NGO submission on Indo-Myanmar FTA

IMPHAL, March 19: The North East Peoples Alliance; Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action; Center for Organization, Research and Education and Women in Governance (WinG) made a submission to Dr Nalinee Taveesin, Permanent Representative, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of the Royal Thai Government  that the FTA negotiations, including India ASEAN appears to lack transparency and hence, calls for a more open process so that people are made to be aware of what is being negotiated and space created so that their concerns are taken on board. Calling for more transparency of the nature and progress of negotiations, the submission pointed out that unrestrained trade and securitization of development in the form of investments can play havoc on peoples’ lives and their environment, and hence, requires stringent social clauses informed by international human rights standards.

 It continued further that the FTA process and its implementation must also be informed by the rights of Indigenous Peoples in North East region as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), ILO 169 and also the recent UN directive on Business and Human Rights.

"The FTA through North East India must be informed by the experiences of the Indo-Myanmar Border Trade, 1995 which resulted in the destruction of local productive base.An assessment of the same must be conducted before the implementation of India ASEAN FTA," it said, while adding that Northeast India is one of the most diverse region in terms of bio-diversity and culture, mineral, hydro energy and highlighting that extractive industry and harvesting hydro-energy carries the potential of displacement and destruction of livelihood options of the people and endemic ecology as many of the mega dams have shown in the past.