In the letter Davi says, 'Yanomami land in Brazil is threatened by loggers, miners and ranching. My people are suffering and our survival is threatened at every moment. But this international law could protect us. Our own country has signed the convention, but we are very unhappy that other countries, such as yours, have not. The more countries that ratify it, the more weight it will have in international law, and the more we can rely on it to protect our lands and our people.

'I have heard that your government does not want to sign the convention because there are no indigenous people in the United Kingdom . But indigenous people in other countries can still be affected by development projects funded by the UK . British businesses working in other countries must also be encouraged to abide by ILO 169.

'It is therefore essential for indigenous peoples such as the Yanomami that your government ratifies ILO 169. I ask you to support the millions of others like us around the world by agreeing that our rights are important and signing the convention.'