The chiefs of the nation’s Indigenous and Tribal Communities recently made it clear again that they do not want Mennonites in the areas where they live. At a recent meeting of these chiefs it was revealed that recently attempts were made to get permission for the Mennonites to request land within the areas where tribes and villages are located. “Top government officials are behind these attempts. All of the chiefs made it clear at the meeting that they are all on the same page and that is that they do not want to welcome the Mennonites. They also do not want to roll out the welcome mat for middlemen or government officials who want to speak with them on behalf of the Mennonites. We also reject the attempts to turn forests into agrarian fields. If any land has already been allocated, we want the decision to be cancelled immediately,” said the chiefs who made it clear that they will no longer accept the fact that legislators keep delaying the discussion of the bill on the  Collective Rights of the Indigenous Peoples and the Tribal Communities. The chiefs who also will not allow any unacceptable changes to be made to this bill have already put together a team that will coordinate the campaign aimed at protecting their interests and rights. “We demand the immediate legal recognition of our collective rights that are recognized internationally in accordance with the highest international standards that are anchored in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the rulings of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,” said the chiefs in a joint statement…[+]