Massaker in Peru
lola 17 Jun 2009 07:32 GMT (translated by lola)Peru, 08. Juni (IMC Sucre).- Am 7. Juni rief der Botschafter Perus in Bolivien, Fernando Rojas, am Sonntag zur Einmischung in interne Angelegenheiten seines Landes auf und verurteilte die Aussagen einiger bolivianischer Behörden über die blutigen Kämpfe zwischen Bauern und Polizei im peruanischen Amazonasgebiet. Die Regierung versucht eine Einmischung Boliviens zu verhindern und forderte die Regierung Alan Garcías auf, Verantwortung zu übernehmen.
IMC Peru | IMC Sucre
“Es gab offizielle Stellungnahmen, unter anderem von Ministern, die sich heftig über die Ereignisse äußerten. Sie argumentierten allerdings mit nicht bestätigten Informationen. Das ist eine Einmischung in interne Angelegenheiten Perus", sagte Rojas zu einem Mediensprecher in La Paz.
Der Verteidigungsminister, Hector Arce, streitet jegliche Einmischung in interne Angelegenheiten Perus ab und sagte, dass die Verbindungen, die von bolivianischen Beamten zu dem Blutvergießen gezogen wurden, nur verzweifelte Versuche der peruanischen Regierung seien, sich um die Verantwortung zu drücken.
"Es ist falsch die bolivianische Regierung mit den tragischen Ereignissen in Peru in Verbindung zu bringen. Die bolivianische Regierung hat sich nicht eingemischt. Die Fakten liegen vor. Außerdem liegt der Schauplatz weit abseits der bolivianischen Grenze", sagt Arce.
Der bolivianische Justizminister, Celimar Torrico, verurteilte gestern das blutige Gemetzel, bei dem über 30 Menschen ums Leben kamen und machte die Regierung Perus unter Alan García verantwortlich.
"Einzig verantwortlich ist die aktuelle Regierung des Nachbarlandes (Peru). Das verwerfliche Verhalten des Präsidenten (Alan García) lässt vermuten, dass er die Bedürfnisse der indigenen Bevölkerung nicht befriedigt. Wir erwarten nun, dass er dafür Verantwortung übernimmt. Kein Geld der Welt kann ein Menschenleben zurück holen", sagte der Justizminister, der auch indigene Wurzeln hat.
OFFIZIELLE STELLUNGNAHME VON ALAN GARCÍA
"Unser Land leidet unter den Angriffen umstürzlerischer Elemente, die gegen unsere Demokratie und die Polizei kämpfen. Deshalb muss sie ruhig aber bestimmend antworten.
Dies ist ein geplanter Angriff auf Peru, eine Verschwörung, die die Förderung und den Transport von Öl, die Verteilung von Gas in die Küstenstädte unterbrochen hat. In den letzten Wochen sprach man auch von Rebellion und Aufstand.
Die extremistischen Programme, die von Politikern gepredigt werden stoßen weder bei der Bevölkerung in den Städten, und schon gar nicht bei den Menschen im Andenland auf Sympatie. Die Bevölkerung im Amazonasgebiet jedoch wurde benutzt.
22 Polizisten auf grausame und barbarische Weise getötet. Die angewendeten Methoden ähneln denen, wie sie von der Gruppe >Leuchtender Pfad benutzt werden. Sie verletzen und enthaupten erschöpfte und unbewaffnete Polizisten mit Speeren.
Es ist beschämend, dass politische Führungspersonen, die eigentlich gewissenhaft handeln sollten, nun vom Wahlkampf angetrieben mit extremer Rohheit auftreten.
Seit über 55 Tagen versuchen wir in Dialog zu treten. Die sogenannten indigenen Führer haben Abkommen und internationale Befehle akzeptiert, sich dann später aber nicht daran gehalten. Sie haben nie gezeigt, dass sie die Gesetzesentwürfe gelesen haben, gegen die sie verstießen. Sie haben die 12.400.000 Hektar Land, die ihnen als Stämme des Amazonasgebietes versprochen wurden und weitere 15 Millionen Hektar für ökologische Schutzräume und Nationalparks abgelehnt. Einige Minister bestätigten die Gültigkeit und die Genauigkeit dieser Gesetze um bei den Wahlen gut da zu stehen. Sie sind dazu eingereicht worden, um irrationale Peruaner davon abzuhalten die Öl- und Gasreserven auszubeuten, die laut Verfassung dem ganzen Land gehören.
