The Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples (REP) and the undersigned organizations and individuals, express concern on the safety and security of Bhanu Tatak, an Indigenous woman human rights defender from Arunachal Pradesh.

On 7 September 2025, Bhanu was stopped and detained at Delhi airport, prevented from boarding her flight to Dublin, Ireland for an exchange programme with the Dublin City University, and had her passport confiscated by police. While she has since been released and her passport returned, she was denied travel and remains under threat due to an alleged case filed by Deputy Commissioner PN Thungon of Siang District, alleging Bhanu’s involvement in an “attack” on MLA and Minister Ojing Tasing.

The case is clearly a reprisal against Bhanu’s leadership role in their opposition to the proposed 11,500 MW Siang Dam project, which threatens to displace Indigenous communities, destroy fragile ecosystems, and submerge ancestral lands in Arunachal Pradesh.

Bhanu Tatak is a young Indigenous woman leader, artist, and environmental defender. She has been at the forefront of mobilizations against mega-dams in the Siang River Basin and has consistently raised her voice for Indigenous Peoples rights, and environmental protection. In 2023, she was recognized in the annual Bhagirath Prayas Samman (BPS) award as one of India’s inspiring young women leaders for her commitment to defending community rights and protecting the environment.

Bhanu’s targeting is not an isolated case. Indigenous Peoples human rights defenders in Arunachal Pradesh have long faced surveillance, harassment, and criminalization for speaking out against mega-dams, militarization, and extractive projects imposed without their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Peaceful protestors and Indigenous leaders are often branded as “anti-development” or “anti-national,” exposing them to intimidation, fabricated charges, and restrictions on their freedom of movement.

This climate of fear and repression undermines the rights of Indigenous Peoples and violates India’s obligations under international human rights standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The proposed 11,500 MW Siang Dam is among the largest hydroelectric projects in the world. If built, it would submerge vast areas of fertile Indigenous lands, disrupt river ecosystems that sustain livelihoods, and displace entire communities. The project has moved forward without the FPIC of the affected Indigenous Peoples, violating both constitutional protections and international human rights standards.

We call on:

• The Government of India to to guarantee Bhanu Tatak’s safety, ensure her freedom of travel and mobility, and drop all false charges against her.
• The Government of Arunachal Pradesh to end the harassment of Indigenous leaders and respect the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of Indigenous communities regarding development projects.
• The Government of Arunachal Pradesh to withdraw military forces in the dam project area and ensure the safety and security of the affected communities.
• The National Human Rights Commission of India to urgently investigate the reprisals against Bhanu and other Indigenous Peoples human rights defenders.

We further call for:

• An immediate halt to the Siang Mega Dam and other destructive hydro projects including the implementation of the Pre-Feasibility Report in line with the communities’ calls for “No Survey, No Dam”  and respect the right of affected Indigenous Peoples to free, prior, and informed consent. 
• A transparent, independent review of the social, cultural, and environmental impacts of mega dams in the Siang River Basin.
• Withdraw military and police forces and put a stop on criminalizing dissent against development projects and recognition of the legitimacy of Indigenous Peoples-led opposition movements.
• The prioritization of sustainable, community-driven development alternatives that uphold Indigenous Peoples rights. 

We stand in solidarity with Bhanu Tatak and all Indigenous Peoples defending their lands, rivers, and rights in Arunachal Pradesh and across India. Silencing Indigenous voices will not bring justice, nor will it build sustainable futures.

We urge national and international allies to endorse this statement, amplify Bhanu’s case, and demand immediate action from authorities.

Sign the petition here.