Call to the government for explanations
Declaration of the General Council of Williche Chiefs of Chiloé
"The investigation carried out by the police into our organisation, in which honest peoples' names have been noted down as if they were criminals, constitutes a serious offence and threat to our people. We want to reiterate our dissatisfaction and anger over this new violation of our individual and collective human rights that has been committed by the Chilean government. We hope that, just as the authorities were so quick to present their explanations and excuses to business-man Sebastián Piñera, they will manage to act in the same way when explaining this violation of our traditional Williche community".
PUBLIC DECLARATION
Since an article was published in the 'El Mercurio' newspaper presenting evidence about the police investigation into our traditional organisation of Williche community, the General Council of Chiloé Chiefs has decided that the Chilean and international public must be made aware of the situation, in order to make known the following:
1. All Mapuche territorial issues relating to the situation regarding land owned by the Williche community in Chiloé are public knowledge, as much for the government in particular as for the public in general. Therefore, any information can be verified in the report of 'The Historic Truth and New Deal Commission for indigenous peoples', created by the Chilean president, Don Ricardo Lagos. This has been created with the aim of changing the discriminatory and offensive treatment that has historically been imposed on our people by the Chilean State .
2. The official public records kept by the state from the Commission of the Study and Regularisation of Williche Land in Chiloé, created by the Chilean government in 1993, are the product of serious scientific investigations that represent inescapable proof of the legal, historical and ancestral rights of our people. It is not necessary for us to be made subject to police investigation. Our traditional community has never been scared to fight for its legitimate rights. WE WERE NOT DURING THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP AND WE WILL NOT BE NOW.
3. The investigation carried out by the police into our organisation, in which honest peoples' names have been noted down as if they were criminals; Statements made by the Home Secretary and the Chief of Police, also constitute a serious offence and threat to our people. Whilst their comments are given public credence and their conversations with the government are not respectful towards our community, we continue to live as invisible people, up against a government whose representatives consider us criminals and delinquents. Within a democratic government it is not the police who should assume knowledge of the states of injustice that indigenous people live in, as is the case with our community. It is the duty of the state to see to unjust situations, without too much negative interference, in order to protect the RIGHTS of the population that resides in Chile .
4. The "intelligence" operation, which the police have been instructed by the government to carry out, lacks credit or value and is illegal. This investigation is clearly against the General Council of Chiloé Chiefs and has been conducted outside of normal regulations. It constitutes a clear show of intimidation and a violation of the human rights of the Williche people and leaders in Chiloé. It is an open act of discrimination against our community and must not pass unnoticed by national and international human rights organisations. They should be able to freely observe the reality in which our people live in the State of Chile.
5. On previously mentioned occasions we have denounced the irregularity with which Chilean ministerial departments have operated against our community. One example of this is the unexplained handing over of land from the Chilean government to Jeremías Henderson from San Pedro Island in Chiloé, or the clear seizure of fiscal lands by the company Hong Kong Golden Spring, presided over by the Minister of National Resources. The police have not conducted investigations into these acts, which clearly violate the Chilean peoples' rights, as it has not investigated other acts carried out by the authorities, directly involving employees or ex-employees of the government, about which we have presented documents.
6. If our people, its organisation, or individuals, bare witness to any type of behaviour that coincides with the criminal expectations of the Chilean Police, there are clearly established legal regulations which must be complied with. To tri someone outside of these regulations in the absence of a legal warrant would constitute an arbitrary act of bad faith which would contravene the constitutional rights of all sectors of Chilean society, whether they be indigenous or not.
7. Regarding the acquisition of large sections of Williche territory by business-man Mr Piñera, we understand that, since starting negotiations, he has been receiving advice from the Bishop of Ancud, monsignor Juan Luis Ysern, the outcome of these communications remains to be seen.
8. We want to publicly state once more that the problem of seized Williche land originally initiated by the Chilean State , and later by diverse Chilean and foreign individuals, continues to be ignored by the State, and that the government should respond to the legitimate demands of the Williche community in Chiloé regarding territorial land rights.
9. Finally, we want to reiterate our dissatisfaction and anger over this new violation of our individual and collective human rights committed by the Chilean government. We hope that, just as the authorities were so quick to present their explanations and apologies to business-man Sebastián Piñera, they will manage to act in the same way when explaining this violation of our traditional Williche organisation and its leaders.
We will never cease defending our human rights and those of our brothers. We are children of Mother Earth and in her we find the strength to continue along the road of justice and peace for our people.
CARLOS ORLANDO LINCOMAN
LONKO OF CHILOÉ (HIGH CHIEF)
ARMANDO LLAITUREO MANQUEMILLA
LONKO SECRETARY GENERAL (CHIEF)
GENERAL COUNCIL OF WILLICHE CHIEFS OF CHILOÉ
KONSEJATU CHAFÜN WILLICHE CHILWE
CONTACT: Website: http://www.williche.cl / E-mail: ccchilwe@telsur.cl
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Translated by Madeline Stanley
Mapuche International Link