Pacific Islanders call for justice

Pacific Islanders call for justice on climate and human rights

EMBARGOED: 9am Wednesday 5 August 2009

Many strong voices from Pacific, Melanesian, New Zealand and Australian civil society met in Cairns, North Queensland to raise concerns on climate change and human rights that are affected communities across the Pacific region.

The group is calling for immediate greenhouse gas emissions cuts to ensure that people across the Pacific can remain on their islands and ensuring ongoing cultural identity that is intimately tied to land.

Throughout civil society in the Pacific, there is recognition of the linkages between climate change and self-determination: The right to determine your own future and that of your land. Ultimately this is a question of survival.

Reverend Tafue Molu Lusama from Tuvalu said “We do not want to loose our identity, and our identity is strongly tied down to our land. Loosing our land literally means our death as a 'distinct' people on the face of this planet. You do not want to be responsible for that, so act urgently to avoid that happening.”

Pelenise Alofa Pilitati from Kiribati says “To Australia and New Zealand, please show me that you are strong caring big brother in the Pacific! Save the Pacific Islands by cutting the carbon emission.”

Mikaele Maiava, Pacific Youth Warrior from Tokelau said, “My dream is to live a safe, healthy and happier world. A healthy environment is the key to this. WE are responsible to ensure that our children and generation to come live in that world. The industrial world should realise that if they do not cut their emission, our world would be in an unhealthy and unhappy situation. Who would like to live in a world like that? Definitely not me.”

Paula Makabory, West Papua human rights campaigner said, “Recognising the importance of primary forests to the global community, we are concerned about the threat to West Papuan forests by large scale planned oil palm plantations and illegal logging and mining. We call on the Pacific Island Forum countries to raise our concerns about the threat to West Papua forests with the Indonesian government and impose a moratorium on all logging, proposed plantations and carbon trading.”

ENDS

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