“The United Nations (UN) has estimated the total number of Indigenous persons in the world is
about 370 million. About 2/3 of the total Indigenous population are concentrated in Asia, which
made Asia as the region with the highest cultural diversity in the world. With the diversity of
traditional knowledge, heritage and sustainable management system of natural resources,
Indigenous Peoples are capable of actively contributing to sustainable developments in their
countries. However, Indigenous Peoples in Asia are constantly marginalized from development
plans and the Indigenous Peoples’ concept of “development” is destroyed gradually. Indigenous
lands, natural resources and territories have been-and still are-taken over for “national
development” and “conservation” without the Indigenous Peoples’ consent.”
