CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT of THE TUPINIKIM AND GUARANI IN THE DEMARCATION OF THEIR LANDS
The following action alert was sent to us by the Indianist Missionary Council (Cimi - Conselho Indigenista Missionário) <cimi@embratel.net.br>
Since 11 March, when the Tupinikim and Guarani Indians started demarcating their lands by themselves, the situation in the state of Espirito Santo is unsustainable. Contrary to recognising the legitimate right of the Indians to demarcate their lands according to the boundaries established by the anthropological reports - and admitted by the responsible organ FUNAI - the Brazilian government initiated a police operation with the aim to confuse and stop the demarcation action. Since more than 30 years the Indians are struggling against the invasion of their lands by the multinational Aracruz Celulose and now it gets clear what CIMI always has been denouncing: the Brazilian government is advocating in favour of the multinational.
As a way to intimidate the action of the Indians, the Federal Police detained and submitted to long interviews persons who are supporting the struggle of the Indians, for example the topographers Ricardo Penna Silva, Domingos Savio Gava and Joao Henrique Fardim, who assisted in the demarcation work; the trade unionists Joao Maria da Conceicao, Nilson Alves Malaqulas, Francisco Ribeiro de Paula (trade union of workers in the food industry) and Marcio Antionio Barbosa Souza (trade union of security workers). The most serious case until this moment is the decision to expell from Brasil the missionary of CIMI, Winfridus Overbeek, without any serious accusation. The action of the Brazilian Government against persons and organisations who show solidarity with the Tupinikim and Guarani is a way to mislead the attention from the demarcation action in order to paralyse the action of the Indians.
TENSION IN THE REGION REACHES HIGH LEVELS AND FOR THIS REASON THE TUPINIKIM AND GUARANI NEED YOUR SUPPORT
We request to all the people and organisations who want to support the Indians struggle to send letters of protest to the addresses below, claiming from the Brazilian government respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, guaranteeing the demarcation of their lands. We also request that you show your disagreement with the expulsion of the Dutch missionary Winfridus Overbeek, emphasising the flagrant violation of human rights, which is shown in this arbitrary decision present in the condemnation. Expulsion was a common practice during the military dictatorship.
Sample letter:
'We express our solidarity with the Tupinikim and Guarani indigenous peoples in the demarcation of their lands, respecting in this way their rights which are guaranteed in the Brazilian Constitution. At the same time we declare that we are very concerned about the situation of the Dutch missionary Winfridus Overbeek and we hope, in this way, that the decision to expell him will be reconsidered, which if not revoked will damage the policy of defending the human rights, propagated by the Brazilian government.'
The messages must be sent to:
Presidencia da Republica
Presidente Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fax: 00 55 61 226 7566
E-mail: pr@planalto.gov.br
Fundacao Nacional do Indio - FUNAI
Presidente Sulivan Silvestre de Oliveira
Fax: 00 55 61 226 8782
E-mail: webmaster@funai.gov.br
Ministério da Justiça
Ministro Iris Resende
Fax: 0055 61 2242448
E-mail: josejesus@mj.gov.br
Ministro das Relacoes Exteriores
Embaixador Luiz Felipe Lampreia
Fax.: 00 55 61 322 8941
E-mail: acs@mre.gov.br
Superintendente do Departamento da Policia Federal do Espirito Santo
Delegado Renato Halfen de Porciuncula
Fax: 00 55 27 246 8030