55 Tage lang wurden Menschen, die von der Öl- Nahrungsmittel und Medikamentenversorgung abgeschnitten waren, daran gehindert auf die Straße zu gehen und politische Führungspersonen haben Polizisten ermordet. Deshalb muss die Ordnung und die Autorität wieder hergestellt werden. Ich bin überzeugt, dass die Bevölkerung Perus, deren Mehrheit weiß, dass das Land weiterhin auf Entwicklung, Beschäftigung und Investitionen bauen muss, Aktionen gegen subversive und terroristische Aggression unterstützen wird. "
Quelle: Erbol
URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Indigenous Anti-Infastructure Protesters Murdered
Root Force 08.Jun.2009 19:23
***PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT***
http://www.rootforce.org/2009/06/05/peruvian-police-murder-indigenous-protesters-take-action/
http://amazonwatch.org/peru-action-alert.php
THE BACKGROUND
Early this morning (June 5th), Peruvian police launched a violent attack on a nonviolent road blockade held by Amazonian indigenous protesters opposing 10 laws that would open up their territory to increased mineral, oil, gas and timber exploitation. Police opened fire with live ammunition, killing at least 28 people.
FMI:
WHY TAKE ACTION
The first reason to take action, of course, is simply out of solidarity with our fellow warriors in the struggle for a just and sustainable world. But why are we sending out this action alert as Root Force?
For nearly two months, thousands indigenous protesters have nearly paralyzed Peru's Amazon region with blockades of critical transportation and mining infrastructure. They have sparked a national discourse over the limits to development and who owns nature, and have made it clear that they will not surrender any of their ancestral homelands.
At the heart of the issue are 10 laws passed by presidential decree that would greatly facilitate industrial exploitation of the Amazon. THIS IS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, intended to supply new raw materials for the global market. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WEAK POINTS OF THE SYSTEM that we are always talking about.
The indigenous warriors fighting for their lives have pushed this issue into the global eye, and the Peruvian government has placed itself in a position of weakness by murdering unarmed protesters. Even before the recent killings, a congressional panel had already declared 2 of the laws unconstitutional, and only through procedural tricks has the president's party been able to stall debate on repealing one of those laws.
This is one of those rare cases where SUSTAINED INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE COULD TIP THE SCALES. If these laws are repealed, it will be a major setback for infrastructure expansion plans in a truly critical region of the hemisphere.
HOW TO TAKE ACTION
You can email critical people in the Peruvian government through this link, provided by Amazon Watch:
You can also organize protests at Peruvian embassies or consulates, or take other actions that you think stand a good chance of making it back to the decision makers in Lima.
Make sure to express your outrage at the government's strong arm tactics -- even before the murders, the government had suspended civil liberties in 5 provinces and was calling indigenous people "terrorists" -- and demand the repeal of the Free Trade laws and any law further opening the Amazon to mineral, oil, gas, timber, hydroelectric or agricultural exploitation.
In Solidarity,
Root Force
Peru Update: Take Action!
Root Force 08.Jun.2009 19:27
Recent reports indicate as many as 84 people killed and 150 arrested in clashes stemming from an early morning violent raid by police on unarmed protesters on June 5. Police are reported to be burning the bodies of the dead and dumping them into the river.
Astonishingly — but not surprisingly — the government is accusing the protesters of using tactics reminiscent of the 1980s internal conflict. Deploying racist imagery painting indigenous protesters as spear-wielding savages, President Alan Garcia has vowed a tough “response.”
Following the early-morning massacre, protesters took 38 police hostage at a pumping station for the national oil company, PetroPeru. A police raid to free the officers resulted in the deaths of nine of them. An Argentinian oil company, Pluspetrol, has halted oil pumping in one unit and will soon halt pumping in another due to the unrest.
The government has since issued an arrest warrant for indigenous leader Alberto Pizango (who was elected to represent the indigenous coalition by the leaders of 1,200 communities), charging him with “sedition.” Pizango has gone into hiding.
Please take action and urge the Peruvian government to halt the violence and repeal the controversial free trade laws that would open up indigenous land in the Amazon to increased development. Contact the US government and international agencies as well, and encourage them to place pressure on Peru. The Peruvian government is in a serious position of weakness right now and trying to cover it up with violence, and this is one of those rare cases where international pressure could deal a major setback to infrastructure expansion plans.
Read the full Root Force action alert on this issue here.
internationalist behind the push for money worshipping concepts of ...
asdf 08.Jun.2009 20:34
who and what are the investment funds driving this money worshipiing grab??????
are they threatening the amazon with poisonous run off?
there is one way to combat this ignorant want of power and money......but, we need to know the players behind this push......
writing letters to brutal uncivilized money worshipping regimes is feudal
s 08.Jun.2009 20:37
who are these individuals behind the companies???????where is the oil gas ansd mining products going to be sold??china? india???or are you going to blame the u.s for this one????
