Bangladesh indigenous groups reject 15th Amendment of Constitution and terming of indigenous peoples as 'Bengali'

Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact

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Category: IP/IP Rights                                                                             Date: July 12, 2011

Bangladesh indigenous groups reject 15^th Amendment of Constitution and terming of indigenous peoples as ‘Bengali’

Main concerns that affect Indigenous peoples are:
(1) Retaining of “BISMILLAH-AR-RAHMAN-AR-RAHIM” (In the name of Allah) In the preamble of the constitution.
(2) Retaining of ISLAM as state religion: Islam alone cannot be the state religion as there are people who practice and folow other religions such as Hindu, Christian, Bouddha and Indigenous Practices.
(3) Non recognition of Indigenous Peoples as Indigenous (Adibasi). Upajati(tribes)/Khudra Jatisatta(minor races)/Nrigosthi-sampradai(ethnic sects and communities) are the terms inserted. These terminologies are not acceptable to the indigenous peoples.
(4) The Nationality and Citizenship: The People of Bangladesh shall be know as Bengali as a nation and the citizens of Bangladesh shall be know as Bangladeshis. Indigenous peoples of Bangladesh do not want to be known as Bengali. In this way Indigenous peoples own national identity will get lost.
(5) Freedom of Association: There is every possibility for the political parties/organizations/associations of the Indigenous Peoples  to be stopped terming them communal.   

10 July 2011

Najib Snubbed By UK PM?!

The flash crowd that turned up to boo Najib’s event at Mansion House (the official residence of the City of London’s Mayor) was larger than yesterday’s outside Downing Street.  They had been joined by Amnesty International, who have spoken out about the treatment of the Bersih demonstrators at the weekend.  Amnesty commands considerable respect in the UK.

Cabbie says Bersih good for business

“I wish I could cope,” a taxi driver tells our reporter.

KUALA LUMPUR: Business was brisk for some taxi drivers in the city on June 9, according to one of them.

A cabbie who drove a FMT reporter from Jalan Tun Sambanthan to Bangsar during the Bersih rally said he, like many others in the business, was not able to cope with the day’s demand for taxis.

Does Pairin really love the KDM ?

By Ezra Haganez
KOTA BELUD: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) posed a question to Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leadership on what makes it wanting to stick with UMNO when clearly UMNO is not a help in solving many of the state' perennial problems especially the 1.7 million illegal immigrants overstaying in Sabah, and Malaysian identity cards issued to them.

Samad Said: Najib 'memang kejamlah'

Sasterawan Negara Datuk A Samad Said menyifatkan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sebagai perdana menteri yang "memang kejam" berbanding dengan beberapa perdana menteri sebelum ini.

"Kalau tengok (perdana menteri) yang sudah-sudah itu, (Najib) memang kejamlah," katanya ketika diminta membandingkan pentadbiran Najib dan dua penyandang sebelumnya - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Menceritakan kembali "kebengisan" polis dalam menangani perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 Sabtu lalu, A Samad (kiri) mendakwa pentadbiran Najib sekarang mengarah kepada menjadikan Malaysia negara kuku besi.

Ketika diwawancara Malaysiakini di sebuah restoran di Bangsar hari ini, A Samad berkata, perkara itu boleh dilihat melalui rakaman video dan gambar di internet yang mana kerajaan "berantakan dengan orang awam".

"Youtube siarkan, kita boleh lihat semua dan (dia) tak boleh tipu. Cuma, malangnya dalam akhbar-akhbar (dan) media utama, sudah tentu kamu nampak berat sebelah," katanya yang mesra dengan panggilan Pak Samad.

"Tapi kalau (di) Youtube, tak boleh tipu. Kamu kata tidak jentik-jentik, (itu) pun nampak (di Youtube). Kamu kata tidak ada orang yang dipijak, (tetapi ada) yang ditendang berulang kali," katanya.

Kepimpinan 'bangsawan'
Sehubungan itu, A Samad mendesak Najib meletakkan jawatan, selaras dengan kempen sama di Facebook yang kini sudah digemari hampir 200,000 orang.

"Ya, saya mahu (beliau letak jawatan). Saya ikut (perkembangannya) dalam Facebook, amat bagus (kempen itu). Kalau di Jepun, orang lain buat salah pun, menteri itu tunduk depan orang.

"Ada perdana menteri Jepun tidak sampai satu penggal pun, (letak jawatan). Tapi di sini tentu, orang sangat mengidam kuasa," katanya sambil menambah kerajaan tidak lagi memerintah "dengan sukaan umum".

Bagaimanapun, ditanya tentang perdana menteri mana yang yang paling bagus, A Samad tidak menjawabnya secara langsung, sebaliknya menyebut tentang penguasaan "bangsawan" bagi jawatan itu.

Katanya, sepanjang lebih 50 tahun kemerdekaan, kecuali Dr Mahathir, kesemua perdana menteri disandang oleh golongan itu yang disifatkannya "hidup mudah".

"Laporan-laporan yang sampai ke telinga (mereka) itu, semuanya yang cantik sahaja. Jadi, mereka tidak merasakan (kesusahan rakyat).

"Saya merasakan sudah waktunya, kepimpinan harus datang dari bawah, bukan dari atas," tegasnya lagi.

Ditanya berapa lama BN boleh bertahan untuk memerintah negara ini, sasterawan yang membiasakan dirinya dengan panggilan "bapak" berkata beliau sukar untuk meramalkannya.

"Tetapi bapak harapkan dalam pilihan raya akan datang, mereka undur ataupun jatuh. Itu harapan saya," katanya.


A Samad Said diwawancara Wee Yu Meng, Jimadie Shah Othman, Abdul Rahim Sabri dan Nigel Aw.