From Bala Pillai Fri Sep 10 18:50:40 1999
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To: tamilfoundation@..., tamil@...
From: Bala Pillai
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Subject: [agathiyar] They Have a Flag - But No Country (fw)
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X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 1962

Anbulla Satyendra,

Havn't heard from you in a long while - how are things going at
tamilnation.org ?

We should urge Prabakaran/Balasingam to have Eelam Tamils join
organisation referred to below. As I've mentioned many times, I'm ready to
guide with mindspace penetration - just need some no-nonsense bridging
assistance from Eelam Tamil little-risk-taking doers - preferably before I
die.

anbudan../bala
bala@...

--- forwarded ----
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation

http://www.unpo.org/tartu/express/index.html

They have a flag - but no country.

Article in the Swedish evening newspaper Expressen on
Sunday 17 August 1997

Translated by SSF/Gய்ran Hansson

They represent 100 million persons from
all over the world. They have one thing in
common. What they do not have is their
own country.

By Jenny Gamming, OTEPலல, Estonia.


Everyone has heard of East Timor, Kurdistan and Tibet. But who
has heard of Chuvash, Mapuche and Acheh? How many of us will pinpoint those
on a map?

50 nations and peoples are joined together in the Unrepresented Nations and
Peoples Organisation (UNPO). There they have what the do not have in the UN
and other international organisations: a voice and moral support.

Some of the members, for instance Tibet and Cabinda, want to be independent
states - but not all. To many peoples, for example the Twa People and the
unlikely member Scania, the goal is greater cultural freedom and more
self-determination. Click! To become a new state is not the main issue for
most of the members, says Michael van Walt, the General Secretary of the
UNPO. Besides, he continues, statehood often creates new problems.

The difference in the goals could also depend on whether a people is
disbursed all over the earth or if they all live in a well defined
geographical area.

Another difference could be that, as in the example of Burathia, that the
Burathian people are a minority in their country. Forced repatriations and
population transfers of, in particular Russians and Chinese, in a few
decades have made indigenous peoples minorities.

UNPO is one of the few organisations whoa are proud to have former members.
To UNPO it means that a people has won its struggle. It means that the
people has finally obtained little more self-determination, has become
their own state or even got a seat in the UN.

One of UNPOs former members is Estonia. Estonia is now thanking the UNPO
by being the host for the 1997 General Assembly, newly completed in the
little village of Otepயூயூ. The Estonians havent forgotten the people who
supported the Estonian struggle for independence, the same people who are
still fighting for their own freedom.

UNPO is the first international organisation which allowed Estonia to
become a member. We received a fantastic support for our freedom struggle,
says Linnart Mயூll, one of the organisers of the Assembly.

The symbolism is not ignored by any of the members. The Estonian dream of
self-determination became a reality. Maybe their people will be next inturn.


Nation and Sate is not the same thing

In Sweden, as in many other countries, the concept of nation is often
synonymous with the State. But the basic interpretation of the word nations
is instead related to the concept of a people who are tied to- gether by a
common identity. Kurdistan is, with this definition, a nation but not a
state. The old Yugoslavia is on the contrary a state but not a nation. A
third exam- ple is Iceland, which is both a state and a nation.



Here are the people who want to become their own

Map

Abkhazia

In Abkhazia, situated between the Caucasian mountains and the Black Sea,
lives about 525,000 inhabitants of which 100,000 are ethnic Abkhasians. 70%
are Orthodox Christians and 30% Sunni Muslims. The Soviet Union joined
Abkhazia and Georgia to one republic. In 1990 Abkhazia proclaimed
independence against the will of the Georgian Government. Cease-fire is now
in place after a few years of war, but no formal peace has been agreed to.

Aboriginals of Australia

The 100,000 Aboriginals are today only 1,5 percent of the population of
Australia. Most of them live outside the cities and other densely populated
areas. The Aboriginals are divided into a number of nations and clans.
Among them there are a staggering 500 different languages divided into 31
language groups.

