Land rights

India is home to more indigenous people than any other country, and has accordingly passed laws to protect the rights of its forest tribes. Yet now a Supreme Court decision this February — in response to petitions from wildlife conservation groups — means millions of indigenous Indians could face, as Raksha Kumar writes, one of the largest land evictions the world has ever known (SCMP).

Also from India — an update in the national register means that about four million Assam residents need to prove their citizenship — sparking fears of a witch hunt against the region’s ethnic minorities, and leading to scores of suicides (NewsIn).

The Bajau Laut people, who have genetically adapted to diving, have been getting a lot of attention from outlets like National Geographic, The Independent and BBC . These stories often ignore the range of issues they face. Huiyee Chiew spoke to a community member and reports on the lives, struggles and values of Bajau Laut families for MalaysiaKini.

This piece by Rina Chandaran for Thomson Reuters shows that in Thailand too, indigenous people have been stripped of rights and land. While well-meaning initiatives are attempting to reverse decades of oppression and poverty, the best solution is too often avoided: returning traditional land and right to self-determination.