Myanmar Activists Disapprove of UN's Proposed Park
2020-08-24
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1Farmer May Cho Win has been working on the same land for over 10 years.
2When the 28-year-old heard that a conservation project would include her farmland, she wondered how she and her husband would support their children.
3"Without our land we can't live," she told The Associated Press, speaking by phone from her one-room home.
4"If they come and do this project, we will have nothing to do - we'll be like dead people."
5The $21 million project was the idea of the United Nations development program in Myanmar, the country also known as Burma.
6It would conserve nearly 14,000 square kilometers of land, coastal areas, and waters in the country's south.
7The Global Environment Facility has offered financing to pay for the project.
8Other money would come from the Myanmar government, America's Smithsonian Institution, and other partners.
9But Indigenous and land rights activists say the project will affect about 225 villages in the proposed park area.
10They note that many of the villagers depend on farming and fishing for their survival.
11The project has been delayed while the U.N. program's inspector general investigates their concerns.
12With development and deforestation increasing worldwide, Indigenous activists and conservationists recognize the importance of protecting natural areas.
13They provide a living space for many animals and plants and valuable carbon storage for a warming planet.
14Yet palm oil companies, seafood farming, mining and illegal logging operations have caused environmental damage in much of Southeast Asia.
15Between 2010 and 2015, U.N. officials say, Myanmar experienced the world's third-highest forest loss after Brazil and Indonesia.
16But local activists say when the U.N. program designed the conservation project, it did little to consult with the local community.
17That violates a central right contained within the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
18The U.N. said there were many consultations with the community.
19But activists say that many villagers were not informed of the project until after it was approved.
20"Both the project side and government sides didn't come and inform us about the project," said Saw Min Yin by phone.
21Saw Min Yin is a village leader in the proposed project area.
22"We don't accept this project, because our traditional ways of life may disappear because of it," the 36-year-old said.
23Indigenous activists also fear the project would deny some people the right to return home, meaning those forced to flee during years of conflict.
24Such a return is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
25Conservation Alliance Tanawthari is a coalition of Indigenous community organizations.
26It made an official complaint in September 2018 to the independent U.N. development program inspector general for investigation.
27The U.N. said project activities are currently "fully suspended," and the inspector general still has no estimated release date for findings.
28U.N. officials rejected The AP's requests for interviews.
29The Myanmar project is not the first time U.N.-Global Environment Facility conservation projects have been questioned.
30In January 2020, a draft of a report by the U.N. development program found that the Baka people had been forced from their homeland in the Republic of Congo.
31They had lived in forests close to a national park that the U.N. program had financed with other partners.
32The draft report found the Baka had been beaten by park workers and that women tribe members had been sexually harassed.
33Holly Jonas is with the ICCA Consortium, a group working for Indigenous rights.
34She told The AP there is a false belief that nature is better without people and that "we have to protect nature from people."
35After learning of the U.N. project in Myanmar, land rights activists spent nearly a year talking with local communities.
36Their goal was to draft a separate proposal for the Indigenous people to conserve the land.
37The proposal involved traditional community-led conservation efforts that have been used for generations.
38It includes land and forest supervision and traditional customs and actions that protect biodiversity.
39"We consider ourselves like an animal of the forest. It's like we are tigers - when you take a tiger out of the forest, how will it live?" said Paul Sein Twa.
40He leads the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network.
41"We consider it part of our life and duty to protect our lands."
42Evidence of the effectiveness of such community-led conservation already can be found in Myanmar.
43Earlier this year, a community-led conservation project in Karen State won the U.N. Equator Prize for environmentally safe development solutions.
44For May Cho Win, the desire to keep protecting her forested land and to grow durian and cotton plants remains firm - U.N. project or not.
45I'm Alice Bryant.