Acheh


Acheh is situated in the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
In the whole of Sumatra there are 25 million Achehs. Acheh was spared
western colonialisation but was instead a victim of Asian imperialism and
now belongs to Indonesia. Those who presently work for independence lives
in exile and the leaders are actually living in Stockholm.

Albanians in Macedonia

There are 800,000 ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. They represent
about 40% of the total population of Macedonia and live mainly in western
Macedonia, which belonged to Albania until 1945. Since 1992, when Macedonia
left Yugoslavia, the Slavic majority in the country has dominated the
Albanian population.

Assyria


There are 3,3 million Assyrians spread all over the world. Most of them,
however, lives in what was once Mesopotamia in todays Iraq. Despite coming
from a region dominated by Muslims. The Assyrians are Christians.

Buryatia

More then half of the 450,000 Buryatians lives in a large mountain area in
Siberia. During the Soviet era many Russians moved to Buryatia. The
Buryatians are today a minority in the republic, which is a part of the
Russian Federation. That is the reason why they are unable to obtain any
higher degree of independence.

Cabinda


500,000 people live in Cabinda. Another 100,000 live as refugees outside
the nation of Cabinda, which is part of Angola but is situated in between
CongoBrazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cabinda is one of
the few territories, which were never de-colonialised. From being a
Portuguese protectoate Cabinda was handed over to Angola when that country
became independent.

Circassia


The historic Circassia is situated in Caucasia, north of the eastern Black
Sea. During the war between 1711-1864, Circassia lost 90% of its
population, some through deportation to the Ottoman Empire. They are now
spread all over the world and there are today 3 million Circassians in 50
countries. Only 10% of the population in Circassia are ethnic Circassians.
The Circassians are Muslims and the women are increasingly becoming a force
in the political and social develop- ment.


Chechen republic of Ichkeria


Chechnya is situated in the eastern part of Caucasia and borders to the
south to Georgia. The republic has a little more than 1.2 million
inhabitants of which 1 million are Chechens. Most Chechens are Muslims.
Chechnya proclaimed inde- pendence from the Russian Federation in 1991.
Russia sent military forces to Chechnya in 1994. The war lasted for almost
two years. In August 1996 a cease- fire agreement was signed.

Chittagong Hill Tracts


The territory is situated in Bangladesh. The many peoples, which live
there, are referred to by the common name, the Jumma People and consist of
500,000 in- habitants. They differ from the Bengalis, which represent a
majority in the rest of Bangladesh. At the time of the independence of
India in 1947, the Bengalis were 0.3% of the population in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts. Today 48.57% of the popu- lation in Chittagong Hill Tracts are
Bengalis.

Chuvash


Chuvash is a territory in the middle Volga region, about 500 kilometres
east of Moscow. There are 1,8 million Chuvash, about half living in
Chuvash. Presently Chuvash is an autonomous region in the RussianFederation.

East Timor

East Timor is the eastern part of the Island of Timor, situated 640
kilometres north-west of Australia. East Timor has 650,000 inhabitants, out
of which 200,000 are Muslim Indonesians who have immigrated to East Timor.
The East Timorese are Catholic. Portugal commenced de-colonising East Timor
in 1974 with the aim of East Timor becoming and independent state. Instead,
Indonesia occupied East Timor in 1975. East Timor's struggle for
independence gained considerable inter- national attention in 1996 when the
international diplomat Jos Ramos-Horta and Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximeres
received the Nobel Peace Prize.


East Turkestan


East Turkestan is situated in Central Asia, between Mongolia and Tibet.
East Turkestan is, since 1949, the Chinese autonomous region Xinjiang, but
is lacking actual self-government. 7.2% of the 16 million inhabitants are
Uigurs, the indige- nous people of East Turkestan. The influx of the
Chinese has made the Uigurs a minority and the opposition between the
Uigurs and the Chinese are at times vio- lent. Another problem is the
nuclear testing China is conducting in East Turk- estan, against the will
of the Uigurs.

Greeks in Albania


A minority of people with a Greek decent live in Albania, almost all in the
south- ern part of the country. The relations between Greece and Albania
have improved lately and that has had a positive effect on the Greekminority.

