Resorting to armed militiamen and constant threats against
Indians, groups of regional farmers and politicians are obstructing
the physical demarcation of Indian lands such as Arara do Rio Branco,
in the municipality of Aripuana, state of Mato Grosso, Krikati, in the
municipality of Montes Claros, and Guaja, in the municipalities of Bom
Jardim and Ze Doca, state of Maranhao. At this moment, they are also
trying to interrupt the demarcation of the Suya Missu Indian Area,
located in the municipalities of Alto Boa Vista and Sao Felix do
Araguaia, state of Mato Grosso.
These lands are included in a list of 11 areas whose demarcation
has been determined through Ministerial Decrees, some of which were
published in the Official Newspaper over two years ago. However, all
demarcation activities have been paralyzed as a result of contrary
pressures.
The Arara do Rio Branco Area has been suffering retaliations since
June of last year, when local politicians - under the leadership of
the now president of the Municipal Council of Aripuana, Altamiro
Girardi - allied with farmers to build a road connecting the
municipality of Aripuana to the state of Amazonas, crossing the Indian
land. The Indians reacted against the illegal building of this road in
their land and for this reason they began to be threatened by farmer
Luis Almeida, who would benefit greatly from it.
Pastoral agents and the bishop of the Diocese of Ji-Parana, dom
Antonio Possamai, who support the cause of the Arara Indians, are also
being persecuted and calumniated. CIMI received information that
gunmen hired by Mr. Luis Almeida are threatening pastoral agents and
Indians and have been instructed to resort to whatever means to
paralyze all demarcation activities.
The Krikati and Guaja are also facing difficulties caused by
political adversaries supported by the governor of the state of
Maranhao, Roseana Sarney. The governor has come to Brasilia several
times to ask the minister of Justice to reduce the size of those areas
by half.
These peoples have also been targets of terrorist attacks. The
most serious of them was the assassination of Indian Manuel Mendes
Krikati last month. The victim's brother, Alziro Krikati, and chief
Mariano Krikati are being threatened to death. The day before
yesterday at night, two unidentified men were seen prowling about near
Alziro's home. Although the minister of Justice, Nelson Jobim,
declared that the demarcation of the Krikati area would continue and
that he would send Federal Police agents to protect the lives of the
Indians, such measures have not been taken so far.
Senators Carlos Bezerra, Jonas Pinheiro and Julio Campos, and
federal representatives Weliton Fagundes, Tete Bezerra, Augustinho
Freitas, Roberto Fran<a Antonio Joaquim and Rodrigues Palmas sent a
letter to the Ministry of Justice last week requesting that the
physical demarcation of the Suya Missu area be suspended and the
creation of a special commission ''to check the actual facts in
loco''.
FUNAI has been keeping closely in touch with the Ministry of
Justice and the government of the state of Mato Grosso for the purpose
of avoiding such absurdity. The area within the bounds of the Suya
Missu land was declared a traditional territory of the Xavante people
by Ministerial Decree nr. 363/1993.
Faced with situations such as these, police and judicial
authorities must take immediate measures to curb the action of
perpetrators of terrorist acts against Indians.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Justice must take firm and
determined measures to ensure the constitutional rights of Indian
peoples, otherwise only the ''fittest'' will survive.
Brasilia, February 22nd, 1995
Indianist Missionary Council - CIMI