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| Republic of Palau Beluu er a Palau | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
_-_PLW_-_UNOCHA.svg) | |
| Capital | Ngerulmud |
| Largest city | Koror |
| Demonym(s) | Palauan |
| Government | Presidential republic under a non-partisan democracy |
• President | Surangel Whipps Jr |
| Area | |
• Total | 459 km² |
| Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 18,024 |
Palau, also called Belau, and officially the Republic of Palau[1] is an island country in Oceania situated in the Pacific Ocean.
History
In 2008 Palau, along with the USA, and its illegal puppet state Israel, was one of only 3 countries in the world that voted to continue the embargo of Cuba.[2]
Human rights
In 2024, a group of student activists in Palau documented the environmental impacts and human rights violations caused by the U.S. militarization of their land, the findings of which they would go on to submit to United Nations independent human rights experts (the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment) in November 2024.[3]
Among the activists' findings, collected as they spoke with communities in Palau, were that the military had undermined human rights, failed to inform indigenous communities about the land use's impacts, did not give them opportunity to provide or withhold consent for land use, and was "clearing huge swathes of pristine forest, destroying resources essential to community subsistence and well-being, and imperiling species of great cultural significance", with the military also violating Palau's laws by failing to do adequate environmental impact assessments and failing to obtain necessary permits for their projects, "in a show of deep disdain for Palau’s sovereignty".[3]
The students asserted that they submitted the filing to protect their homeland, and are quoted in an article by Guam-based Blue Ocean Law, stating, "Belau is Our Home. Belau is Our Mother. It saddens us to see our environment being destroyed just for the use of a foreign power. As youth, we are the ones who will feel the consequences of the choices made today. That is why we feel that our voices should be heard in making these decisions."[3] The activists submitted the filing on behalf of the Ebiil Society, an environmental organization in Palau, with assistance from Blue Ocean Law in submitting the filing. Ebiil Society founder Ann Singeo also commented on the military risk to Palau, saying, "I fear that our small island and our people may be used as a war shield. Definitely can make one feel insignificant and disposable, but that is not us. Women of Palau historically fought hard for this land and her people, by defending our values. We are the descendants of these strong women."[3]
References
- ↑ “Rechad er Belau, or Palauans, are the indigenous people of Belau, the traditional name by which we call our nation, which is now known as the Republic of Palau.”
"Who We Are". Republic of Palau National Government. - ↑ Bill Quigley (2008-12-10). "U.S. Business Says No Mas to Cuba Embargo" Black Agenda Report.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Palauan youth file UN Complaint alleging human rights violations by U.S. military" (2024-11-19). Blue Ocean Law. Archived from the original on 2024-11-23.