Global Civil Society Calls For Release Of Indian Climate Activist
PR from Focus Web (Bangkok, Thailand)

Press Release, Bangkok
6 October 2009.

GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS FOR RELEASE OF INDIAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST

Bangkok: As southern countries faced increased pressure from the EU and USA in the second week of the UNFCCC negotiations, numerous environmental groups from across the world submitted a memorandum to the Indian delegation demanding the release of Jiten Yumnam, an environment justice activist who was arrested in the Indian state of Manipur on his way to the Bangkok talks.

A well known activist-researcher in his home state of Manipur, Yumnam has written and spoken extensively in local, national and international fora on environmental and developmental issues affecting the indigenous peoples of Northeastern India.

India's position in the UNFCCC talks is that equity is the bottom line for an international treaty on climate. India's chief negotiator Shyam Saran who met with Indian civil society groups at the sidelines of the climate talks at Bangkok today further stressed the point that sustainable development is in India's national interest and is integrated into India's National Action Plan on Climate Change.

It is ironic then that an indigenous people's activist who struggles for environmental justice is arrested by the Indian authorities in the name of national security, said Shalmali Guttal, researcher with the Bangkok based Focus on the Global South.

Signatories to the statement include Walden Bello and Charles Santiago, Members of Parliament from Philippines and Malaysia. British MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell also joined issue with the Indian Government.

The over 250 signatories to the letter called upon the Government of India to immediately release Jiten and the others arrested. Seven members of the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation were also arrested from their offices in Imphal on the day Jiten was picked up.

Endorsers include international networks such as Jubilee South, Indigenous Environment Network, Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development and Friends of the Earth. More than a 100 groups from India also signed on

For more information contact Benny Kuruvilla - bennyk(at)focusweb(dot)org

Browse the full list of signatories on this issue consisting of 258 Orgs/individuals here (PDF - 46 KB)