By Jorge Barrera
APTN National News
OTTAWA–The Harper government continues to prevent the UN special rapporteur on Indigenous peoples from visiting Canada.
James Anaya, the special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, says the federal government continues to ignore his year-old request to visit Canada to investigate the “human rights situation of Indigenous peoples,” according to a Feb. 20 letter he sent to the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC).
“I have communicated with the government of Canada to request its consent for me to conduct an official visit to the country to examine and report on the human rights situation of Indigenous peoples there,” writes Anaya, in the letter. “I initially made the request in February of 2012 and am still awaiting a response from the government.”
Anaya has written the federal government at least three times requesting permission to visit the country.
Anaya says in the letter that Canada has issued “a standing invitation” to special rapporteurs that hold mandates from the UN Human Rights Council, but he can’t enter the country on an official visit without the formal consent of Ottawa that would include an agreement on dates and terms of the visit.
Anaya says he will find a way to meet with First Nations leaders through unofficial channels if the government continues to ignore his request.
“If I do not receive a positive response from the government in the coming months, I can explore ways of meeting with First Nations leaders from Canada outside the context of an official visit,” writes Anaya.
Anaya’s letter came in response to an invitation from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the UBCIC.
Anaya’s term ends in May 2014.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
@JorgeBarrera
The Prime Minister of Ottawapiskat is an embarrassment to Canada; in the past year that shame has grown into International mockery. He should do the honorable thing – resign and call an election, however, his 30 some percent of nearly fanatical and reason challenged followers would simply elect another corporate puppet, unless we figure out a way to build a coalition government of parties to oppose. Our split votes are destroying our values and our country.
Clearly there is no plausible deniability on the part of the Harper Government in regards to this matter. It is clearly an act of contempt towards the UN and towards the treaty rights of First Nation’s people in Canada. Canada’s First Nation’s people are a Sovereign Nation and the UN provided a Special Rapporteur to work in their behalf but the Federal Government of Canada is overstepping it’s jurisdictional powers to block access and this must be stopped.
This is disgusting but not surprising. This is the same government that has repeatedly tried and attempt to derail the current hearing before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to determine if the government is discriminating First Nation children and families by providing flawed and inadequate services services. The Canadian government needs to step up and be accountable or be publicly shamed and forced to look in the mirror. It is not only an embarrassment internationally, but more importantly peoples rights continue to be violated.
Increasingly the Harper Conservative govt muzzles and excludes people ;clamping down, I am beginning to feel personally stifled and choked by this governments actions,For goodness sakes let people “be” and thrive freely ; communicate freely and live freely. that freedom was the best thing about Canada once..The Country’s Circulation System and it’s very Heart are compromised now by this Govt attempting to force everything through it’s own narrow perspective.and attempting to destroy or smother anything that doesn’t fit through that small limited portal. Blocking the arterys that carry diversity ; inovation; discourse and discovery ;the very life blood of our nation ;is crippling our country ; killing our vitality as a rich thriving country. It’s beginning to feel like its hard to breath here..Canada is becoming a prison and more over the “thought” police are bombarding us with stifling rhetoric, Does anyone else feel this pall descending over us?? like chains?. awful.!
Why doesn’t Mr. Anaya want to talk to community members that are denied services from their band councils? That should be the question of the day.
Foot-dragging, stone-walling, deliberate indifference. Seems the Natives get a double portion everywhere. Interesting.
help us all in canada! we’re under harper’s reign now! save us all!
wow. what a disgrace.
sigh. heads in the sand. this isn’t going to go away just because some politicians want it to. shame on this government!