Zapatista Communities Evicted For ‘Ecotourism’ Centres

February 2, 2010 by glasgowchiapassolidaritygroup 

Zapatistas denounce the eviction and destruction of an indigenous

community and accuse the government of aiming to set up ecotourism

centres.

'Reforestation' is the pretext used by the authorities to perform the

operation against the EZLN support bases.

Hermann Bellinghausen, La Jornada Sunday 31 January 2010, p. 7, originally

published in Spanish.

San Cristobal de las Casas, Jan 30. The Good Government Council (JBG) 'the

way ahead' (el camino del futuro), based in the Caracol of La Garrucha, on

Friday denounced the eviction and destruction of the indigenous community

of Laguna San Pedro, in the autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores

Magon, which took place on 22nd January. The government's explicit

intention is to "reforest" the area and establish private ecotourism

centres in the Montes Azules, within the area of the biosphere reserve.

While they were burning the houses of the indigenous people, the JBG

relates, the Zapatistas were forced to board official helicopters to be

transferred to the city of Palenque, where they endured "hunger and cold"

in a hostel until they received attention from independent civil

organizations.

As has happened before, the raid was preceded by an opportune

"application" on behalf of the Lacandon authorities based in Lacanjá

Chansayab, the legal owners of six hundred thousand hectares of the

forest, who are habitually pressing for the expulsion of the inhabitants

of Montes Azules.

Before the eviction, forces sent by "the bad federal and state (PRD)

Government of Juan Sabines Guerrero, and the municipal president of

Ocosingo, (PAN), Carlos Leonel Solórzano, conducted an operation using

federal police, accompanied by officials of the Federal Procurator of the

Environment (Profepa)" who with four helicopters flew over the village of

Laguna San Pedro "to terrify the population", said the JBG.

They state that state and federal police, army troops, government

officials, cameramen and journalists participated in the action. Once

arrived, the officials "talked with the men and women while the police

took the opportunity to burn the houses of the Zapatista support bases".

How is it possible that "the bad government speaks of dialogue while their

police and army burned the belongings of the compas," questions the JBG

from the Caracol of 'Resistance towards a new dawn' (Resistencia hacia un

nuevo amanecer). "How is it possible that the bad government evicts

indigenous people of Chiapas and Mexico while occupying their land for the

construction of ecotourism centres for the use of people from other

nations."

It should be mentioned that, after the eviction, the state government

announced that in coming days they were going to evict the population of

six more villages, including 6 de Octubre, another Zapatista community, as

well as Nuevo San Gregorio, Rancheria Corozal and Salvador Allende, among

others. They will join el Suspiro, Buen Samaratino, Nuevo Salvador Allende

and the aforementioned Laguna San Pedro, which the government call San

Pedro Guanil.

The former PAN governor of Yucatan, Patricio Patron Laviada, head of

Profepa, visited Chiapas in recent days and agreed to these actions with

the Secretary of Government of the state, Noe Castanon Leon, who on

Tuesday, 26th published the agreement to "reforest" and establish an

ecotourism centre within the Montes Azules biosphere reserve, presumably

to be undertaken by settlers from Nueva Palestina, secondary members of

the so-called "Lacandon community" and unpunished perpetrators of the

massacre at Viejo Velasco Suarez in 2006, also in Montes Azules.

The "ecotourism development" is part of the investment projects of the

businessman Moises Saba, who died weeks ago in a helicopter crash outside

Mexico City. Another project of his was the production of biodiesel on a

thousand hectares of rainforest. It appears that his projects are going

ahead, at least through the agency of the state and federal government.

According to Castanon Leon, they will promote the "sustainable uses" of

natural resources with projects of "community development" (for the

Lacandon and their partners), "environmental education and tourist

circuits of the Mayan route (la ruta maya)".

The JBG accuses the government of "lying and cheating, while Indian homes

burn," while the newspapers talk about the relocation of the Zapatistas of

Laguna San Pedro, they have their homes destroyed, their cooperative store

looted, and suffered the loss of their fruit trees, corn, beans, clothing

and tools of work. The material damage amounted to 585 thousand pesos, in

addition to the loss of their land, which, as the Zapatistas usually say,

is priceless.

Loliondo is Burning

Loliondo is Burning provides documentary evidence, testimony, and background information surrounding the recent eviction of Massai in Loliondo, northern Tanzania. This is a two-part video.