1Farmer May Cho Win has been working on the same land for over 10 years. 2When the 28-year-old heard that a conservation project would include her farmland, she wondered how she and her husband would support their children. 3"Without our land we can't live," she told The Associated Press, speaking by phone from her one-room home. "If they come and do this project, we will have nothing to do - we'll be like dead people." 4The $21 million project was the idea of the United Nations development program in Myanmar, the country also known as Burma. It would conserve nearly 14,000 square kilometers of land, coastal areas, and waters in the country's south. 5The Global Environment Facility has offered financing to pay for the project. Other money would come from the Myanmar government, America's Smithsonian Institution, and other partners. 6But Indigenous and land rights activists say the project will affect about 225 villages in the proposed park area. They note that many of the villagers depend on farming and fishing for their survival. The project has been delayed while the U.N. program's inspector general investigates their concerns. 7Lack of community approval 8With development and deforestation increasing worldwide, Indigenous activists and conservationists recognize the importance of protecting natural areas. They provide a living space for many animals and plants and valuable carbon storage for a warming planet. 9Yet palm oil companies, seafood farming, mining and illegal logging operations have caused environmental damage in much of Southeast Asia. Between 2010 and 2015, U.N. officials say, Myanmar experienced the world's third-highest forest loss after Brazil and Indonesia. 10But local activists say when the U.N. program designed the conservation project, it did little to consult with the local community. That violates a central right contained within the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 11The U.N. said there were many consultations with the community. But activists say that many villagers were not informed of the project until after it was approved. 12"Both the project side and government sides didn't come and inform us about the project," said Saw Min Yin by phone. 13Saw Min Yin is a village leader in the proposed project area. "We don't accept this project, because our traditional ways of life may disappear because of it," the 36-year-old said. 14Indigenous activists also fear the project would deny some people the right to return home, meaning those forced to flee during years of conflict. Such a return is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 15Conservation Alliance Tanawthari is a coalition of Indigenous community organizations. It made an official complaint in September 2018 to the independent U.N. development program inspector general for investigation. 16The U.N. said project activities are currently "fully suspended," and the inspector general still has no estimated release date for findings. 17U.N. officials rejected The AP's requests for interviews. 18Questions over U.N.-supported projects 19The Myanmar project is not the first time U.N.-Global Environment Facility conservation projects have been questioned. 20In January 2020, a draft of a report by the U.N. development program found that the Baka people had been forced from their homeland in the Republic of Congo. They had lived in forests close to a national park that the U.N. program had financed with other partners. The draft report found the Baka had been beaten by park workers and that women tribe members had been sexually harassed. 21Holly Jonas is with the ICCA Consortium, a group working for Indigenous rights. She told The AP there is a false belief that nature is better without people and that "we have to protect nature from people." 22After learning of the U.N. project in Myanmar, land rights activists spent nearly a year talking with local communities. Their goal was to draft a separate proposal for the Indigenous people to conserve the land. 23The proposal involved traditional community-led conservation efforts that have been used for generations. It includes land and forest supervision and traditional customs and actions that protect biodiversity. 24"We consider ourselves like an animal of the forest. It's like we are tigers - when you take a tiger out of the forest, how will it live?" said Paul Sein Twa. He leads the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network. "We consider it part of our life and duty to protect our lands." 25Evidence of the effectiveness of such community-led conservation already can be found in Myanmar. Earlier this year, a community-led conservation project in Karen State won the U.N. Equator Prize for environmentally safe development solutions. 26For May Cho Win, the desire to keep protecting her forested land and to grow durian and cotton plants remains firm - U.N. project or not. 27I'm Alice Bryant. 28The Associated Press reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 29________________________________________________________________ 30Words in This Story 31conservation - n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources 32indigenous - adj. living or existing naturally in a particular region or environment 33logging - n. cutting down trees for timber 34consult - v. to talk about something with someone in order to make a decision 35complaint - n. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with something 36interview - n. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information 37draft - adj. not yet in final form 38park - n. a large area of public land kept in its natural state to protect plants and animals 39harass - v. to annoy or bother someone in a constant or repeated way 40biodiversity - n. the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in an environment