Amnesty International: Stop sacrificing indigenous rights for development

In the wake of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, which is to take place on August 9, Amnesty International is urging countries in the Americas to refrain from sacrificing indigenous people’s rights for the success of development projects.



According to Amnesty International, major projects, such as dams and roads, are threatening the livelihoods of indigenous people through their legislation in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru.



Indigenous peoples across the Americas are being threatened, harassed, forcibly evicted, displaced and even killed, in their state’s efforts to make economical advances by taking advantage of the natural resources, the human rights group said.



Amnesty noted that indigenous settlements are seen by many as standing in the way of economic development, which is desperately needed in many countries in the Americas.



However, Susan Lee, Americas Director at Amnesty International, has commented in a press release:



"Economic development doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game in which Indigenous Peoples’ rights are sacrificed."



Although all of the countries in the Americas support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the states are not acting accordingly, Amnesty noted.