“Victims of development aggression: Indigenous Peoples in ASEAN”, 21 Jul 2015

Although all states in the ASEAN voted for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, most of them still refuse to respect and implement the indigenous peoples’ collective rights, especially to their lands, territories and resources and to self-determination….[I]t is imperative to strengthen and broaden the lobby and advocacy of civil society organizations and indigenous peoples to pressure ASEAN to abide by the UN Charter and international human rights instruments…through national legislations, policy formulations and concrete measures for operationalization…ASEAN state parties are…pushing for a free trade and investment plan that includes projects [such as] interconnecting roads and highways, economic zones, mining, dams and power projects, palm oil plantation and other bio-fuel projects, commercial agriculture, as well as land concessions for economic purposes or for real estate development and commercial tourism. For indigenous peoples, the projects mean further violations of their rights and the destruction of their ancestral lands…[W]hile the promotion of corporate social responsibility and environmental protection is included [in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint] there is…no mention of concrete measures to ensure compliance of corporations in the ASEAN region with social and environmental safeguard standards…Among the planned infrastructure are the ASEAN power grid, Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline, ASEAN Highway Network, Singapore-Kunming Rail Link and regional telecommunications networks…[refers to Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), Yunnan Natural Rubber, PT Asiatic Persada]