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<DIV>SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE<BR><BR>9 December 2008<BR><BR>HUMAN
RIGHTS DECLARATION REACHES 60 – BUT ONLY 20 COUNTRIES HAVE SIGNED TRIBAL
PEOPLES’ LAW<BR><BR>The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights will be celebrated tomorrow, 10 December – but only 20 countries have
signed up to the international law on tribal peoples, whose rights are routinely
violated.<BR><BR>The very existence of many tribal peoples is under increasing
threat. In Paraguay, the last uncontacted Ayoreo-Totobiegosode are running for
their lives as bulldozers rapidly raze their forest.<BR><BR>In India, the Jarawa
tribe came into fatal conflict last month with poachers invading their land,
leaving one Jarawa and one poacher dead.<BR><BR>In Botswana, the Kalahari
Bushmen are being destroyed by a government which denies them access to water
but is forging ahead with plans to mine diamonds on their
land.<BR><BR>International Labour Organisation Convention 169 (ILO 169) is the
strongest international legal instrument safeguarding tribal peoples’ rights. It
recognises their rights to own their land and to make decisions about projects
that affect them, and it is legally binding on governments that sign
it.<BR><BR>Survival is campaigning for all governments to ratify ILO 169,
strengthening it and giving tribal peoples the best chance of a
future.<BR><BR>Survival’s director Stephen Corry said today, ‘Sixty years after
the world acknowledged the sanctity of human rights, entire tribes are facing
extinction. There is no excuse for this. Every government must take
responsibility and ratify the law to help ensure their
survival.’<BR><BR>–ENDS–<BR><BR>For more information please contact Miriam Ross
at Survival International on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or (+44) (0)7504 543 367 or
email <A
href="mailto:mr@survival-international.org">mr@survival-international.org</A><BR><BR>To
read this press release online visit <A
href="http://www.survival-international.org/news/4005">http://www.survival-international.org/news/4005</A><BR>To
unsubscribe from this list, visit <A
href="http://survival-international.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=2896625f88&e=jgjNi6UOf2&c=3d811c8062">http://survival-international.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=2896625f88&e=jgjNi6UOf2&c=3d811c8062</A><BR>--<BR><BR>We
help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their
own futures.<BR><BR>Survival International<BR>6 Charterhouse Buildings<BR>London
EC1M 7ET<BR>UK<BR><BR>Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700<BR>Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687
8701<BR><A
href="http://www.survival-international.org">www.survival-international.org</A></DIV></BODY></HTML>