Knowledgebase
The case in law
What we ask for, what Vietnam has undertaken, and where the two do not meet.
Articles
3 articles
What the Dega ask for
Three aims, stated in 1964 and never withdrawn, pursued since 1992 by peaceful means only. Beneath them, the rights the United Nations has set out for indigenous peoples — every one of which has been taken from us — and, at the end, the four things that could be done next week by a government that wanted to.
What Vietnam signed, and what happens in the highlands
Vietnam has ratified the major human rights instruments and sits as a member of the United Nations. The obligations are not disputed and they are not optional. Set against them is the record in the Central Highlands, documented by UN bodies and independent organisations. This page puts the two columns side by side.
Indigenous rights at the United Nations, and why the word matters
There are two bodies of international law available to a people in our position. One protects minorities. The other protects indigenous peoples, and it is far stronger: it deals in land, consent and institutions rather than in tolerance. Which one applies to the Dega turns on a single contested word, and that is why the word is fought over so hard.
Powered by WBAMS