Peruvian Police Accused of Massacring Indigenous Protesters in Amazon Jungle
Democracy Now! 08.Jun.2009 20:45
Dozens of people are estimated to have been killed in clashes between police and indigenous activists protesting oil and mining projects in the northern Peruvian Amazonian province of Bagua. Peruvian authorities have declared a military curfew, and troops are patrolling towns in the Amazon jungle. Authorities say up to twenty-two policemen have been killed, and two remain missing. The indigenous community says at least forty people, including three children, were killed by the police this weekend. [includes rush transcript]
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/8/peruvian_police_accused_of_massacring_indigenous
Peru Police Accused of Disposing of Dead Indigenous to Cover Up Death Toll
repost 10.Jun.2009 19:28
Indigenous Leaders and Allies Call for an End to Violence on All Sides
http://amazonwatch.org/peru-protests-highres-photos.php
BAGUA, Peru - June 8 - In the aftermath of Friday’s bloody raid on a peaceful indigenous road blockade near Bagua in the Peruvian Amazon, numerous eyewitnesses are reporting that the Special Forces of the Peruvian Police have been disposing of the bodies of indigenous protesters who were killed.
“Today I spoke to many eyewitnesses in Bagua reporting that they saw police throw the bodies of the dead into the Marañon River from a helicopter in an apparent attempt by the Government to underreport the number of indigenous people killed by police,” said Gregor MacLennan, spokesperson for Amazon Watch speaking.
“Hospital workers in Bagua Chica and Bagua Grande corroborated that the police took bodies of the dead from their premises to an undisclosed location. I spoke to several people who reported that there are bodies lying at the bottom of a deep crevasse up in the hills, about 2 kilometers from the incident site. When the Church and local leaders went to investigate, the police stopped them from approaching the area,” reported MacLennan.
Police and government officials have been consistently underreporting the number of indigenous people killed by police gunfire. Indigenous organizations place the number of protesters killed at least at 40, while Government officials claiming that only a handful of indigenous people were killed. Also the Garcia Government claims that 22 police officers were killed and several still missing.
“Witnesses say that it was the police who opened fire last Friday on the protesters from helicopters,” MacLennan said. “Now the government appears to be destroying the bodies of slain protesters and giving very low estimates of the casualty. Given that the demonstrators were unarmed or carrying only wooden spears and the police were firing automatic weapons, the actual number of indigenous people killed is likely to be much higher.”
“Another eyewitness reported seeing the bodies of five indigenous people that had been burned beyond identification at the morgue. I have listened to testimony of people in tears talking about witnessing the police burning bodies,” continued MacLennan.
At least 150 people from the demonstration on Friday are still being detained. Eye-witness reports also confirm that police forcibly removed some of the wounded indigenous protesters from hospitals, taking them to unknown destinations. Their families expressed concern for their well being while in detention. There are many people still reported missing and access to medical attention in the region is horribly inadequate.
The Organizing Committee for the Indigenous Peoples of Alto Amazonas Province issued this statement: “It is appalling that political powers have acted in such a cruel and inhuman manner against Amazonian Peoples, failing to recognize the fundamental rights and protections guaranteed to us by the Constitution. We express deep grief over the death of our indigenous brothers, of civilians and the officers of the National Police.”
The government expanded the State of Emergency and established a curfew on all traffic in the region from 3 pm to 6 am. Indigenous and international human rights organizations are worried about plans of another National Police raid on a blockade in Yurimaguas close to the town of Tarapoto where thousands are blocking a road.
President Alan Garcia is being widely criticized for fomenting a climate of fear mongering against indigenous peoples by drawing parallels to the brutal Shinning Path guerrilla movement of the 1980s and early 1990s, and by vaguely referring to external and anti-democratic threats to the country.
The Amazonian indigenous peoples’ mobilizations have been peaceful, locally coordinated, and extremely well organized for nearly two months. Yet Garcia insists on calling them terrorist acts and anti-democratic. Garcia has even gone so far as to describe the indigenous mobilizations as “savage and barbaric.” Garcia has made his discrimination explicit, saying directly that the Amazonian indigenous people are not first-class citizens.
“These people don't have crowns," Garcia said about the protesters. “These people aren't first-class citizens who can say -- 400,000 natives to 28 million Peruvians -- 'You don't have the right to be here.' No way. That is a huge error.”
Ironically, Peru was the country that introduced the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the floor of the General Assembly when it was adopted in September 2007.
A coalition of indigenous and human rights organizations will protest in front of the Peruvian Embassy in Washington D.C. on Monday, June 8 at 12:30 pm.
