Officials questioned by UN on Jarawa
March 1, 2007
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Indian officials were questioned by the UN on Monday about India’s protection of the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands.
The Indian delegation was questioned at the annual session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Rapporteur to the Committee, Patrick Thornberry, asked the delegation to explain what measures had been implemented to protect the Jarawa.
Survival had submitted a report to the UN prior to the meeting, warning that the Jarawa tribe could be ‘wiped out’ unless the Indian government acts to protect them. The report describes the Jarawa’s future as ‘extremely precarious’. It warns that failure to close the road running through the Jarawa’s land and failure to keep poachers out leaves the 300 Jarawa at risk from exploitation and fatal diseases which could decimate their population.
The Indian delegation did not respond to the committee on the issue of the Jarawa.
To download a copy of Survival’s report click here
For further information contact Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email [email protected]
