Human rights action on the occasion of Indigenous Peoples' Day

On the occasion of the international Indigenous Peoples' Day next Sunday, August 9, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) called for a human rights rally in Berlin today. The STP handed over an appeal to the Federal Chancellery, stating that the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement should not be ratified in its present form. "In its current version, the agreement would have disastrous consequences for the indigenous peoples of the Amazon and for the land on which they live," stated Juliana Miyazaki, one of the STP's experts on indigenous communities. "Without significantly more protective measures and credible sanction mechanisms, we will see a significant increase in clearances for cattle pastures and soya plantations – and in violent attacks on the indigenous inhabitants of the country."

Instead, German and also European politicians should use their diplomatic and economic influence. "The Amazonas ecosystem is of global importance as the world's green lung," reminded Yvonne Bangert, another STP expert on indigenous communities. "Who could better protect these areas than the inhabitants themselves? Germany and Europe should use all possibilities to support the indigenous communities in this!" To this end, Banger further stated that the German government must finally ratify Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO), as it has promised for years.

In Brazil, today is a national day of protest against the incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro. He has taken every opportunity to oppose environmental protection regulations and indigenous interests. In the opinion of the STP, this behavior calls for special precautions regarding a possible free trade agreement.

Since 1995, August 9 has been the international Indigenous Peoples' Day. The UN introduced it as a day of remembrance to draw attention to the precarious living conditions of the approximately 5,000 indigenous peoples worldwide. In 2020, it will be celebrated for the 25th time.