Visions and movements of indigenous peoples for a new community

In the past thirty years, Indigenous peoples in Asia have been steadily building their movements to assert their right to self-determination and to their territories and resources. Significant gains were achieved, especially, within the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1994-2004). One of these is the growing recognition of the existence and identities of Indigenous and tribal peoples in some countries. This can be seen in the emergence of policies and laws which recognize and protect their rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples. However, this still remains the exception rather than the rule among the countries in the Asian region. Another gain is the increasing empowerment of Indigenous peoples through conscious efforts to create indigenous organizations and networks or to strengthen Indigenous communities to resist destructive development projects.

There are various efforts to reclaim and strengthen Indigenous cultures, religions and knowledge systems. This is notwithstanding the fact that in Asia many Indigenous peoples, especially those found in the uplands or more remote areas, have been converted to Christianity. This is the case in the Philippines, Burma, northeast India, Malaysia, and even Indonesia and Bangladesh. There are also those who became Buddhists and Muslims. In spite of these conversions, however, many manage to practise their Indigenous religions side by side with their new faith. What is more commonly seen is the indigenization of worship services and translation of religious hymns and the Bible into Indigenous languages. Indigenous rituals around birth, marriage and death are also carried out side by side with Christian rituals.

Shared values like reciprocity, collective cooperation, respect of basic human rights, community care of the aged and weak, responsible stewardship over creation, among others, still basically characterize Indigenous cultures. These are also consistent with teachings of other mainstream religions to which Indigenous peoples have been converted. The strength of Indigenous sanctions and taboos to ensure that Indigenous peoples behave consistently with these values is weakening mainly because of modernization. Market values which revolve around competition, profit-making, surplus accumulation, individualism, clash with such indigenous values.

Indigenous knowledge systems around health, natural resource-management, agriculture and forestry, governance, conflict-resolution among others still persist among Indigenous and tribal peoples. There is an increasing recognition of the importance of these knowledge systems, especially on the use of biological genetic resources, so much so that bio-piracy of such knowledge and resources is taking place in various Indigenous territories. Such threats facing the sustenance and continuing control of Indigenous peoples over their knowledge and resources need to be addressed comprehensively.

This paper will present the struggles of Indigenous and tribal peoples in Asia to assert their basic human rights and fundamental freedoms as collectivities and individuals within the countries where they are found and in the international arena. It will look into the gains and challenges they face as they pursue their struggles to strengthen and rebuild their communities. It will also look into the spaces which they have used to pursue these.

Gains amidst tremendous difficulties

Organizing and networking between Indigenous and tribal peoples at the local, national and regional levels within the region has grown by leaps and bounds within the past twenty years. The traumatic experiences of being discriminated against, exclusion from basic social services, development aggression, militarization and economic oppression usually happen at a very local level and this is where most resistance movements emerge. However, in the process of struggling against these problems the realization that such battles have to be waged not only locally but also globally sets in. Developing links with other Indigenous peoples in contiguous areas within the country and even beyond national borders to face a common problem has been crucial.

In the last twenty years, local organizations and national networks of Indigenous peoples have emerged. Some of the national networks are the following:

* AMAN (1999: Indonesia-Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara--Alliance of Indigenous Peoples in the Archipelago)

* JOAS (1998: National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples), Malaysia

* KAMP (1986: Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas--National Council of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines)

* KASAPI (Philippines)

* NEFIN (Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities), Nepal

* ICITP (Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples), India

* All India Indigenous/Tribal Peoples Coordinating Forum

* Assembly of Indigenous/Tribal Peoples of Thailand

Regional formations have also emerged such as the Asian Indigenous Peoples' Pact (AIPP) and the Asian Indigenous Women's Network (AIWN). Regional branches of international formations like those of the International Alliance of Indigenous/Tribal Peoples of Rainforests are also in existence.