§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Philippines Ambassador concerning human rights abuses in Canatuan and the question of indigenous land rights in that area. [97809]
§ Mr. BattleWe are concerned that the rights and freedoms of indigenous people should be recognised and protected. This is why we participate in discussions on indigenous people within the UN, including the working group on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. We supported resolutions on indigenous people at the Commission on Human Rights held in Geneva between 27 March and 30 April this year.
Our Embassy in Manila monitors carefully human rights related issues in the Philippines. We have recently appointed a secondee with an NGO background to our 545W staff in Manila as part of this work. We will be following closely the Philippine Government's Commission on Human Rights investigation into the Canatuan incident.