Kongres Taman-Taman Asia Ke-2 telah berlangsung selama 6 hari iaitu bermula pada 24 Mei 2022 hingga 29 Mei 2022. Seramai 247 komuniti tempatan, orang asal/asli dari Malaysia (Sarawak, Sarawak dan Semenanjung) dan juga dari 8 buah negara di serantau Asia termasuk Thailand, Indonesia, Filipina, India, Kemboja, Vietnam, Nepal dan Kyrgyzstan telah mengikuti program ‘Orang Asal dan Komuniti Tempatan’ atau ‘Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC)’. Forum ini adalah anjuran bersama PACOS Trust, Asia Indigenous People Pact (AIPP), The ICCA Consortium, Forest Peoples Programme, Sabah Parks dan United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Deklarasi Api-Api (Api-Api merujuk kepada nama lama Kota Kinabalu, ibu kota Sabah) telah dihasilkan melalui perkongsian isu dan realiti; aspirasi komuniti serta mesej utama yang diutarakan oleh Orang Asal dan komuniti tempatan serantau Asia semasa berlansungnya kongres ini. Deklarasi ini disebut dan disokong oleh suara majoriti pada 27 Mei 2022.
Kandungan deklarasi tersebut telah menggariskan keadaan realiti Orang Asal dan Komuniti Tempatan di seluruh Asia yang mana kerajaan telah gagal mengiktiraf mengiktiraf atau menyokong peranan mereka sebagai pemilik adat dan penjaga biodiversiti dan kesejahteraan sosio-ekologi, namun kawasan yang masih mempunyai nilai biodiversiti tinggi sering bertindih dengan kawasan yang telah mereka urus sejak turun-temurun lagi.
Dalam deklarasi tersebut juga turut menekankan kesan ketidakadilan sebelum ini di mana kawasan perlindungan yang diwujudkan tanpa persetujuan masih berterusan. Orang Asal dan Komuniti Tempatan sentiasa melihat kawasan perlindungan yang diisytiharkan atau diperluaskan tanpa persetujuan, pengetahuan awal dan permakluman mereka, atau dengan melalui proses perundingan terpilih yang telah dimanipulasikan.
Langkah keterhadapan atau saranan:
1. Gesaan agar moratorium pengisytiharan mana-mana kawasan perlindungan tanpa penglibatan Orang Asal dan Komuniti Tempatan, tanpa pengiktirafan sistem pengurusan adat dan tadbir urus tradisi, dan tanpa kebebasan, keutamaan dan persetujuan mereka.
2. Orang Asal dan Komuniti Tempatan juga menyeru kedua-dua agensi pemuliharaan dan kerajaan untuk menjadikan pendekatan berasaskan hak sebagai standard dalam semua inisiatif pemuliharaan sedia ada dan akan datang, serta mengiktiraf dan menyokong kepimpinan tradisi dalam inisiatif pemuliharaan.
Gordon John (Orang Asal Dusun Tatana dari Sabah) dan Diana Tan (Orang Asli Jakun dari Pahang) berkongsi membacakan Deklarasi kepada kesemua wakil Orang Asal dan Komuniti Tempatan yang hadir pada hari tersebut.
Untuk bacaan penuh atau pengistiharaan Deklarasi Api-Api penuh di sini: https://bit.ly/3Gxi0LS
Syabas dan tahniah kepada semua yang terlibat, teruskan perjuangkan hak orang asal!
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The 2nd Asia Parks Congress was held at Sabah International Convention Centre for 6 days from the 24th of May 2022 until the 29th of May 2022. 247 Indigenous Peoples and local communities from 9 countries in the Asia region – Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Nepal & Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak) – participated in this programme.
The Api – Api declaration (Api – Api is one of the old names for Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah) was made through the sharing of issues and realities; communities’ aspirations as well as key messages that were highlighted by Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the Asia region during the congress. The declaration was endorsed and supported by the majority of the participants on the 27th of May 2022.
The contents of this declaration outline the realities faced by the Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the Asia region where the government fails to recognize or support their roles as custom owners, stewards of biodiversity and socio-ecological well–being. However, these areas that still have a high biodiversity value often overlap with areas that are managed by the Indigenous Peoples and local communities for generations.
The declaration also emphasized the effects of previous injustices where protected areas were created without their consent and it continues to this day. Indigenous Peoples and local communities often witness protected areas being declared or expanded without their consent, prior knowledge and notice or through a selective consultation process that has been manipulated.
Way forward or recommendations
1. Among the recommendations made was the call for a moratorium on the declaration of any protected areas without the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities, without the recognition of indigenous governance and customary management systems, and without their free, prior, and informed consent.
2. Indigenous peoples and local communities also called for both conservation agencies and governments to make a rights-based approach the standard in all existing and future conservation initiatives, and to recognize and support the leadership of grassroots communities in conservation initiatives.
Gordon John (indigenous Dusun Tatana from Sabah) and Diana Tan (indigenous Jakun from Pahang) shared the stage to read out the Declaration to the rousing endorsement of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities representatives present.
Read the full declaration here: https://bit.ly/3a2mCO6
Well done and congratulations to all participants, continue fighting for Indigenous Peoples’ rights!



























