Mariella Mattaliano, Press Corps 1
UNPO, ECOSOCs — Indigenous peoples from unrepresented nations are being denied their basic rights. Around the world, so many cultures are having their land seized by ruling governments to cultivate the land for more profitable purposes. In doing so the indigenous groups from small unrepresented nations are having their land, as well as their main economic source, taken away.
Chinese and Pakistani economic committees began working on a highway, on land belonging to the Gilgit Baltistanian indigenous groups, to improve their economic status. The indigenous groups were ignorant of the plans to destroy their land and had no ability to defend themselves against this destruction.
The NAIMUN Daily was given the opportunity to sit down with Gilgit – Baltistan’s delegate, Vrritti Bhargava.
“It’s a really big issue because Gilgit – Baltistan is full of mountains, it’s full of landscape, it’s really one of our main attractions when people come and visit us.”, says Bhargava.
The nation of Gilgitt – Baltistan, run by the Pakistani government, is given little to no rights by the ruling government. Despite the small nation already having a functioning government, it was soon under the control of the Pakistan government. Under the rule of the Pakistani government, the entire nation's rights were restricted but the indigenous groups located in the mountains suffered the most.
The indigenous groups, whose land is being destroyed for the profits of the Pakistani government, made a living off of the tourism brought in by their complex cultures. Not only is their land being destroyed but several ancient artifacts have already been destroyed, as well as their intricate rock carvings. The land formerly contained over 60 million rock carvings which have now been reduced to half of what it once was due to the building of the highway.
In the destruction of their land and culture, the nation of Gilgit- Baltistan has suffered great blows to its economy. Many of the inhabitants of the nation are unable to make a living due to the loss of their main source of income and their isolated environment.
Gilgit Baltistan is not alone in this issue. The people of Maasai, an ethnic group located in East Africa, have had their land taken by the Tanzanian government. The Maasai’s economy is dominated by agriculture. With the government of Tanzania seizing the Maasai land, the tribe was located on a reservation with infertile land making it impossible to create a living for themselves.
So many nations and cultures have lost their land rights due to larger and more powerful governments infiltrating and imperializing smaller nations. In self-interest, these superior governments are taking land already inhabited to advance their economy, in doing so stealing, even destroying the land.