UK election: Does your MP back tribal rights?
by Survival
Supporters of tribal peoples’ rights might be interested to know the position of the main English political parties on this issue.
The Labour government’s position was that the UK should not ratify the international law on tribal peoples (ILO Convention 169), ‘because the UK has no indigenous peoples’.
Davi Yanomami visits the Houses of Parliament to urge the British Government to ratify ILO 169.
Nevertheless, 23% of Labour MPs signed an ‘early day motion’ (EDM) in 2008 disagreeing and saying the government should ratify it.
The Conservative party agrees with Labour’s position. 3% of Conservative MPs signed the same EDM.
The Liberal Democrats have made a formal decision to ratify the law. The same EDM was signed by 87% of LibDem MPs.
Survival has no political position and supports no political party.
We do, however, believe it to be important that all countries ratify the law.
We are urging Survival supporters to ask the candidates in their constituency for their position on this issue.
The percentage of MPs from the three main parties who signed an Early Day Motion calling for the British Government to ratify ILO 169, the international law for tribal peoples.
April 29th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I think you meant to say UK political parties because the Tories, Labour and LibDems are present in Wales, Cornwall and Scotland as well as England.
Equally I’d like to add that Mebyon Kernow the party for Cornwall (as well as Plaid Cymru and the SNP) fully support tribal rights and are particularly sensitive to the issues of national minorities and lesser used languages.
Mebyon Kernow website : http://www.mebyonkernow.org/