria Kondh dongria 3 211 2009-10-20T17:47:33+01:00 0 Minister of Justice Ministério de Justiçia Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco T 70064-900, Brasilia DF Brazil President - FUNAI SEP Quadra 702 Sul Edificio Lex, BI A, 3° andar 70390-025, Brasilia DF Brazil Sr Tarso Genro Dr Márcio Meira Sr Genro Dr Meira The "Enawene Nawe":/tribes/enawenenawe live in an area of savannah and tropical rainforest in Mato Grosso state, western Brazil. Although most of their land was officially reconised in 1996, a crucial area called the Rio Preto, where the Indians gather each year to trap and smoke fish, was left out. The area is being heavily invaded by ranchers, and in a further blow the Mato Grosso state government has announced it will build a vast complex of hydroelectric dams upriver of the Enawene Nawe's land. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 gabinetemj@mj.gov.br marcio.meira@funai.gov.br +55 61 3322 6817/3321 1565 +55 61 3226 8782 Please write to the Brazilian government using the text below or your own words. 10 0 en_en 3 Brazil 0 enawenenawe 0 1 0 I am extremely concerned about the Enawene Nawe Indians of Mato Grosso state. Their ancestral land in the Rio Preto area is being rapidly cleared and polluted by cattle ranchers. It is crucial that the Rio Preto be demarcated urgently before it is too late. I also urge you to take immediate action to halt the planned hydroelectric dams on the Juruena river, which will destroy the Indians' livelihood. the Enawene Nawe enawenenawe 3 0 194 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0 Ministro da Justiça Ministerio da Justiça Esplanada dos Ministerios, Bloco T Brasilia DF 70064-900 Brazil Presidente FUNAI SEPS Quadra 702 Sul Edificio Lex, Bl A, 3º andar Brasilia DF 70390-025 Brazil Dr Tarso Genro Dr Márcio Meira Dr Genro 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 +55 61 322 6817 +55 61 226 8782 Please feel free to use the following letter as a guide or write one of your own: 4 0 en_en 3 Brazil 0 guarani 0 4 0 I am very concerned about the situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá tribe in Mato Grosso do Sul state. Most of the Guarani are crammed together in tiny reservations where there is not enough land to cultivate and sustain them. Overcrowding has resulted in high rates of suicide, alcohol abuse, internal violence, and severe malnutrition among children. I urge you to take immediate steps to identify and demarcate all the territories claimed by the Guarani-Kaiowá. The long delay in recognising their land rights is putting the Indians' health and survival at risk. Unless and until the Guarani's land rights are fully recognised, I fear the situation will get worse. the Guarani guarani 3 4 50 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0 Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil Gabinete do Presidente Palácio do Planalto Praça dos Três Poderes 70150-900 Brasilia DF Brazil Ministério da Justiça Esplanada dos Ministérios Bloco T 70064-900 Brasilia DF Brazil Exmo Sr Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Exmo Sr Márcio Thomaz Bastos Your Excellency 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 pr@planalto.gov.br gabinetemj@mj.gov.br +55 61 411 2222 or 2243 or 1222 +55 61 224 2448 or 322 6817 or 224 0954 Please feel free to use the following letter as a guide or write one of your own: 5 0 en_en 3 0 brazilianindians 0 5 0 Murders and violence against Brazil's Indians must be investigated urgently, and those guilty of crimes brought to trial. Brazil's failure to recognise Indians' collective land ownership rights, which is the underlying cause of much violence against them, must be rectified speedily in accordance with international law, as embodied in ILO convention 169. Collective land ownership rights offer them their only chance to secure their future. Uncontacted Indian groups are especially vulnerable and their lands must be recognised and protected urgently. the Brazilian Indians brazilianindians 6 5 25 2008-11-04T17:53:17+00:00 0 President Supremo Tribunal Federal Praça dos Três Poderes Brasília DF CEP 70175-900 Brazil Ministro Gilmar Mendes Your Excellency 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 mgilmar@stf.gov.br +55 61 3217418 International support was vital in the successful campaign to demarcate the Raposa-Serra do Sol territory. Now the Indigenous Council of Roraima has launched an urgent appeal asking supporters to send lettersto the Brazilian government and Supreme Court demanding that they uphold the Brazilian constitution and remove all the illegal farmers immediately. The Indians of Raposa Serra do Sol have written an open letter, saying, &lsquo;We cannot accept that the authorities have waited three years to act, that they have allowed the terrorism of the last eleven days in Raposa Sera do Sol, and that the Supreme Court has even suspended the removal operation. We reject the attitude of the state government, which chooses sacks of rice to the detriment of the lives of 18,992 Indians.