The Swedish government does not know...

Yesterday, the Sámi TV news Ođđasat did say that Sweden will not ratify ILO 169 (about indigenous peoples rights) within the near future. The responsible minister, Eskil Erlandsson, has put a comission at work to investigate things and they will be ready not before 2010...
Prime Minister Reinfeldt said to the reporter that he did not have anything to say, he had to get more knowledge first. Erlandsson said plainly that he did not know...

Now, the Swedish state has been looking into the matter for the last ten (yes, 10) years. But the prime minister and the repsonsible minister for Sámi affairs do not know... How can they be in office for 2 years and in parliament much longer and not know? Both seem to know much about many things, but ILO 169 they do not know how to handle. Not after 10 years of studies which are available to them. Why is that? It might be that they are simply not interested. Even if the minister responsible should be interested - and the Prime Minister should be as well. After all, the Sámi are an indigenous people in Sweden and as such an important group.

But maybe they are not interested. They are much more interested of other things, maybe, which gives them more votes in the next elections. The other possibility would be - and I hope sincerely that that is not true - that they conciously try potpone the ratification by investigating the whole question endlessly. That they know what they want - no ILO 169 - but do not dare say it. Yes, I hope that simple ignorance is behind this new investigation, as bad as that is.
But in that case - mr Reinfeldt and mr Erlandsson - you should be able to read a little bit faster. Some laws are passed with an incredible tempo in this country - to the extend that some find i too hasty and not well prepared. So you should be able to do this really fast as well. With those 10 years of investigations and discussions behind you. See to it that the ratification is done before Christmas (this year). You can.

By the way - if it so difficult for a minister responsible for Sámi affairs - why not take an expert to the job? In other words - a Sámi person? It is strange that the Sámi minister in this country never ever has been a Sámi.