| Statement from Survival International about the Bedouin of Wadi Rum |
| Huweitat Bedouin of Rum, Jordan Survival International is concerned that the Huweitat Bedouin of Rum are threatened with being marginalised by the development of tourism and climbing in their territory. Tourism has the potential to bring great benefits to the Bedouin; they have been deriving revenue from it, and they are valued as climbing and trekking guides. However official tourism is increasingly bypassing them, and they fear that it may even lead to their losing their ancestral land and grazing rights. They have even been threatened with the removal of their village. The various governmental and other bodies who dispute the control of this lucrative trade too easily ignore them. Yet the Bedouin are the people with the prior rights over this territory, and neither government nor private interests can validly interfere with them. Indigenous people such as the Bedouin must have rights over their land. By this, we mean ownership rights, which are enshrined in international law (ILO Conventions 107 and 169). In many cases, as apparently in Jordan, the government is unwilling to accept this, but at the very least, indigenous peoples must be allowed control over their lands, which of course includes free and unrestricted access. Any development or change in use of the land must only be carried out after consultation with, and with the free and informed consent of, the people concerned. It is also important to stress that a people's land includes not only any land in which they may have settlements, but also that which they traditionally use for hunting, herding or other activities (including the spiritual). This is, of course, particularly important in the case of nomadic or partly nomadic peoples such as the Bedouin. Survival urges the government of Jordan to ensure that, in their concern for the preservation of the environment and the prosperity of the nation, the Huweitat are not deprived of their fundamental rights. Survival International March 2002 Survival International is a worldwide organisation supporting tribal peoples. It stands for their right to decide their own future and helps them protect their lives, lands and human rights. Survival International 6 Charterhouse Buildings London EC1M 7ET UK Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700 Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701 General enquiries: info@survival-international.org http://www.survival-international.org |