Hawaii


Only 20% of the 1.2 million people living on Hawaii are indigenous. The USA
conquered the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893.

Ingushetia


The 300,000 Ingushetians is a Caucasian people. Most of them live in the
Republic of Ingushetia, to the north of Georgia. To the east Ingushetia
borders to Chechnya and there are strong ties between the two Muslim
peoples. Ingushetia is a part of the Russian Federation. The republic
suffers from an unemployment rate of 50 percent and considerable
environmental problems.

Inkeri


The Inkeris are a Finnish people, which originally came from Inkeri, the
territory surrounding St. Petersburg. The majority of the about 90,000
Inkeris live in other parts of Russia. Inkeri has a common ethnic ancestry
with both Estonia and Fin- land.

Iraqi Turkomans


There are between 2 and 2,5 million Turkomans in Iraq. Most of them live in
the northern and central parts. They have, historically, constituted a
border between the Arabs in the south and the Kurds to the north. Since the
Gulf War, when a de- militarised zone for the Kurds was established in the
northern part of Iraq, the Turkoman population has been geographically
separated. The Turkomans have suffered greatly from the fighting in the
Kurd dominated areas.

Karenni


The 300,000 Karennis live mainly in the mountainous border area between
Burma and Thailand. The Karenni State was independent prior to 1881 when it
became a part of the British Empire. When Burma became independent in 1948
the Karenni State was incorporated in it. The Karenni People has never
accepted this.


Komi


There are 250,000 indigenous inhabitants in the Republic of Komi, which is
a part of the Russian Federation. Komi is situated to the west of the Ural
Mountains. During the past few years many Russians have emigrated from
Komi. This means that the relative indigenous population has increased as
well as the possibilities to speak Komi's own language and develop its
culture.

Kumyk


Kumyk is situated in Dagestan near the Caspian Sea. 300,000 Kumyks live
there and an additional 150,000 live outside of Kumyk. Just as many other
people in the former Soviet Union, the Kumyks have suffered from forced
deportation and as- similation policies. The Kumyks are today struggling to
maintain their cultural identity.

Kurdistan


Kurdistan stretches over parts of Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. 30 million
inhabi- tants live there. When the Ottoman Empire was dissolved in the
1920s, the Kurds were promised their own state. It never came to that.
During the Gulf War Sad- dam Hussein's persecution of the Kurds were
noticed, and the Iraqi troops were forced to pull back from the Iraqi
Kurdistan. That territory is today independent.

Lakota


The Sioux Indians comprise of Lakotas, Dakotas and Nakotas. One hundred
thou- sand of the indigenous population is Lakota Indians. They all live in
the state of South Dakota. A majority of the indigenous population lives in
misery - alcohol- ism, 80% unemployment and a suicide rate which is twice
as high as the average American.

Mapuche


There are 1.7 million Mapuche Indians. Most of them live in Chile, but at
least 200,000 live in Argentina. The Mapuche Indians has lost large
portions of their ancestral lands. The living conditions are characterised
by poverty, alcoholism, decease, illiteracy and the destruction of the
environment.

Mon


There are 4 million people who consider themselves Mons. They live in the
Mon State in the south-eastern Burma. The land consists of hills and
mountains as well as several small islands in the Andarman Lake. In 1947
the Mon People de- manded their own state. The Burmese said no and that
resulted in a civil war, which is still going on. At the present moment
there exist a cease-fire but tens of thousands of Mons are still living in
refugee camps near the Thai border.

Nagaland


Nagaland is situated where the borders of India, China and Burma meet. The
Naga People, who immigrated to Nagaland from Mongolia in the 10th century,
consist of three million people. They belong to a different culture and
race than the rest of the population in the area. When India became
independent in 1947 the Nagas proclaimed their own independence but was,
despite this, incorporated into India. Nagaland is still a part if India,
much because of a massive presence of In- dian military in Nagaland.


Ogoni


The Ogoni People consists of 500,000 people in the south-eastern Nigeria.
The struggle against the oil company Shell's exploiting of their land has
received con- siderable international attention and increasingly so after
the execution, by the military dictatorship in Nigeria in November 1995, of
the human rights and envi- ronment activist Ken Saro-Wiva. The Ogoni People
has suffered very much by oil spills and oil pollution, which has destroyed
their environment.

