60th Session of the UN Commission
on Human Rights
The testimony of Edmundo Lemun, father of Alex Lemun
Mr President
I find myself taking part in this session in order to explain the experience of my family and in particular to denounce the extrajudicial execution of my son Alex Lemun by the Chilean police in 2002.
Personally I would like to express my complete support for the statement prepared by the Special Rapporteur because he has clearly included the case of my son as well as other matters which cause concern to Mapuche communities in Chile.
After more than a year since the events which caused the death of my son, the military courts, along with the government, have tried hard to cover up the case, which was a violation of my son's right to life. They have used various methods to avoid punishing the police official, thus allowing him to evade his responsibility to serve a sentence for the life of my son. Punishment of the person responsible for violating my son's right to life and some sentence for it are both fundamental conditions for justice.
I am participating in this 60th Session on Human Rights because I have not found justice in my country. Although the facts of what happened are totally clear in terms of the participation of the police, the courts have failed to punish the person responsible. However, I am very confident that the report of the Rapporteur will serve as a tool to encourage the courts and the government to take concrete action with regard to the human rights violations to which the Mapuches in Chile find themselves subjected, in particular my son.
The extensive recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur are very valuable because they present concrete methods with which to improve the human rights situation in Chile.
My community and my family are keen to let the government and the courts know of our desire to find a route towards justice. With this wish we have asked repeatedly for an audience with the President of the Republic, Ricardo Lagos. This is because we have seen that he has given attention to and had an open disposition towards other Chilean families who are suffering similar painful experiences. However, he has not shown the same goodwill towards us.
We hope that the international community will actively participate in the search for a solution to the human rights problems of the indigenous peoples of Chile.
Thank you very much.
EDMUNDO LEMUN NECUL
Geneva, Switzerland 8 April 2004