YANOMAMI ARE SLAUGHTERED BY MINERS
Background information. A savage crime was commited against the
Yanomami Indians, who live on the border with Brazil and
Venezuela. Children, women, and men were murdered this week by
miners. It seems that the children were beheaded. The information
was provided by the minister of Justice, Mauri'cio Corre^a, in a
statement on the Charter of the Indians at the Chamber of
Deputies.
Of all Indian peoples in Brazil, the Yanomami is the one which
has suffered most aggressive acts against Indians in recent years.
Between 1987 and 1991, at least two-thousand Yanomami were
exterminated by miners who invaded their territory. About 600
miners are still active in their territory.
It is a genocide, as attorney general Aristides Junqueira rightly
recalled. This genocide, means that 15% of the total Yanomami
population have been exterminated.
The slaughter occurred at the same time that a campaing is being
promoted in Brazil against the right of Indian peoples to land
areas. Under the pretext of defending the Brazilian sovereignty,
businessmen and congressmen for Roraima, the State where the
Yanomami area is located, have assumed positions against the
demarcation of the lands of this people. Deputy Nicias Ribeiro
even proposed an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the
demarcation of Indian lands located on the border.
The position of the congressmen only serves to stimulate actions
against the Indians. When killing the Yanomami, the miners surely
felt supported by those who have been uttering statements against
Indian peoples, who are being accused of being potential
separatists and enemies of Brazil's development. The facts,
however, show that they are victims of the greed of miners,
landowners, woodcutters and mining companies, who want to take
possession of Indian lands at any cost.
Demand the investigation of the slaughter, the conviction of the
guilty ones, and the removal of all invaders from the area. Warn
the authorities that the campaigns against Indian rights may lead
to further acts of genocide.
Last year alone, about 4 thousand Yanomami caught malaria; 78
of them died. In spite of the operations that were carried out to
remove the invaders, no measures were taken to prevent them from
the returning, continuing to bring diseases and death to the
Indians.
But the miners are not the only ones to be blamed for the
genocide. They invaded Yanomami lands because they were allowed
to. In 1990, just before the end of his term as Preesident, Jose'
Sarney created three mining reservations Yanomami lands, as an
attempt to consolidate the invasion.
Politicians and businessmen of Roraima have been promoting
campaigns to put and end to the demarcation of the Yanomami Indian
Area by encouraging actions such as the massacre that took place
this week. Therefore, all of them are also responsible for the
genocide of the Yanomami.
The chief of the Yanomami Indians, Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, in
an open letter to the public, calls for the Brazilian government
to move for the "definitive withdrawal of all the gold miners
still working on Yanomami lands." His letter also calls for
prosecution of the contractors and politicians who support and
encourage gold miners who threaten and kill the native
populations.
1. FAX INDIVIDUAL PROTEST LETTERS to Brazilian President Dr.
Itamar Franco requesting an investigation of the crimes,
punishment of the killers and a guarantee for the human rights of
all Brazilians.(011-55-61-226-7566) and to Brazilian
Minister of Justice, Dr. Mauricio Correa,(011-55-61-321-5145)
or (011 55 61 224 1936) or (011 55 61 225 6288)
2. SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO DAVI KOPENAWA YANOMAMI and his
people. Letters to Davi can be faxed to Amanaka'a at
212-674-9139, or to CCPY in Brazil at 011-55-11-284-6997.
E-MAIL TO ax.cimi@pn.apc.org for more details or visit Rainforest - General
conference.