Sweden must apologize for harm done to Sami people, says state-backed report
Independent commission accuses country of failing Indigenous people, amid rising tensions over land rights
TL;DR
- An independent commission urges the Swedish government to apologize for historical harm and injustice inflicted upon the Sami people.
- The report calls for an urgent apology to elderly Sami who were subjected to abuse in segregated schools.
- Sweden is accused of failing to meet domestic and international human rights obligations towards the Sami.
- The commission recommends financial compensation, the ratification of an ILO convention, and the establishment of a national center for redress and reconciliation.
- It calls for recognition of Sami land rights, the extension of Sápmi across national borders, an end to racial discrimination, and support for Sami languages and cultural practices like reindeer husbandry.
- The report states that the state, including the parliament, government, public authorities, and sometimes the Church of Sweden, must bear responsibility for policies that violated Sami rights.
- The findings coincide with rising anti-Sami rhetoric and clashes over land use for mining rare-earth minerals.