&rsquo; Your letter can make a difference. Please act now. 61 0 en_en 3 Brazil 0 raposa 0 0 0 The Supreme Court (STF) is due to rule soon on Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous territory in Roraima state. The area was ratified by the President in 2005, but a small and powerful group of rice farmers has refused to leave the area, and continues to threaten and intimidate the indigenous communities who live there. The state government of Roraima, which has brought the case before the STF, supports the farmers’ demands for the territory to be reduced. I urge you and other STF judges to uphold Brazil’s constitution, which guarantees indigenous peoples’ land rights, and maintain the ratification of Raposa-Serra do Sol. Failure to do so would be a huge setback for indigenous rights throughout Brazil and would condemn the peoples of Raposa-Serra do Sol to more hardship and suffering if they lose land which is so essential to their future well being and survival. the Indians of the Raposa Serra do Sol raposa 1 61 53 2008-12-12T16:47:04+00:00 0 Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa K1A 0A2 Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper MP Dear Prime Minister 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 pm@pm.gc.ca 613-941-6900 14 0 en_en 3 Canada 0 innu 0 0 0 I am extremely concerned about the plight of the Innu people. Since they were pressured into settling in fixed communities by the Canadian government and Catholic church in the 1950s and 1960s, life in Innu communities has been marked by extremely high levels of alcoholism, petrol-sniffing amongst children, violence, and record levels of suicides. Obesity and diabetes are now chronic problems. Furthermore, the process by which Canada agrees to negotiate comprehensive land claims with peoples such as the Innu is grossly unfair, and puts the Innu at a serious disadvantage. I call on your government to recognise the Innu's right to own their land, and live on it as they choose. the Innu innu 3 0 14 2008-11-13T16:45:46+00:00 0 Presidente de la República del Perú Palacio de Gobierno Plaza de Armas Lima 1 Peru S.E. Alan Garcia Your Excellency 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 + 51 1 426 6770 Please feel free to use the following letter as a guide or write one of your own: 8 0 en_en 3 Peru 0 isolatedperu 0 8 0 I am extremely concerned about the future of uncontacted tribes in Peru. They are exceedingly vulnerable to outsiders' diseases and they make it clear they want to be left alone. They have the right to live on their lands and to remain in isolation. These rights have been recognised by international law. I strongly urge the Peruvian government to protect uncontacted tribes by removing all loggers from their land, by stopping the entry of any other outsiders, and by prohibiting any form of natural resource extraction on their territories. I also call on your government to set up an emergency medical plan in case of contact between the uncontacted Indians and outsiders, and conform to international law by recognising the tribes as the rightful owners of their land. At present these tribes are at huge risk and could well be wiped out. the isolated Indians of Peru isolatedperu 3 8 55 2009-09-20T09:33:53+01:00 0 Prime Minister of India Prime Minister's Office South Block Raisina Hill New Delhi 110 001 India Chairperson National Advisory Council 10, Janpath New Delhi 110 011 India Dr Manmohan Singh Mrs Sonia Gandhi Dear Prime Minister Although it is illegal for outsiders to enter the Jarawa reserve, poachers are camping for days at a time in the tribe’s forest, hunting the animals they depend on and bringing disease, violence and exploitation. Adding to the tribe’s problems, the islands' main highway (known as the Andaman Trunk Road) cuts through their forest, bringing poachers, settlers and tourists. In 2002, India's supreme court ordered that the road should be closed, but the local authorities have refused to comply. In 1999 and 2006, the Jarawa suffered outbreaks of measles – a disease that has wiped out many tribes worldwide following contact with outsiders. The government’s ‘Jarawa Policy’ states that medical treatment of the Jarawa should take place within their reserve, and that they should only be moved to hospitals when ‘intensive care’ is required. However, Jarawa have repeatedly been taken on potentially very dangerous trips to urban hospitals for minor ailments such as cuts or colds, significantly increasing their exposure to potentially deadly illnesses. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 +91-11-23016857 Please write to the Indian government using this text or your own words: 1 0 en_en 3 Andaman Islands, India 0 jarawa 0 1 0 I am extremely concerned about the Jarawa people of the Andaman Islands. Settlers are entering their reserve, hunting the animals they depend on, and bringing disease, violence and exploitation. If this continues, the Jarawa will lose their independence, and may be wiped out. The main principles of the ‘Jarawa policy’ must be upheld; that the Jarawa have ‘maximum autonomy with minimum interference’ in their lives, and that there are no attempts to bring them into the mainstream. Also, that medical treatment should be undertaken with the utmost cultural sensitivity, and all but the most severe cases should be treated within the Jarawa’s reserve. Lastly, I urge you to ensure that outsiders are kept off the Jarawa's land, that the Andaman Trunk Road is closed in accordance with the supreme court's orders and that the Jarawa are allowed to make their own decisions about their future. the Jarawa jarawa 3 1 37 2009-05-12T15:47:51+01:00 0 Ministério da Saúde Esplanada dos Ministérios Bloco G Brasília/DF 70.058-90 Brazil Sr José Gomes Temporão Dear Minister of Health The "Indians of the Javari Valley":/tribes/brazilian in the Brazilian Amazon have warned that rates of malaria and hepatitis in their communities are spiralling out of control, and that uncontacted tribes in the area are in grave danger. The Indians say that the Brazilian authorities responsible for indigenous health care have taken insufficient action to combat the crisis. Indian leaders have been speaking out about the situation for fifteen years, but the crisis has worsened in the last five. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 +55 61 3321 4396 Please write to the Brazilian Health Minister raising your concerns about the situation in the Javari Valley. You can use our sample letter, or write your own: 12 0 en_en 3 Brazil 0 javarivalley 0 1 0 I am extremely concerned at the serious health situation of the tribes living in the Vale do Javari indigenous area in Amazonas state. According to the local indigenous organisation the health care provided by FUNASA (National Health Foundation) is inadequate and chaotic. As a result Indians are dying of malaria and hepatitis. These fatal diseases now risk infecting groups of uncontacted Indians in the area who, due to their isolation, are extremely vulnerable to any diseases transmitted by outsiders. I urge you to take immediate steps to resolve the health crisis and to ensure that sufficient medial teams and medicines are sent to all the affected areas as a matter of urgency. the Indians of the Javari Valley javarivalley 3 0 25 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0 Prime Minister Office of the Prime Minister Old Sangshad Bhaban Dhaka - 1215 Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Dear Sheikh Hasina The eleven tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, collectively known as the Jummas, have suffered from both displacement by settlers and violence from the Bangladesh military. Although a peace accord was signed in 1997, arrests and intimidation of activists, rape of Jumma women and other human rights abuses remain rife. Land continues to be stolen from the Jumma tribal people by both the army and by settlers. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 Please write to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh expressing your concern about the government's failure to implement the 1997 peace deal. 37 0 en_en 3 Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh 0 jummas 0 12 0 I wish to express my grave concern at the current situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh. In the eleven years since the peace accord was signed, there has been a catastrophic failure to implement the accord’s terms, and human rights violations increased dramatically when Emergency Rule was declared in January 2007. More than fifty indigenous activists have been arrested since January 2007, often on false arms charges. Many have been tortured and given long and unjust prison terms, and two Jummas have died in police custody. As you will know, despite the promises of the peace accord, almost all the army camps in the CHT remain in place. Returnee refugees have still not had their homes and lands returned to them. Land continues to be stolen from the Jummas by both the army and settlers. Intimidation of activists, rape of Jumma women and other abuses of human rights remain rife. I urge your government to honour its manifesto promise to fully implement the peace accord – to withdraw the army camps, to restore land stolen from the indigenous Jummas, to put an end to human rights violations in the region and to ensure that those responsible for these violations are brought to justice. the Jummas jummas 3 38 2009-01-08T12:42:55+00:00 0 President State House PO Box 9120 Dar es Salaam Tanzania H E The Hon Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Your Excellency Since the colonial period, most of what used to be Maasai land has been taken over, for private farms and ranches, for government projects, wildlife parks or private hunting concessions. Mostly they retain only the driest and least fertile areas. The most immediate threat