Denial of right of indigenous peoples to participate in political processes
Incidence
The indigenous forest dwelling peoples of Zaire, Cameroon, Gabon and other nations continue to be denied their basic right to political self-determination. Political self-determination is also denied the Negrito peoples of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Andaman Islands of India. The reservation policy of Brazil, as applied to native Brazilian forest-dwellers, allows for no genuine self-determination.
Claim
Typically indigenous peoples, and notably forest dwellers, are excluded from participation in national political processes. Their interests are neither adequately represented nor seriously considered in political decision-making. Many of their non-indigenous neighbours, and the governmental authorities which purport to represent them, harbour attitudes which relegate these peoples to a subhuman status, the result of which is a denial of their basic individual and communal rights.