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Xth Session of the UNPO General Assembly

27-30 May 2010 - Rome, Italy


On the occasion of the Xth session of the UNPO General Assembly, the following Mapuche resolution was adopted.

Believing that the Mapuche nation and the defence of its territories lie at the heart of the Chile/ Mapuche land rights conflict. The result of this conflict has led to the state criminalisation of Mapuche rights and an end to the fundamental freedoms enshrined under international law such as ILO convention 169, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Vienna Declaration.

Recalling that traditional Mapuche culture, identity and spirituality arise from the symbiotic relationship between Mapuche ancestral land and the Mapuche people, their culture, identity and way of life and that this fundamental value underpins the force of resistance expressed in the struggle for Mapuche land rights.

During the process of the criminalisation of Mapuche human and land rights aided by the application of Chilean anti terrorist law the Mapuche have thus been unable to access unbiast, impartial, defensive representation within the Chilean judicial system, due to their economic conststraints; the Mapuche are the most economically disadvantaged of all sectors of Chilean society.  As a consequence, numerous Mapuche have been arrested, charged and incarcerated for crimes which they did not commit, without recourse to due process and impartial representation.

Further recalling that the annexation of Mapuche territory by the Chilean and Argentinean republics in contravention of the international treaties agreed with both Spain and the aforementioned republics, in which all parties involved recognized Mapuche Nation territorial sovereignty. The validity of their republican legal jurisdiction has been challenged, amongst others by Mapuche lawyer Jose Lincoqueo, who invoked the legitimacy of aforementioned treaties as instruments of peaceful, legitimate non violent solution to Mapuche territorial conflict. Whilst Jose Lincoqueo historically represented many unjustly criminalised Mapuche communities and individuals, it is with great lament that Sr Lincoqueo has since on 18th May 2010, been incarcerated, awaiting trial for further unsubstantiated state allegations.

Considering that King Orelie Antoine I of Araucania and Patagonia was incarcerated, tortured, declared insane and force into exile in 1862, before the Chilean and Argentinean annexation of the Mapuche territory for challenging the plan of military intervention; today the Chilean authorities are using the same strategy against Jose Lincoqueo who was transferred to a state mental institution awaiting a mental health assessment when it is speculated that the Chilean state will certify him as insane due to his traditional Mapuche, morals, values and political perspective.

Affirming whilst the Chilean and Argentinean states plan to celebrate their bicentenary, the Mapuche people however have nothing to celebrate. In fact 50 years after independence the republics’ initiated an occupation of Mapuche land. However 150 years of Mapuche resistance to colonial invasion have resulted in the successful defence of these traditional ancestral values and Mapuche cosmic vision which underpin all aspects of Mapuche life, social, cultural and economic.

Further noting that the Mapuche nation remain under siege, from the economic agendas of the states of Chile and Argentina, complicit with those of both national and multi-national corporations.

Concerned that the means by which the aforementioned entities seek to exploit the resources contained in Mapuche ancestral land are both illegal and sought via the state violence against the Mapuche people, with particular concern where this violence affects Mapuche child victims of the conflict.

Noting with alarm, that during the course of the intensified and persistent violence and intimidation of Mapuche communities, numerous children have been wounded and traumatised. The incidence of victimisation of Mapuche children under state violence has been the cause of increasing concern to international human rights organisations worldwide.  A recent report by ‘Community Assessment and Intervention, Mapuche Health Program Service 2004’, cites multiple cases of violence against Mapuche minors between 2001 to 2009 references over 126 recorded cases during this period.

Further alarmed that, to date 6 young Mapuche men, have become victims of homicide at the hands of Chilean military police activities relating to the management of Mapuche land rights situations. On his recent detention one such young Mapuche, Waikilaf Cadin Calfunao son of the currently incarcerated Chief Calfunao states ‘’I call upon all international bodies to act now and not when they have me killed by the police.’’ ‘’Our community's fight continues because it is legitimate.  We urge all Mapuche and non Mapuche brothers not to be intimidated or frightened by acts of the corrupt police and prosecutors who persecute Mapuche. We ask for the release of all Mapuche political prisoners’’.

Therefore, we, the UNPO General Assembly:

  1. Condemn all human rights abuses committed in the Mapuche Territory by the governments of Chile and Argentina.

  2. Calls on Chile to end the criminalization, violent repression and persecution of Mapuche communities, minors, leaders and activists in Chile;

  3. Request the UN General Secretary and the UN special Rapporteur for indigenous peoples to initiate an investigation and dispatch a fact finding mission to Chile, in particular to traditional Mapuche territories in order to look into the issues of repression and serious human rights violations.

Submitted by

Reynaldo Mariqueo
Charge d’affaires on Foreign relations
Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia

And

Nina Dean
Vice Secretary
Mapuche International Link

 

 

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