to the Maasai is against those from Loliondo, an area in northern Tanzania. Here, Maasai villages have been burnt to the ground, and thousands have been evicted, allegedly to provide a safari hunting company, Otterlo Business Corporation Ltd (OBC), with easier access to hunting land. 2009-09-21T14:57:29+01:00 Please write to the President of Tanzania, raising your concerns about the situation faced by the Maasai. You can use our sample letter below, or use it as a template to write your own. 110 en_en 3 Loliondo District, Tanzania maasai 18 I am extremely concerned about the recent forced evictions of 3,000 Maasai pastoralists from their homes in the Loliondo district of Tanzania. I understand that the Maasai have been moved in order to maintain a contract with the Otterlo Business Corporation, which leases exclusive hunting rights in Loliondo from the government. The Maasai have lived in Loliondo and grazed their cattle there for generations. Evicting them, and burning their homes to the ground, is a violation of international laws that recognise tribal peoples’ rights over the land they have traditionally lived on and used. The evicted Maasai have lost their homes and possessions. I have also heard that some of the Maasai’s cattle are now dying, because they are being refused access to the water in Loliondo. The Maasai rely on cattle for their livelihoods. I urge you to act quickly to reverse the evictions, and to recognise the Maasai’s right to live on their lands in the Loliondo region and to investigate and bring to justice those who committed violence against Maasai. the Maasai maasai 3 12 2009-09-21T14:58:24+01:00 President of the Republic Carrera 8 n. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá Colombia His Excellency Alvaro Uribe Vélez Your Excellency "The Nukak":/tribes/nukak have fled their land after becoming caught up in the violent conflict of Colombia's drugs war. Their remote rainforest has been overrun by colonists growing coca for the lucrative cocaine trade. <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;"><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/assets-production.survivalinternational.org/pictures/149/COL-NUK-GP-11.50_news_medium.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #333;" /><br /><small>Nukak in the forest. © Gustavo Pollitis/Survival</small></div> Left-wing guerillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and the Colombian army are also fighting for control of the area. The Nukak are now camped near the town of San Jose, desperate to go home and suffering from terrible health problems. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 + 57 1 337 5890/342 0592 Please write a brief and polite letter (in English, or your own language) to the Colombian government. It is best to send your letter by post as there is no doubt this makes the biggest impact. Alternatively, you can use the fax numbers provided, but please be aware that numbers are often changed, or machines unplugged. Email addresses are given only where there is a realistic chance emails will be read. Please feel free to use the following letter as a guide or write one of your own. 9 0 en_en 3 Colombia 0 nukak 0 10 0 I am extremely concerned about the Nukak. They have been driven off their land by the coca war and are now camped near a town, where they continue to suffer from diseases and malnutrition. The Nukak will not survive in the long term unless they can return to their own land in safety and with continued access to medical care. I urge you to enter into negotiations with all the relevant parties to ensure this happens in the near future. the Nukak nukak 3 9 199 2010-01-22T15:46:54+00:00 0 President State House PO Box 40530 Nairobi Kenya H E The Hon Emilio Mwai Kibaki, C.G.H., MP Your Excellency "The Ogiek":/tribes/ogiek are hunter-gatherers – some in the deep forest live purely by hunting and gathering, while the majority grow vegetables and keep livestock also. They have traditionally hunted such animals as antelope and wild pigs, which is now generally illegal. <img src="/lib/img/gallery/Image_Galleries/ogiek/800x600/KEN-OGI-VL-04_medium.jpg" width="180px" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; border: solid 1px #ddd;" /> An invasion of loggers, tea planters and settlers into the Ogiek's home has caused much of the Mau Forest to become severely degraded. The Kenyan government is trying to evict everyone from the forest, including the Ogiek who have been living there for centuries. If the Ogiek are evicted from the Mau Forest it could spell disaster for the forest and for the Ogiek, who will become ‘conservation refugees’. 