The Dark Side of World Heritage: UN Involvement in Forced Eviction of Indigenous People from Six Sites Across Africa and Asia

In recent news, a report has brought to light the involvement of the United Nations (UN) in the forced eviction of Indigenous people from six World Heritage Sites across Africa and Asia. These sites, often ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples, have been taken from them through intimidation and violence. The report, released by Survival International, calls for UNESCO to revoke World Heritage Status from any sites where such abuses are occurring.

One example highlighted in the report is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, where the Maasai population has faced arrests, torture, and theft of their cattle. Despite UNESCO’s 2010 decision that the Maasai population should remain within the capacity of the property, they continue to be subjected to human rights abuses. In another instance, UNESCO urged officials in Democratic Republic of Congo to remove illegal occupants from Kahuzi-Beiga National Park, resulting in the forced eviction of Indigenous Batwa people. Subsequent reports revealed allegations of rape, murder, and brutal treatment of these individuals by Congolese soldiers.

The report also investigates similar evictions of Indigenous people from Odzala-Kokoua National Park in Republic of Congo, Kaziranga National Park in India, Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex in Thailand. Despite UNESCO’s claims that it upholds the rights of Indigenous people in managing World Heritage Sites, this report sheds light on ongoing human rights violations faced by Indigenous communities living near or within these sites. It calls for greater accountability and action to protect their rights and ensure that they can continue to live on their ancestral lands without fear or persecution.