Public Declaration by the Fijke Mogen Mapuche Association of Coj Coj
Temuco (Chol-Chol) Mapuche Territory. 21st February, 2009.
The Fijke Mogen Mapuche Association, a social organisation belonging to the territories of Coj Coj (Chol Chol), expresses its deep concern at the latest occurrences of police persecution against Mapuche individuals, declares the following:
The raids, arrests and accusations suffered by a number of our Mapuche brothers verge on illegality and illegitimacy and are detrimental to both the rights and reputation of those concerned. Some of the disturbing aspects that attract our attention and call into question the legality of these proceedings relate to:
the excessive use of force, together with a disproportionate deployment of personnel by the police, who have even threatened and intimidated small children.
the confiscation of numerous personal effects, documents and everyday work tools such as computers and pen-drives, which up until now have still not been returned to their owners.
These actions constitute a situation of harassment and persecution against our brothers. The victims of these raids and arrests are persons who have publicly and openly shown their solidarity by working for the benefit of our people, as is the case of Miguel Ángel Tapia Wenulef or Mauricio Waikilao Waikilao.
Police procedures have been irregular and information has been kept secret concerning their orders, just as it has with regard to those responsible and the goods confiscated. In the case of the raid carried out on Friday 6th February of this year at the home of Llanka Mariman and Nelson Painemal (who are from the xokimce of Chol Chol and are close to our organisation), this occurred while neither was at home and without a search warrant. In order to clear up this irregular situation, our brothers had to present a request to the district court of Temuco. This was declared inadmissible since the public prosecutor’s office reported that there was no investigation involving them. Even now, where the orders originated from and the reasons behind the raid remain unknown.
For their part, the political authorities have given contradictory and unclear signs towards the community. On the one hand, President Bachelet has indicated that the government will not get involved in legal cases in which the Anti-Terrorism Law is invoked, even as part of the ‘commitment’ adopted through the supposed social pact. Yet she appears to be implicated in the cases of Tapia Wenulef and Waikilao.
However, both the Minister of the Interior, Perez Yoma, and the Undersecretary, Rosende Lynch, have declared in fierce terms that they will implement this law. So the question remains - who rules in Chile: the President, the Minister or the Undersecretary Perez Yoma seems to be reproducing the same reactionary and violent vision that his father had in dealing with social and political issues.
As far as Rosende is concerned, he is acting in accordance with his loyalties to the right wing of the PPD. It would appear that the coalition government is aligning itself with the right-wing candidate Piñera (who openly supports the continued application of the aforementioned law from the Pinochet era) rather than with the Mapuche Nation.
Moreover, while on the one hand there is talk of a referendum to implement Convention 169 of the ILO and grant political participation to Indigenous Peoples, on the other, Mapuche social leaders are being repressed.
We express our solidarity and concern for the situation of the Painemal Mariman family, who suffered the loss of Matías Katrileo a year ago and now see their own safety threatened.
Finally, we demand that the government and the coalition take a clear position regarding the Mapuche issue; will they continue to use the “stick” or are they prepared to deal with these matters in a serious and transparent manner?
Lastly, we invite other Mapuche organisations to make statements denouncing the repressive acts of which we as a people are victims.
Fijke Mogen Mapuche Association, Coj Coj Mapu.
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Translated by Anna Harvey