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Statement given by Chief Juana Calfunao to the UN Human Rights Council

The United nations Human Rights Council
16th session
Geneva, Switzerland
March 22nd 2011
Item 9: Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,
Monitoring and Implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action
.

Statement by the Indian Council of South America (CISA)

Mr. President,

I will read the following speech on behalf of Chief Juana Calfunao, she has suffered emotional imbalance, resulting from the torture she suffered and large bruises on her whole body, including the long separation from her daughter Relmutray Cadin Calfunao.

  1. I have been a victim of persecution, harassment and torture, shot at whilst riding my horse by the Chilean police. It has been 6 months since my release, I was kept hostage for 6 years and 6 months in prison by the Chilean government, along with my family, sister, children and husband and my 79 years old mother

  2. Because of my support of the rights of my people and my land, I am persecuted  by police and have been arrested countless times;  in 2002 I suffered the loss of my unborn baby as a result of the vicious beatings I had  endured at the hands of Chilean  police . In December 2005 I was arrested in front of my youngest child Relmutray Cadin Calfunao only 8 years of age, I had my hands and feet tied and they stripped me naked and then urinated on my body and my face, the most humiliating experience for a woman.

  3. There have been several lawsuits issued to various civil and criminal courts, however they have never been heard neither has there been any investigation into the crimes perpetrated against me.

  4. The Chilean courts have taken pictures of past public  events, censored in such a way that it appears to the world that I attacked a public prosecutor during my own court hearing, whilst being convicted under a arbitrary law by virtue of the fact that i am a female and also a leader of my people, such has been the product of Chilean State xenophobia.

  5. As a result of this type of xenophobic persecution my home has been burned three times by the forces of repression, to date there has been no investigation nor have the perpetrators of these crimes been discovered and brought to justice.

  6. In the face of this painful situation that I live day by day, the cost has been immense, there remains a significant fracture of  my family, especially in the case of my youngest daughter Relmutray’s situation, as she was forced to seek asylum in Switzerland at  the age of 10 years old, where she has since been greatly affected by Western culture and has serious health consequences for which she currently remains hospitalized, this serious deterioration has caused  irreparable damage to my daughter, family and to me personally as a mother.

Finally with regard to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, paragraphs 5 and 6 are explicit, referring to the obligation of states to create policies for both indigenous peoples and other peoples in allowing them to make full use of the right to self-determination.

Thank you.

Lonko Juana Calfunao Pailllalef
Juan Paillalef Community
Mapuche Nation-People.

 


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