Title: HUMAN RIGHTS: Amnesty calls for end to abuse of American
Indians
washington, oct 6 (ips) -- in a major report released to coincide
with next week's 500th anniversary of the arrival of europeans in
the americas, the human rights body amnesty international is
calling on all governments of the continent to end its abuse of
indigenous peoples.
''for centuries, governments have often treated the rights of
indigenous people with contempt -- torturing, 'disappearing', and
killing them in the tens of thousands and doing virtually nothing
when others murder them,'' the london-based group said.
these abuses have continued down to the present day, according to
the report, titled, 'the indigenous people of america continue to
suffer', which noted that most abuses against indians have been
committed with impunity.
for the 1993 international year for the world's indigenous people,
amnesty called for all governments to establish commissions to
reivew their country's record in implementing international human
rights standards for their indigenous peoples.
''disputes over land and resources are often at the root of many
of the human rights abuses against indigenous people,'' according
to the report. ''thousands have also died, 'disappeared' or been
tortured when they've been caught in the middle of the 'war on
drugs' or civil conflicts,'' it said.
some of the most horrific abuses inflicted on indigenous peoples
have taken place during recent armed conflicts that have racked
countries such as colombia, el salvador, guatemala, and peru,
according to the report.
it added that entire villages were destroyed and thousands of
indigenous peasants massacred during the height of a brutal
government counter-insurgency campaign in the early 1980s.
in peru, thousands more have been tortured and killed by both
sides in the conflict between the government and sendero
luminoso.
attacks on indians in many countries have also resulted from
disputes over land -- frequentlky coveted by the state, private
companies, or settlers for mining, logging, energy, or tourism
projects, according to the report.
in brazil alone, scores of indians have been murdered -- with the
apparent backing of the state authorities -- in land disputes,
amnesty said, while in honduras, 10 members of the xicaque tribe
have been killed in recent years. (more/ips)
human rights: amnesty calls for end to abuse of american
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human rights : amnesty calls (2)
in canada, inquiries into charges that several mohawk indians were
ill-treated by police in 1990 during a lengthy confrontation over
plans to build a golf course near a sacred mohawk burial site have
still not been concluded.
the 'war on drugs' has also taken a toll on indian lives. a
quechua leader in bolivia, for example, was detained and tortured
by security police in 1989 for his alleged involvement in drug
trafficking.
''prosecutions for such human rights abuses virtually never happen
-- whether those responsible are state agents, death squads or
hired guns,'' amnesty said.
in chile, agents who arrested, tortured and 'disappeared' mapuche
indian leaders after the 1973 military coup d'etat were never
brought to justice, while in brazil most killings of indigenous
peoples have rarely been investigated and prosecuted.
alleged crimes by indians, on the other hand, have resulted often
in arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and unfair trials, according
to the report.
in mexico last year, when members of the ch'ol and tzeltal
indigenous communities peacefully protested against police abuse
and discrimination in the courts, 100 of them were arrested,
beaten, and threatened with death before being released.
in the united states, amnesty has also expressed concern about the
fairness of trials of american indian movement (aim) leaders,
including the possible use of fabricated evidence in the notorious
case of leonard peltier, convicted in the 1970s of the murder of
two federal agents.
''the leaders of indigenous movements have often been singled out
for attack when they speak out on environmental issues, land
claims or discrimination and are seen as a threat to government
policies,'' the report said.
in ecuador, for example, indigenous leaders involved in land
disputes have been singled out as targets of abuse, including
harassment, torture and killing.
despite this repression, indigenous peoples are organising in
increasing numbers in recent years, the report concluded. a
number of major protest marches have been held in bolivia and
ecuador, while victims of abuses in guatemala and elsewhere have
formed new groups to press their rights.
''from the local to the international level, the message is that
the centuries of violating the rights of the region's original
inhabitants must end once and for all,'' the report said.
(end/ips/jl/yjc/92)