Mapuche organisations denounce police repression

Temuko, July 25 2001

We write to our fellow Mapuches and all those in Chile whose organisations are experiencing every day the consequences of an economic and political world system which marginalises and exploits the majority of our citizens; also to civil society aware of the situation and rights of Mapuche people.

We are witnesses of police actions on 15 May in Tirua and what happened on 20 July at the Council of All The Land organisation. We've seen repressive and repeated police behaviour with the collusion of national and transnational business as well as the Chilean Government, fully protected by the courts. They have been accomplices to the extreme accumulation of wealth by the few to the impoverishment of the many, together with destruction of natural resources.

Today we repudiate the mounting violence of the Chilean State against the Mapuche Nation. We've come to say "enough" and that we shall no longer tolerate this treatment.

We have been resisting ever since we were forced to become part of the Chilean State, and future generations will continue to do so if necessary in the most creative ways. As this is a political problem, it must be solved politically, not by repression in any guise.

In this new stage of our struggle we make it clear that the following are the bases on which the new order can stand:

1. The freeing of all Mapuches imprisoned for trying to recuperate our territory.
2. The dropping of all cases against our people for the same reason.
3. The removal of all judicial authority involved in the stealing of our land.
4. The halting of work on the Ralko dam and those mega-projects which we have always opposed.
5. Combatting the creation of extreme wealth and extreme poverty in our lands.
6. Working together on our political rights within our territory.

We call on all to be aware and in solidarity with us during the reactions which may take place in the coming days.

Signed by the:

Nankuchew Communities of Lumako,
The Council of All The Land,
the Students of Kona Peuman,
Ad-Mapu Organisation,
those of the Wenteche Territory,
Students of We Kintun,
Liwen Mapuche Documentation Centre,
The Xeg-Xeg Mapuche Corporation,
the Rofue-Metrenko Movement.

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