Indigenous peoples have vowed to continue protests until the Peruvian Congress revokes the “free trade” decrees issued by President Garcia under special powers granted by Congress in the context of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
Among the outpouring of statements condemning the violence in Peru were those from Peru’s Ombudsman’s office, the chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a coalition of 45 international human rights organizations, Indigenous organizations from throughout the Americas, and the Conference of Bishops of Peru. Also famous personalities including Q’orianka Kilcher, Benjamin Bratt, Peter Bratt, and Daryl Hannah and Bianca Jagger called on the Peruvian Government to cease the violence and seek peaceful resolution to the conflict.
AIDESEP, the national indigenous organization of Peru has called for a nationwide general strike starting June 11th.
Amazon Watch is continually updating photographs, audio testimony, and video footage from Bagua on www.amazonwatch.org.
Newly released b-roll at
solidarity...
poster 11.Jun.2009 13:16
...with the struggle for life in the amazon rainforest!
Week of Action in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in Peru
Root Force 13.Jun.2009 18:33
June 15th-19th
http://www.rootforce.org/2009/06/12/week-of-action-in-solidarity-with-indigenous-peoples-in-peru/
Rising Tide North America is calling for a week of action starting Monday June 15th to show solidarity with the indigenous tribes resisting Peru’s attempt to open their lands to the oil, gas, and logging industries.
Last week over 85 people were killed by Peruvian police while protesting the governments plans revoke protections for traditional lands and allow for industrial exploitation of the Amazon. The new plans are a part of the new free trade agreement between the US and Peru. Since the Peruvian government announced these plans, tribes around Peru have been blockading roads, oil installations, and other critical infrastructure. But the government has begun to brutally crack down on the unarmed blockades, resulting in last week’s massacre.
There are signs that the protests in Peru, and international pressure, are beginning to work. Peru’s congress just voted to suspend two of the laws in question, in hopes of getting the situation under control. Indigenous communities and labor unions however have made clear that this is not enough, and are continuing the blockades and protests.
International solidarity is desperately needed to prevent further massacres. Starting Monday June 15th there will be a number of protests around the country. Please join in. If there is not a protest organized already in your community organize one at a Peruvian consulate or US federal building.
Remember to send us your action reports, too!
Below is a list of planned demos as well as a link to Peruvian consulates in the US:
Planned Demos
Protest in San Francisco at Peruvian Consulate
Tuesday June 16
Details TBA email earthfirstroadshow at gmail.com
Protest in Boston at Peruvian Consulate
Thursday June 18
Details TBA
For more info: info at risingtideboston.org
Locations/Addresses of US consulates
usa assassinates everywhere in world--
seymour hersh 27.Jun.2009 14:09
usa assassinates everywhere in world--
usa is behind every assassination--
this is proven by the fact that
all assassinations and killings
are to the benefit of the usa--
Action Update
Amazon Watch (reposted) 27.Jun.2009 19:05
5,300 Amazon Watch supporters took action in support of indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon. Thank you. Your letters made a difference.
http://www.amazonwatch.org/peru-protests.php
After 70 days of indigenous protests, culminating in the deadly events of June 5th and 6th, the tensions appear to be subsiding as the government concedes to indigenous demands. Crucially, last week the Peruvian Congress repealed Decrees 1090 and 1064, two of the nine “free trade” decrees opposed by indigenous peoples.
President Alan Garcia has also reversed his racist discourse against Amazonian indigenous peoples, admitting "errors and exaggerations." Garcia's already dismal public approval rating has recently slid from 30 to 21 percent. More than 90 percent of those surveyed said Garcia should have consulted indigenous peoples before instituting decrees that affect their rights, with more than 85 percent disapproved of his handling of the conflict. Just today (June 26), the Government lifted the State of Emergency that had been in effect since May 9.
While these milestones are significant, there is still a long road ahead. AIDESEP (the Inter-Ethnic Association for Development in the Peruvian Rain Forest) continues to demand that the government drop all outstanding legal charges against their leaders and representatives.
In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to call for an independent investigation into the violence in both Bagua and Station 6; for the repeal or significant reform of the remaining 7 controversial decrees, and for a guarantee that the government not try to put in play similar executive decrees or legislative initiatives.
In this continuing struggle for justice and indigenous self-determination in the Peruvian Amazon, your acts of solidarity are of utmost importance.
Once again we thank you for taking action.
Please sign up to receive our monthly newsletter of important Amazon Watch activity.
The Amazon Watch Peru Team;
Atossa, Andrew, David, Gregor, John, Mitch, Nick, Paul and Thomas
For updates and background information, see the Amazon Watch web site
after us, china as the imperial thug
burr 16.Oct.2009 20:48
oh, wait, chinas already there. through cent america and south america, lining up pesant countries willing to send cheap food and raw resources.
But hey, believe the leftist who pimp the indios: that when the yanuqi is gone it will be heaven on earth....
I say this not to disparage the indigenous but to wise it up.