Mr. George W. Bush

President of the United States of America

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500, U.S.A. 2001-3-6

Dear Mr. President,

FIAN, the international human rights organisation for the Right to Feed Oneself, with consultative status at the United Nations, is deeply concerned about the threat of forced evictions of the Dineh people residing in the Big Mountain area of the State of Arizona. Until today, 12,000 members of the community have already been forced to leave the area. The 2000 persons remaining are threatened with forcible displacement. They face continuing harassment, their access to pasture land and to springs is being denied,their livestock confiscated.

Most of the displaced Dineh were settled in conditions where they are exposed to radioactive contamination. They lack sufficient opportunity to earn their living by traditional livestock raising or other income generating work. In addition, the forcible relocation means that they will lose the sacred territory of their ancestors in violation of their cultural human rights.

Article 25.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates that "...everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living...including food." The USA carries an obligation under human rights to respect and protect the Dineh's access to food producing resources. The resolution 1997/6 of the UN Sub-Commission of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities declared forced evictions a "gross violation of human rights".

As a person working internationally for the implementation of the right to feed oneself, I would like to ask you, Mr. President,

- to prevent the forced eviction of the Dineh people;

- to put a stop to harassment;

- to provide compensation to those Dineh who were affected by previous forced evictions.

I would also like to ask you, Mr. President, to inform me about the measures you intend to take in this respect.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Rolf K Enemann Secretary General