(Bangkok) – The Thai government has failed to clean up toxic lead in a stream in western Thailand, threatening hundreds of families with serious and irreversible health problems, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Supreme Administrative Court’s order nearly two years ago to clean up Klity Creek, the first of its kind in Thailand, has been ignored by the government while villagers remain exposed to lead in water, soil, vegetables, and fish.

Indigenous peoples’ rights, particularly land and resource rights including their right to free, prior, and informed consent, must be a pillar of any principles related to the responsible investment in agriculture and food systems. These rights are integral elements of the right to take part in cultural life, which is interdependent of the right of all peoples to self-determination and the right to an adequate standard of living. I ask that all members of the committee support the inclusion of the bracketed text. Failure to ensure this provision is secured within a final text undermines respect for these rights, thereby putting at risk the sources of livelihood and culture for many indigenous communities.

A leaked draft of the World Bank’s proposed new social and environmental policies reveals significant erosion of protections for communities and the environment, Bank on Human Rights, a global coalition of nongovernmental organizations, social movements, and community groups said in a statement today to the World Bank board.