Shan


The Shan People consist of 8 million people in eastern Burma in a
territory, which borders to Thailand, Laos and China. Just as the case with
the Mon and the Karenni, the Burmese central power is the main enemy in the
struggle for self- determination.

Scania


Scania - the common name for the provinces of Skரூne, Halland and Blekinge
has 1,5 million inhabitants. Historically the Island of Bornholm was also
included in the Scanian territory. The member organisation is very EU
positive and has fully adopted the EU subsidiarity principle, which means
that every political decision shall be taken at the lowest possible level.

South Moluccas


One million people live in the South Moluccas, which belongs to Indonesia.
The South Moluccas consists of about 150 islands in the Banda Sea, west
from New Guinea. The South Moluccans are Melanese, but the main religion is
Christianity. South Moluccas was a Dutch colony until the Netherlands
handed over to powers to Indonesia. Muslim Indonesians have immigrated to
the South Moluccas and the indigenous people fear that they may become a
minority on the islands. The struggle for independence has been met with
Indonesian repression.

Taiwan


Taiwan is located on the island of Formosa, 160 kilometres from the Chinese
mainland. The 21 million people can be divided into three separate peoples.
The largest group is the Chinese immigrating during the 16th to 18th
centuries. In addi- tion, there is a small group of indigenous people. And
of course, the Kuomintang sympathisers escaping China after the revolution
1949. Taiwan has a varied and complex history. Presently Taiwan is a
democracy trying to get a seat in the UN - so far with no success. The
question of Taiwan's relations to China is perhaps the most difficult issue
today.


Tibet


Tibet has 13,5 million inhabitants, of which 6 millions are ethnic
Tibetans. The majority of the population is Chinese settlers. Tibet was
invaded by China in 1949 and is, since 1951 an autonomous region in the
Peoples republic of China. The land area of Tibet is about the same as the
one in the European Union. The pre- dominant religion is Lamaism, a special
form of Buddhism. The religious leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama, lives in exile
in India but travels much of the time in order to gain international
support for the Tibet's struggle for freedom.

Tuva


Tuva is situated where the Siberian river Jenisej ends up, north of
Mongolia. The indigenous population consists of 97% of the 310,000
inhabitants. Tuva has more or less been governed by Moscow during the major
part of the 20th century and is today a Russian Republic.

Twa


The Twa People, sometimes also called the Batwa People, are pygmies and the
indigenous population of Rwanda. They constitute only 0.4 % of the
population of Rwanda. Before the genocide in 1994 the 29,000 Twas were
disbursed all over the country, often in the outskirts of the Hutu and
Tutsi villages. Only about 10,000 Twa remain today. It is estimated that
about ten thousand Twas were killed and the same number is living asrefugees.

Udmurt


Udmurt lays 800 kilometres north-east of Moscow and borders to Tartarstan.
The indigenous population, a Finish-Udmurt people, fell victim to the
Soviet popula- tion transfer. 700,000 of the Udmurts live in Udmurt and are
today a minority in Udmurt.

West Papua


West Papua is the western part of the Island of New Guinea, north of
Australia. It has 1.8 million inhabitants. Half of the population is
indigenous and of Melanese origin. The rest is immigrated Indonesians. The
Melanese are predominantly Christians. The Indonesians are Muslims. West
Papua, previously a Dutch colony, came under Indonesian control in 1963.
Indonesia has handed over large portions of West Papua to foreign mining,
oil and forest companies.

Zanzibar


Zanzibar, east of the coast of East Africa, belongs to Tanzania and
consists of the coral islands Unguja and Pemba. The 750,000 inhabitants
have a multi-ethnic background with roots in Africa, Middle East and India.
Zanzibar became inde- pendent from Great Britain in 1963 and gained a seat
in the UN. The following year the islands became involved in a revolution
and as a result Zanzibar and Tanganyika was joined into one: Zanzibar.


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