Urgent Action Alert
109 MAPUCHE LEADERS DETAINED IN TEMUCO, (CHILE)
Background:
On June 26, 1992, the Mapuche Indian Organization AUKIN~ WALLMAPU
NGULAM-CONSEJO DE TODAS LAS TIERRAS (ALL MAPUCHE LANDS COUNCIL)
sent a fax denouncing the detention of 109 Mapuche Indians belonging
to eighteen Mapuche communities in southern Temuco, Chile, South
America.
On June 16, the Mapuche initiated a "Process of Stolen Lands
Recuperation", (land seizures or land repossessions), as a de facto
solution to the Mapuche land claims to the Chilean government of
President Patricio Alwyn. The CONSEJO DE TODAS LAS TIERRAS has
proposed a dialogue of equals between the Mapuche representatives
and the Chilean government. However, the Alwyn government has
instead accused the Mapuche people of being "regular thieves,
barbarians, and as being uncivilized" as Minister of the Interior Enrique
Krauss, and Ninth Region (Temuco) Intendente (Assistant to the Mayor)
Fernando Chuecas, called the Mapuche people.
"Our organization is being persecuted and its leaders and
traditional authorities are being repressed, because they have been
fighting for our legitimate rights, and they have denounced the
continuous oppression of our peoples" said Mapuche Werrken Mr. Ernesto
Huenchulaf, and Mapuche Lonko Mr. Juan Hueque.
"We denounce the incommunicado status and detention of nine of our Traditional
Authorities and Elders: Jose Luis Huilcaman Huaquil (Lonko), Juan Hueque
Millapan (Lonko), Felix Huaiqui Levio (Lonko), Juan Angel Garcia
(Lonko), Jose Lincocheo (Lonko), Jorge Pichin~ual Painecura
(Werrken), Domingo Colicoy Caniulen (Werrken) and Aucan Huilcaman
Paillama (Werrken)". The Alwyn government has sent Mr. Antonio Castro
Gutierrez, a visiting Minister, who specifically detained and
maintains incommunicado the Mapuche leader AUCAN HUILCAMAN
PAILLAMA".
On Saturday 27, a delegation of Mapuche representatives
talked to Mr. Fernando Chuecas, assistant to the Mayor, in order to
request that the detainees be released. However, Mr. Chuecas
detained instead such a delegation formed by: Ms. Nelly Allanau,
Jose Nain, Luciano Coliqueo, Huewin Huillcaman, Neberto Traine and
Yafeneo Caillupan. The government accussed these Mapuche leaders
of "subversion".
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Write to the President of Chile, and demand:
1. To stop the repression of the Mapuche people
2. To free all Mapuche leaders who have been detained
3. To re-establish the dialogue and recognize the Human Rights all
Mapuche people are entitled to.
For More Information contact SAIIC at the above address and phone
number.
And WRITE or FAX:
President Patricio Alwyn
Palacio de La Moneda
and Ministry of the Interior (FAX # 56 - 2 - 6968740).
Intendencia Regional
Mr. Fernando Chuecas
FAX # 045- 213064
CONSEJO DE TODAS LAS TIERRAS
Telf # 56 -45- 234-542
FAX 212965