North East Peoples Alliance on Trade Finance and Development
- Press Release -

Imphal / 30th March 2008

The Alliance which comprises of peoples movements and NGOs from all regions of North East Region expresses its immense concern about the mining of natural resources and other extractive industries activities. The region is witnessing a spurt in mining and related activities by both Indian and foreign corporations and increasingly facilitated by international financial institutions.

Acknowledging that past mining of oil, gas, mining of uranium and other minerals have resulted to severe exploitation of the indigenous peoples in the region, resulting into considerable peoples movements over the past decades, the Alliance strongly warns that stealing of resources from indigenous communities without due consent will result in further prolonging, accelerating and adding to the present conflicts in the region.

The Alliance expresses strong resentment on the ongoing crisis of illegal land transfer of Khasi land to the French Lafarge who further mortgaged it to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Finance (IFC). Lafarge cement is now known to have masterminded in illegally obtaining indigenous khasi peoples land and further mortgaging it to these Banks to get loans. Despite strong peoples’ protest, both Lafarge and ADB/IFC have not returned the lands. Such a precedent indicates a gloomy future for the whole of NE, and the Alliance urge upon the people in the region to be vigilant if such corporations and funders arrive in their locality.

The Alliance demands that lands which were illegally, in violation of traditional and other customary laws, be immediately returned to the original land owners after due reparation and compensation. The alliance feels that the North East Mine Environment and Mineral conservation week organized by the Lafarge Umiam Private Limited is a farce and a total mockery, whitewashing the environmental and human rights violation committed by this Company in Meghalaya.

The Alliance also takes strong note of the ONGC’s explorations in Nagaland which have resulted in environmental hazards due to the oil spills of the abandoned oil fields and also the disruption of the social fabric by the ONGC’s divide and rule policy in their attempts to coerce the affected villagers in agreeing to their terms and conditions.

The decision to sublet the PEL to a Canadian firm called CANORO without any proper consultations or transparency has raised serious concerns for the affected villages. The inclined drilling by ONGC done at the borders of the neighboring state is a blatant affront to the rights of the people over their resources and predicts a mercenary approach towards all exploratory attempts. We also express shock and surprise over the sudden entry of Indian and French and Canadian multinationals in Arunachal Pradesh to exploit the oil reserves. We are concerned at the way the Government of India is issuing exploration license to all these multinationals without taking into consideration the consent of the people of Arunachal and also without following any of the local and acceptable international standards.

The Alliance further expresses concern at the mining of construction aggregate for dams and roads especially in Arunachal as this has lead to destruction of environment, soil erosion, un-natural flood and loss of livelihood. Oil is going to seismic survey in the Brahmaputra River in Assam which will destroy all the ecosystem of the river. It is highly condemnable and the people of assam will now allow to expolore oil from the Brahmuputra River.

The Alliance partners have been monitoring these illegal, destructive projects and have built a wide network of concerned groups in the northeast who feel threatened of their very existence by the renewed and neo-colonial marauding incursions of the IFIs and the multinationals into the Northeast. Peoples of the Northeast have therefore renewed their commitment to protect their land and their environment at any cost. We would like to inform that our tolerance have reached the limit and we would not allow our resources to be exploited by Indian and foreign agencies for their profit and loss business.

The Alliances partner strongly warn all the IFIs and other multinationals corporations to immediately put a halt to such illegal activities, failing which the alliances will have no other alternative but to resort to a strong and drastic action keeping the interest of protecting the indigenous rights.

Signed
North East Peoples Alliance on Trade Finance and Development
Arunachal Citizen’s Rights, Arunachal
River Basin Friends (NE), Assam
Dialogue on Indigenous Cultures and environment, Nagaland
Citizens’ Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), Manipur
Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action (FIPA), Manipur
Center for Peace and Development (CPD), Mizoram
Krishak Mukhti Sangram Samiti, Assam
Peoples Movement for Subansiri Valley, Assam
Rahmoria Ban Prapirodh Sangaram Samiti, Assam
Indigenous/Tribal Peoples Development Centre, Tripura
Borok Peoples Human Rights Organization, Tripura
Borok Peoples Women’ Front, Tripura
Center for Alternative Discourse, Manipur
Mapithel Dam Affected village Organization, Manipur
North East Social Research Center, Assam
NEFA Indigenous Human Rights Organization, Arunachal
Meghalaya Peoples Human Rights Council, Meghalaya
Rural Volunteer Center, Assam
Peoples Movement for Subansiri and Brahmaputra Valley (PMSBV), Assam
Manav Adhikar Suraksha Samiti (MASS), Assam
Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim
Naga Students Federation (NSF)
Shella Action Committee, Meghalaya
Khasi Women Welfare and Development Association (KWWADA), Meghalaya