PRESS RELEASE
Werken Pichún: a Mapuche spokesman in Europe
November 2004.
The Special presence of a Mapuche spokesman in Europe - Direct witness of human rights violations on the Mapuche people in Chile
As Chile is being congratulated by the international community General Pinochet’s immunity suspension, the International Federation for Human Rights and Kolektivox (organisation supporting the Mapuche people) denounce the use of antiterrorist and internal security laws by Chilean authorities as a repression tool against the Mapuche people. These laws date back to the dictatorship.
Juan Pichún will be in Europe from October 24th to November 20th to raise European media, governments and institutions’ awareness about the situation of his people. He is a Mapuche werken (messenger) and son of the lonko (traditional chief) Pascual Pichún. His visit in Europe has been sponsored by the concert " Mapuche voices, voices of the land " organised in June 2004, in Paris.
The Mapuche are from the south of Chile and Argentina. They are being spoiled from their lands by forestry and hydroelectric firms. They have carried out many legal procedures to see their demands succeed. In a context of growing conflict between the interests of Mapuche communities and private firms, the government does not guarantee the fundamental rights of the Mapuche even if specific laws have been adopted for the protection of indigenous people’s rights in 1993. On the contrary, the state has chosen to adopt a repressive policy against these communities, criminalising their claims through the use of antiterrorist and internal security legislations. These "state of emergency" laws deny fair trials, infringe defence rights and allow disproportionate sentences.
The special reporter for the fundamental rights of autochthonous people of the UN, the Interamerican Commission for human rights and NGOs have addressed denunciations and recommendations to the Chilean government. They have underlined the breaches against the economical, social and cultural rights of the Mapuche people as well as the repression jointly lead by private militias and the police.
In addition to the repression, the partial information delivered by mainstream Chilean media deny the access to public space for the Mapuche. The visit of Juan Pichún in Europe is an essential opportunity to uncover the veil on the history of Chile and to open a space for a people between " oblivion & exclusion ".
Press conference
Tuesady November 9th at 11:00 am
International federation for human rights
17 passage de la main d’Or- 75011 Paris
with Juan Pichún, Mapuche spokesman
Contacto : kolektivox@hotmail.com