Chilean Democracy Expels Foreign Mapuche Sympathisers
By Rachel Dixon-Warren 7 th April 2008
"We were treated like criminals by the police."
The French journalists Christopher Cyril Harrison and Paul Joffrey Rossj, who were detained on Thursday 20th in Collipulli, complained that they had been treated like criminals, in an interview with El Diario Austral of Temuco.
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According to the police version both had been sighted last Monday in Rene Urban's farm when they were filming a burning hectare of stubble oat, the work of unknown individuals. ______________________________________ |
Their detention, as reported by the Observatory for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, occurred around 13:30 hours in the city of Collipulli , for no reason. According to the Observatory, "This occurred after the young journalists, accompanied Werken (messenger) Jorge Huenchullán of Temucuicui community, who went to sign his parole forms before the Public Prosecutor. After filming this procedure, all went to lunch at a place located on the central square of the city, and were intercepted by a large contingent composed of policemen and police investigators."
"Without giving any reason for the arrests, all men were taken to the Police station of Collipulli, after which the two French documentarians were transferred to the Police Investigation Headquarters of Angol. Police seized their filming equipment, as well as tapes containing the work done so far by the foreign team."
According to the version given by Carlos Tenorio, attorney for the Urban family, the Urbans received notice of an outbreak of fire in their land, which sits opposite the Temucuicui community. After the fire was put out, the family, accompanied by the police, realised that there were two individuals filming the scene in a road which separates the Urban land and the Mapuche community.
I an interview with the Azkintuwe Newspaper, the two French Journalists give their version of the events.
"What happened is that we were walking with Jorge Huenchullán and my assistant, Joffrey, when we were arrested by the police allegedly for an identity check. My friend Joffrey didn't have his passport and the police told us that it was a very serious crime. They told us we had to go to a commissioner for an identity check and we were deprived of our freedom to come and go for 10 hours, first in Collipulli and then Angol. They took my camera and our possessions."
Christopher Harrison told El Diario Austral de Temuco, "We were deprived of our liberty because we were walking with a Werken Mapuche, Jorge Huenchullán, and if we are free it is today is because we are French and not Mapuche. If we were Mapuche we would now be in a jail in a dark room without light or water."
On the Friday 28 th March, the Three Men Again Experienced Anti-Mapuche Prejudice in Temuco City
The Werken Jorge Huenchullán, Christopher Harrison and Paul Joffrey were violently attacked while passing by Recabarren Avenue in the area of Amanecer, Temuco . They were approached by a group of between 10 and 12 people without any provocation. The three men were physically and verbally attacked. Neither their cameras, nor their backpacks were stolen, so robbery does not seem to have been the motive for the aggression.
Werken Huenchullan suffered most of the brutality, while been called "Indian." It should be noted that Jorge Huenchullan's injuries from the brutal attack (knife wounds, a fractured nose and bruises) were described as mild at Temuco Hospital. Christopher Cyril Harrison suffered minor injuries and bruises.
According to the telephone conversation held by Werken Huenchullán, the group of attackers ran away when a police patrol appeared. The police approached the victims, who remained lying on the ground and informed the police of what had happened. But the police car simply withdrew from the site of the incident, without following up the aggressors or attending to the wounded.
Huenchullán called the police on his cell phone, and the police prepared to send a unit. Minutes before the arrival of the police unit, a taxi stopped and offered to take them to Temuco Hospital , escorted by the police. The superior on duty took their statements, and the complaint was recorded in the 2nd Police Station of Temuco.
The Chilean government actually attempted to expel the young journalists, but this was prevented by the interception of the French Consul, Carlos Fingerhuth, who acted promptly in negotiating the matter with Chilean regional governor, headed by Nora Barrientos. The French Consul requested the details, and concluded that it was simply police harassment. As there was no real reason for the expulsion, the matter was settled and the journalists allowed to remain.
However, there are other cases in which those affected have not received the decisive support of their government's Consulate and have been arbitrarily expelled from the country. This was the case with Alvaro Briales Canseco, a 22-year-old student from Spain , on October 13, 2007. Chilean Police accused him of participating in a Mapuche demonstration concerning the restitution of their land. At the time, he was 10 km away from the area where this was taking place. The attitude of the police coincides with that of the landowners. They see the friends and supporters of the Mapuche as their enemies, as is indicated in an interview with the Urban family in the Austral newspaper.
"They should not interfere in the Mapuche conflict and nor should they trespass on our property, chasing and making films."
Sources:
El Diario Austral of Temuco
Azkintuwe Newspaper, Tuesday March 25, 2008
Observatory of Indigenous Peoples