In July 2009, during one of the worst droughts in recent Tanzanian history, the government of Tanzania began to forcefully evict the Maasai from their traditional lands. Eight villages were burnt to the ground, along with crops and traditional places of worship. As a result, some 3,000 people were left without any shelter, food or water.

As Loliondo is Burning explains, the evictions were carried out on behalf of the Ortello Business Company (OBC) and the Royal Family of Dubai, who claim the Maasai land as their own. Employees of OBC reportedly took part in the eviction.

Several abuses were also reported to have taken place, including the rape of Masaai women. Overall,

• More than 200 bomas (homesteads of extended families) have been totally burnt.
• Food stores and maize fields have been burned.
• It is estimated that up to 3,000 people have been made homeless without food and shelter.
• Several maize farms, which were ready for harvest, were set ablaze exacerbating an already alarming hunger situation.
• More than 50,000 cattle have been pushed into areas hit by extreme drought with no water and grass. Some cattle have been lost and some burned to death.
• Property worth millions of Tanzania Shillings has been destroyed.
• Other women who were chased from their homes have had miscarriages.
• Many people are now suffering from psychological traumas.

It should be noted that the eviction is ongoing. Other burnings have reportedly taken place since July. Further, more than two dozen Maasai have been arrested, some as recent as 7 days ago.

More information

For more information on the current situation, please read the report “Gross violations of human and citizenship rights in Tanzania” by the Feminist Activist Coalition. You may also want to see:

• The Killing Fields of Loliondo
• Killing the Killing Fields of Loliondo
• Bleak future for Loliondo Maasai
• New breed of refugee all too familiar to Indian Country
• Denmark wants end to human rights abuse in Loliondo

What You Can Do

If you would like to speak out in support of the Masaai, send an email to:

• President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, United Republic of Tanzania – State House Luthuli Road, Box 9120, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 00 255 22 2 116 898 / 22 2 116 899 00 255 22 2 113 425 info@ikulu.go.tz
• Private Secretary to Mizengo Pinda, Prime Minister of Tanzania, Email: pm@pmo.go.tz; privatesec@pmo.go.tz
• Mr. Yacoub El Hillo, UNHCR Representative to Tanzania, elhillo@unhcr.org
• Tanzanian Embassy in your country: http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Tanzania

Thanks to Derek Wall for his reporting on Another Green World

Police face murder charges in killing of indigenous protesters in Peru

mongabay.com
August 16, 2009


A federal prosecutor in Peru filed murder charges against two police generals and 15 other officers over the deaths of indigenous protesters at a roadblock in June, reports the Associated Press. The Indians were protesting new rules that would have made it easier for foreign developers to exploit oil and gas, timber, and minerals in Peru's Amazon rainforest. The skirmish left 23 police and at least ten protesters dead.

The charges come several weeks after dozens of civilians, including indigenous leaders, were charged with homicide over the deaths. Some are expected to be arrested once they are discharged from hospitals were they are recovering from injuries suffered during the protest.

The protests

Oil and gas blocks in the western Amazon. Solid yellow indicates blocks already leased out to companies. Hashed yellow indicates proposed blocks or blocks still in the negotiation phase. Protected areas shown are those considered strictly protected by the IUCN (categories I to III). Image modified from Finer M, Jenkins CN, Pimm SL, Keane B, Ross C, 2008 Oil and Gas Projects in the Western Amazon: Threats to Wilderness, Biodiversity, and Indigenous Peoples. PLoS ONE 3(8): e2932. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002932

Indigenous groups have fiercely opposed what they see as encroachment on their traditional lands. In May thousands of protesters blocked roadways and rivers in opposition to a set of presidential decrees that would have made it easier for foreign firms to develop Amazon land. President Alan Garcia responded by sending in federal police, quickly leading to a heated standoff that ended in bloodshed — in addition to the deaths, at least 82 protesters were suffered gunshot wounds and another 120 were injured. The escalation was widely condemned by human rights groups and environmentalists.

Garcia has since rescinded two of the most controversial decrees and shuffled his cabinet. But the government has since indicated in public statements that it intends to move forward on oil and gas development despite the controversy.

Green groups and indigenous rights' organizations say the rainforests slotted for oil and gas exploration is home to a wealth of biodiversity and "uncontacted" tribes. The Peruvian government maintains there is but a single isolated tribe and that development will bring vast sums to the treasury.

http://catapa.be/en/north-peru-killings

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High resolution versions of these images can be requested at info@catapa.be