activities by presenting them as a violent fight against the Nation rather than a demand
for effective participation into society. During the last decade, several anti-terrorism
laws have been created or revived and used disproportionately against minority groups.
The Mapuche in Chile, Muslims in the US and the UK, the Uyghurs in Central Asia, the
Oromo and Ogaden in Ethiopia are only a few examples of these numerous minority
groups who have been affected. Branded as separatists or terrorists, minority and
indigenous groups face serious State-sponsored human rights violations, including
arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and extra-judicial killings. It is urgent for the Forum to
address this issue, as these laws highly compromise the efforts made to implement the
Declaration.
In order to address this issue, UNPO recommends the following concrete measures:
.
During their country visits, special procedures mandate holders should ensure that minority
organizations and minority human rights defenders, particularly those facing reprisals by
the State, are specifically and directly consulted for their experiences, as their
marginalization and isolation makes it difficult to monitor and report on abuses against
them.