2009-08-28T11:26:44+01:00 Please write a letter to the President of Kenya, urging him to change his plans and allow the Ogiek to live on their land. 105 en_en 3 Kenya ogiek 16 I am deeply concerned by reports that your government intends to evict the Ogiek people from their ancestral home in the Mau Forest. As hunter-gatherers, Ogiek communities rely heavily on the forest’s resources, which they have nurtured for centuries. The current degradation of the Mau Forest comes as a result of tea plantations, logging firms and settlers invading the area, often at the expense of Ogiek rights and livelihoods. International law, including ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, recognizes indigenous peoples’ right to give or withhold their free, prior and informed consent to projects which affect them, and to own land collectively. It would be a breach of these norms to force the Ogiek from their homes, and would create Kenya’s own ‘conservation refugees’. I urge you to act quickly to reverse your government’s plan to evict the Ogiek from the Mau Forest, and to recognize their land ownership rights so that they may continue to live on and use the land which they have occupied for centuries. the Ogiek ogiek 3 34 2009-08-28T11:44:47+01:00 Prime Minister Prime Minister's Office PO Box 1031 Addis Ababa Ethiopia HE Meles Zelawi Dear Prime Minister The Lower Omo River in south west Ethiopia is home to "eight different tribes":/tribes/omovalley whose population is about 200,000. They have lived there for centuries. <a href="/tribes/omovalley"><img src="http://assets.survival-international.org/pictures/377/ETH-MUR-EL-02_screen.jpg" width="200px" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 20px; border: solid 1px #ddd" /></a> However the future of these tribes lies in the balance. "A massive hydro-electric dam, Gibe III":/tribes/omovalley/gibedam, is under construction on the Omo. When completed it will destroy a fragile environment and the livelihoods of the tribes. They have not been consulted about the dam and stand to lose their livelihoods based on the river’s natural flood. 2009-08-28T12:51:44+01:00 Write a letter to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia urging him to reconsider the project. 106 en_en 3 Omo Valley, Ethiopia omovalley 17 I am extremely concerned to learn that construction has started on the Gibe 3 dam on the Omo River. Eight tribes live in this area and depend on the Omo's annual flood to grow crops which are essential to their livelihoods. Once the dam is completed there will be no natural flood. If this flood and its rich silt deposits disappear, the tribes' subsistence economies will collapse and at least 100,000 tribal people will face food shortages. The Ethiopian Constitution guarantees people the right to 'full consultation' about projects which affect them. Tribal peoples in the Lower Omo region have not been properly consulted about the dam and are unaware of the serious impacts it will have on their lives. We urge you to halt construction and to carry out until a complete and independent social and environmental impact study and to consult fully with the tribal peoples. In accordance with international law, the project should only continue if and when they give their free informed and prior consent. the tribes of the Omo Valley omovalley 3 2009-08-28T14:54:55+01:00 Minister of Justice Ministério de Justiçia Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco T 70064-900, Brasilia DF Brazil President - FUNAI SEP Quadra 702 Sul Edificio Lex, BI A, 3° andar 70390-025, Brasilia DF Brazil Sr Tarso Genro Dr Márcio Meira Sr Genro Dr Meira 2008-12-12T16:38:52+00:00 gabinetemj@mj.gov.br marcio.meira@funai.gov.br marcio.meira@funai.gov.br +55 61 3226 8782 95 en_en 3 Brasil osenawenenawe 1 Estou extremamente preocupado/a com os Índios Enawene Nawe do estado de Mato Grosso. A sua terra ancestral na área do Rio Preto está sendo devastada a grande velocidade e poluída por fazendeiros. É vital que o Rio Preto seja demarcado urgentemente, antes que seja tarde demais. Também apelo para que atue imediatamente no sentido de parar os planos de construção de barragens hidroelétricas no rio Juruena, que irão destruir o modo de vida dos índios. Atenciosamente, os Enawene Nawe osenawenenawe 3 14 2008-12-12T17:48:15+00:00 Chief Minister of Sarawak Office of the Chief Minister of Sarawak 22nd Floor, Wisma Bapa Malaysia Petra Jaya Kuching 93502 Sarawak Malaysia Prime Minister of Malaysia Perdana Putra Building 62505 Putrayaja MALAYSIA YAB Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi Dear Minister Dear Prime Minister <img src="/lib/img/gallery/Image_Galleries/penan/news/SAR-PEN-RHT-20.138_news.jpg" style="float: right; margin-left: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="180px" /> Since the 1970s, "the Penan":/tribes/penan have had their forest destroyed by logging and oil palm plantations. The government has told the Penan that they have no rights to their land at all until they 'settle down' or start farming. The Malaysian government claims that Sarawak is being logged sustainably, but in fact its forests are being destroyed at one of the fastest rates in the world. As the forests are logged, the rivers are silted up, killing the fish. The game is being scared deeper into the few remaining forests. The Penan have been fighting back by erecting blockades across the logging roads. Many Penan have been arrested for these peaceful protests. