WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE REVISION OF INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES
We, indigenous peoples and organisations of Brazil, learned today from
the Official Gazette that the Minister of Justice has decided to
review the demarcation of eight indigenous areas.
We repudiate and refuse to accept the idea that our territories,
recognised by previous governments as areas of traditional indigenous
occupation, should be revised on the basis of the minister's
definition of indigenous territory, and as a result be reduced in
response to pressure from Brazilian and foreign economic interests,
those who produce fraudulent land titles, and logging and mining
companies who exploit our land.
The Minister of Justice, Nelson Jobim, rejecting the challenges
submitted against the areas Evare I and Suruini-Mariene, in Amazonas,
Raposa/Serra do Sol in Roraima, Bau and Apyterewa in Para, Sete Cerros
in Mato Grosso do Sul, Kampa do Rio Envira in Acre, Krikati in
Maranhao, has by this decision kept the promise he has been making to
the invaders of indigenous land since he took office to review the
demarcations of indigenous land. The attitude of the minister and the
president of FUNAI is one of disrespect for the indigenous peoples and
the Brazilian Constitution, and threatens our physical and cultural
integrity, and our present and future survival.
Minister Jobim's decision is consistent with the provisions of
Decree 1775/96, his own invention, which is a road to genocide for
Brazil's indigenous peoples.
We reaffirm that we will no longer accept this further manoeuvre
against our constitutional rights and appeal to the whole of society,
in Brazil and abroad, to take action and join with us in this campaign
for the WITHDRAWAL OF DECREE 1775/96.
Brasilia, 10 July 1996
CAPOIB - Unity Council of Brazilian Indigenous Peoples and
Organisations
CAPOIB MANIFESTO
FOR RESPECT AND GUARANTEES FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
THE UNITY COUNCIL OF BRAZILIAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND ORGANISATIONS,
CAPOIB, meeting in the city of Brasilia from 8 to 10 July 1996, after
analysing the current situation of the country and of the indigenous
peoples, makes the following public declaration:
The country is already experiencing the serious consequences of
the implementation of the Economic Stabilisation Plan introduced by
the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, resulting from the
maintenance of an artificially high exchange rate, high interest
rates, the opening of Brazil to foreign capital and from the wage
freeze.
The main risks of the Brazilian government's current policy are
the surrender of control over economic policy to other countries,
structural unemployment and the increase in the numbers of the
excluded. To excuse the social ills which are emerging, the
government attributes them to the globalisation of the economy, and
uses physical repression, political isolation and the cooption of
social groups and political movements as its only mode of relationship
with social movements.
The government's actions in relation to the indigenous peoples
follow the same logic. In altering the procedural rules for the
demarcation of indigenous lands through Decree 1775/96, the government
has responded to the internal pressure of the political and economic
forces which support it, inside and outside the Congress, and has
adopted a policy of damage limitation towards foreign pressure in
support of the demarcation of indigenous land and the preservation of
the environment. Accordingly, depending on the pressure brought to
bear on it, it responds to one group or another and careers towards
genocide.
The government's attitude to the indigenous peoples and
organisations, and the organisations which support them, is that it
can coopt leaders and a number of specialists and involve them in its
aim of shedding its responsibility for meeting the social and economic
needs of the indigenous peoples and communities, with the pretext that
it is decentralising its operations.
CAPOIB rejects these practices of the government and condemns its
attempt to divide and rule. It also repudiates the government's total
lack of openness in dealing with issues concerning indigenous peoples
in its refusal to provide information about the process initiated by
Decree 1775/96, its disrespect for the constitutional rights of these
peoples, the theft of their traditional lore through the legislation
on patents, and its lack of the political will to make available
funding to demarcate and guarantee the integrity of indigenous
territories, resulting in an increase of invasions.
We further condemn the use by the government of manoeuvres to
divide indigenous communities and the indigenous movement, by
distributing money in exchange for the reduction of our territories,
knowing that these measures will compromise the integrity of our
peoples and of future generations.
We demand wholehearted observance of the constitutional principle
of respect for the ethnic and cultural diversity of Brazil, as the
institutional basis for the autonomy of the indigenous peoples, a
principle which should be implemented by the state through effective
and appropriate government action in the areas of education, health
care and productive activities, within territorial limits duly
demarcated and protected, as the Constitution requires.
To achieve the full recognition of and respect for our rights, we
will remain mobilised and will continue to join forces in alliances
with the social and community movements and with the political parties
committed to an alternative vision for Brazil.
To Brazilian and international public opinion, we declare:
that we shall continue our campaign for the withdrawal of Decree
1775/96;
that we shall continue to fight for the maintenance and guaranteeing
of our constitutional rights, won with such difficulty;
that we shall continue to strengthen our own methods of struggle and
social, political and economic organisation, by maintaining networks
at local, national and international level;
that we shall not allow, under any circumstances, the reduction of the
areas of indigenous territories and shall continue to fight for the
reoccupation, preservation and security of our traditional lands.
Brasilia, 10 July 1996