Why Can't We???UN tells Mexico to stop forced sterilizations Fri Mar 10, 2:00 PM ET GENEVA (AFP) - A UN anti-discrimination committee strongly urged Mexico to stop forced sterilizations of indigenous people and comply with an international convention.
The Committee against Racial Discrimination, comprised of 18 independent experts, told Mexico to "adopt all the necessary measures to put an end to this practice, to investigate it impartially, (and) to try and punish the perpetrators."
The Mexican government admitted to the committee that forced sterilizations continue in some poor states, but denied being involved and said it was trying to put a stop to the practice.
The committee also made recommendations to improve the rights of the country's some 12 million indigenous people, representing around one tenth of the total population, and to eradicate discrimination against them in the media.
It urged Mexico to protect the rights of indigenous peoples to "possess, exploit, control and use their land and territories," and recommended that special attention be paid to the solution of land conflicts.
It also called for Mexico to guarantee the rights of indigenous villages to take part in government and public affairs at any level, and for interpreters and representatives familiar with their languages, cultures and customs to be present in legal proceedings.
The committee called for better security for immigrant workers in Mexico, particularly indigenous communities from Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.