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 ppm@pmo.gov.my + 60 82 442755 +60 3 8888 3444 Please write raising your concerns about the situation of the Penan. You can use our sample letter or write you own. 13 0 en_en 3 Sarawak, Malaysia 0 penan 0 0 0 I am extremely concerned about the situation of the Penan tribe. Since their rights to their lands are not recognised, they are under threat from logging, oil palm plantations and hydroelectric dams. These developments are rapidly destroying the Penan’s forests, without which they cannot survive. Logging scares away the animals the Penan hunt, pollutes the rivers and kills the fish. Once the valuable trees have gone, the forests are cleared completely to make way for oil palm. Many Penan have also been told they must leave their land to make way for the first in a series of new hydroelectric dams. I urge your government to recognise the Penan’s rights to ownership of their land, as enshrined in international law, and to halt all development on their land without their free, prior and informed consent. the Penan penan 3 42 2009-05-11T14:32:37+01:00 0 Presidente de la República del Perú Palacio de Gobierno Plaza de Armas Lima 1 Peru S. E. Alan Garcia Dear President Garcia 2009-06-09T20:06:12+01:00 98 en_en 3 Peru peruvianindians 15 I am deeply disturbed at the violence in northern Peru that has resulted in so many deaths. As you know, the indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon have been protesting peacefully for months at the way their lands have been opened up to outsiders without their consent. Under both Peruvian and international law, the indigenous peoples of the Amazon have the right to the ownership of their traditional lands, and development should not take place there without their consent. Your government has ridden roughshod over this right. I urge you to investigate the tragic events of June 5th independently and impartially and to respect Peru's indigenous peoples as the legal owners of their traditional territories. Peru's government must act in accordance with the ILO Convention 169, which it has signed, and the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples' Rights. I also urge you to drop the charges against Peru's indigenous leaders and engage in fair and meaningful talks with them. the Peruvian Indians peruvianindians 3 14 2009-08-28T12:05:34+01:00 President FUNAI SEP Quadra 702 Sul Edificio Lex, Bl A, 3º andar 70390-025 Brasília DF Brazil Dr Márcio Meira Dear Dr Meira 2008-11-25T14:56:21+00:00 marcio.meira@funai.gov.br +55 61 3226 8782 Please write to the President of FUNAI (the Brazilian government's Indian affairs department) expressing your concern for the Piripkura asking him to protect their land and ensure their safety. 92 en_en 3 Brazil piripkura 13 I am extremely concerned about the future of the last Piripkura Indians in Mato Grosso. I fear they will be wiped out unless FUNAI takes immediate action to protect them and their land. I am aware that FUNAI has published a 'restriction order', which bans outsiders from entering the area. However, loggers continue to operate illegally on Piripkura land, destroying the forest and blocking their hunting trails. The risk of loggers transmitting fatal diseases to these isolated Indians or killing them is very high. Therefore, I urge you to take all possible measures to demarcate and protect their land urgently. Time is running out for this small tribe and I fear that if nothing is done now they will disappear altogether the Piripkura piripkura 3 25 2008-11-25T15:24:26+00:00 Secretary Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 2/F DENR Bldg. Visayas Avenue Quezon City 1104 
 Philippines President, Republic of the Philippines Malacañan Palace JP Laurel Street San Miguel, Manila NCR 1005 Philippines Eleazar Quinto Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Honorable Eleazar Quinto 2009-02-16T14:24:46+00:00 Please write to the Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources to raise your concern about the situation facing the "Palawan":/tribes/palawan. If you have time, please also "write to these other addresses":http://assets.survival-international.org/documents/175/extra_addresses_for_palawan_campaign_.doc (Word document) - your letters make a real difference. 