A/64/338 indigenous communities; denial of the rights of indigenous peoples to lands and resources; the situation of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation; incidents of threats or violence against indigenous peoples and individuals, including defenders of indigenous rights; and concerns about constitutional or legislative reforms on indigenous issues. 33. Given the limited resources available, it is impossible for the Special Rapporteur to respond to every case that comes to his attention. However, in general, he does his best to act on detailed and credible information that presents a serious situation falling within his mandate in which intervention has a reasonable chance of having a positive impact, either by drawing needed attention to the situation or by prompting Government authorities or other actors to take corrective action. Alternatively, the Special Rapporteur may take action where the situation is representative of, or connected to, a broader pattern of human rights violations against indigenous peoples. The Special Rapporteur has been careful to respond to allegations of human rights violations from a wide range of regions and countries. 34. The usual first step in taking action on such information is to write a letter to the Government concerned, along with a request that the Government respond. In some cases, the Special Rapporteur has issued public statements calling attention to, or expressing concern over, the human rights violations alleged. If circumstances warrant it and the Government concerned consents, the Special Rapporteur may conduct a country visit to examine a specific situation, as he did to examine the situation of the indigenous communities that are affected by the construction of a hydroelectric project on the Changuinola River in Panama,9 and to examine the human rights issues surrounding the confrontations between indigenous peoples and the police in Bagua, Peru.10 In addition, as he has done with regard to the situations examined in those two countries and expects to do in future cases, he may issue detailed observations with analyses and recommendations, in the hope that they will be of use to the Governments and indigenous peoples concerned in their efforts to address the problems raised. 35. In some cases, the Special Rapporteur is invited to participate in an activity at which information regarding alleged human rights violations of indigenous peoples is brought to his attention. Between 9 and 11 December 2008, the Special Rapporteur attended a consultation in Minnesota, the United States, regarding the exhumation of Hmong graves at Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand, and heard from families affected by the exhumations who now live in Minnesota. The information provided to the Special Rapporteur was the subject of a communication sent to the Government of Thailand on 10 March 2008.11 36. The Special Rapporteur is aiming to avoid the “revolving door” approach of simply sending a communication and receiving a response from the Government concerned, but rather to engage actively with States, indigenous peoples and other actors to closely monitor and evaluate situations, identify underlying causes of immediate problems, promote specific action that builds on advances already made and develop recommendations that are practical, well founded in available knowledge and in accordance with relevant human rights standards. Accordingly, the rights afforded to indigenous peoples in the United Nations Declaration form the __________________ 9 10 11 12 A/HRC/12/34/Add.5. A/HRC/12/34/Add.8. A/HRC/12/34/Add.1. 09-50281