Cablegate: Un Declaration On the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

VZCZCXRO8221
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #4349 2860916
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130916Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3486
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 9442
RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND IMMEDIATE 0552
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0180

UNCLAS MANILA 004349

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA UN RP
SUBJECT: UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

REF: STATE 169257

1. (SBU) Jointly with officers from the New Zealand and
Australian Embassies, poloff on October 12 delivered reftel
demarche on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Human Rights
and Humanitarian Affairs Director Noel Servigon. Servigon
said the decision as to how the Philippines will vote in the
UNGA now lies with Foreign Secretary Romulo, but he promised
to convey these views to the Secretary. He noted that the
Philippines had abstained in the Human Rights Council vote in
June because it had not had a chance fully to consider the
Declaration.

2. (SBU) Servigon described two Philippine concerns with
the Declaration: its implications for ancestral domain, and
its provision for self-determination. He highlighted the
GRP's ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front in Muslim Mindanao as a complicating factor, due to a
lively debate over these very issues. He added that the
indigenous peoples movement in the Philippines "has grown
strong," and expressed surprise that nations with "similar
concerns" -- especially from Latin America -- had voted in
favor of the Declaration in the Human Rights Council. He
requested copies of any formal voting position issued by any
of the three governments.
KENNEY

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