97 en_en 3 Philippines palawan 14 The ancestral lands of the indigenous people of Palawan island are under great threat from the numerous mining concessions that have been granted on their land, some of them even in areas which are supposed to be protected. Roads are already being built in the Bulanjao range which are causing landslides, and devastating watersheds. Thousands of hectares of biofuel plantations, especially oil palm, are also planned, which will also devastate the forests the Palawan people need to survive. I am particularly concerned about the future of the isolated Palawan communities living around Mt. Gantong and the Mantalingahan range, whose ancestral land is being claimed for nickel mining. Large scale mining will still go ahead, despite the moratorium on small-scale mining, and the lands of the vulnerable and isolated Palawan communities are still threatened because, despite the declaration of a protected area, prior mining claims are still valid. I urge the National Government to revoke the 1995 Mining Act, which has been so disastrous for indigenous peoples in the Philippines, and to ensure that no further exploration, mining or plantations should be allowed, in Palawan, without the genuine free, prior and informed consent of the communities. Finally, I urge you to ensure that the Palawan’s land is recognized and protected in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Right Act and with international law. the Palawan palawan 3 577 2010-01-22T10:41:36+00:00 President of Indonesia Office of the President Istana Merdeka Jakarta 10110 Indonesia His Excellency Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Your Excellency Since Indonesia’s occupation of West Papua, an estimated 100,000 Papuans have been killed. Killings, torture, rapes and arbitrary arrests are commonplace. Whole villages have been razed in reprisals against real or imagined separatist sympathisers. West Papua contains vast mineral and timber wealth and is therefore seen as vital to the Indonesian economy. A heavy army presence protects projects there, including the American and British owned Grasberg mine. Government officials have spoken of ‘breeding the Papuans out of existence.’ Now, the emergence of an HIV/AIDS epidemic, with infection rates 15 times the national average, make this threat a terrifying possibility. Most Papuans remain completely unaware of this deadly disease and how to protect themselves against it. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 +62 21 3860189 or +62 21 345 2685 Please write to Indonesia’s President using this text or your own words: 6 0 en_en 3 Papua, Indonesia 0 papuantribes 0 6 0 I am writing to condemn the appalling human rights abuses in Papua, where killings, torture, rapes and arbitrary arrests are commonplace. I urge you to fulfill the commitment to bringing peace to Papua that you made at the beginning of your presidency. Immediate action must be taken to end the serious human rights violations in the province, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. I also wish to express my alarm at the rapidly rising rates of HIV/AIDS infection in West Papua, and at the fact that treatment and awareness programmes are largely aimed at the non-tribal population. It is essential that HIV/AIDS programmes are run with the support and collaboration of the tribal people themselves. the Papuan tribes papuantribes 3 6 36 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0 Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil Gabinete do Presidente Palácio do Planalto Praça dos Três Poderes 70150-900 Brasilia DF Brazil HE President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Your Excellency The Yanomami are one of the most numerous, and best-known, forest-dwelling tribes in South America. Their home is in the Amazon rainforest, among the hills that line the border between Brazil and Venezuela. After the creation of the 10 million hectare Yanomami park in 1992, independent medical staff were recruited to work alongside traditional Yanomami healers. This health initiative, Urihi – which was supported by Survival – reduced the number of deaths by half. In 2004, the Brazilian government took it over by decree. Spending was doubled, but disease rocketed. Some communities saw fatal cerebral malaria increase four-fold. 2008-08-12T19:21:47+01:00 0 0 +55 61 411 2222 or 2243 or 1222 Please write to the Brazilian government expressing your concern about the deterioration of the Yanomami's health since the government's National Health Foundation took over responsibility for delivering health care to the Yanomami. 15 0 en_en 3 Brazil 0 yanomami 0 0 0 I am extremely concerned about the Yanomami people. Over 1,000 goldminers are working illegally on their land, polluting the environment and introducing fatal diseases to the Indians. The government funded Yanomami health care programme is in chaos and doctors and vital medicines are not reaching the communities. Yanomami are starting to die of diseases. Many Yanomami oppose Congress’s plans to open up large-scale mining on their land and have not been adequately informed or consulted about the proposals. I urge you to uphold the Constitution and remove the miners from the Yanomami territory, and resolve the health crisis as a matter of urgency. I also urge you and your government to prohibit any form of mining on their land as the impacts will be disastrous for such an isolated people. the Yanomami yanomami 3 0 54 2008-08-12T19:22:23+01:00 0