Open letter from Mapuche organizations to Apec
representatives
Wallmapu (Mapuche Territory) 3 June, 2004
Representatives of the economies of :
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, The Peoples
Republic of China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zeland, Peru, The Phillipines, Papua New Guinea, The Russian
Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Thailand, The United States,
and Vietnam.
On occasion of the meeting of the APEC Ministers
Responsible for Trade in Pucon and Villarrica, Chile June 4-5, the organizations
and territorial identities subscribing to this letter wish to signal the
following:
- These meetings in Pucon and Villarrica are located
in ancestral Mapuche territorry, which was usurped by the Chilean state.
We have summoned the President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos Escobar, to stop
the folklorization of our culture. The presence of folkloric groups
at this meeting is an open provocation, given that we have already been
victims of the government and multinationals, with imprisonment, repression,
criminalisation and judicial persecution of our legitimate demands as
a people; all at the hands of the government and influential factional
groups. It is essential to note that today, important Mapuche leaders
within our territories are imprisonedall of this in the name of
the same economic model that your economies represent and that you plan
to continue consolidating in our territory. Thus increasing the colonialization
and usurpation of our lands, of our natural resources, and of our traditional
knowledge.
- We firmly believe that you should not carry
out trade negotiations behind the backs of the people. The economies
that you represent, as well as your promotion of market liberalization
within the APEC region and standardization of trade rules amongst unequal
economies with asymettrical technologies and development, cause vast
sectors of society, such as indigenous people, and in this case, the
Mapuche people, whose rights your economies neither recognize nor respect,
to be vulnerable within an economy overwhelmed by corporate domination,
transnational pirateering and environmental and social disaster. This
future which you control is not the mandate of the peoples that have
entrusted you to govern; this is not the future that the people want.
- Know that you are coming to the center of our
historic territory, and as such, with the respect that we deserve, we
request that before embarking on the path to liberalize trade relations,
you should first establish as a fundamental priority within the APEC
region, a dialogue on the standardization of indigenous rights. We demand
that you speak face-to-face with the people to whom you owe your mandate
and obedience, given that the matters to be discussed in the APEC meeting
in our territory have no reason to be reserved and hidden. We summon
you to stop the unjust trade practices that APEC promotes, and to dutifully
and ethically NOT carry out the pending processes of liberalization
that the WTO is attempting, and which it has not been able to impose.
The imposition of these policies would be unfortunate and a huge step
back for the people of the world.
- It is inconceivable that you would come to impose
your model of trade on territory which is ours, even more so considering
that Chile does not recognize the legal existence of our people. The
International Labor Organizations (ILO) Convention 169 on the
Treatment of Indigenous Peoples has in any case not been ratified in
Chile; and after fourteen years of a supposed democracy, the Chilean
state continues using the same repressive laws of the military dictatorship
to supress our just demands.
- We most sincerely expect that you will consider
the issues we are raising; otherwise, we must inform you that you will
not be welcomed to our territory, and as long as the present conditions
we denounce, do not reverse themselves, we will express ourselves freely
against the trade which you promote and which are a threat to our collective
dignity and rights. We hope that you answer the call from not only the
Mapuche people, but from the people across the world that are concerned
about these issues.
- We will be present in large numbers in Villarrica
and Pucon, in demonstrations and on Friday, June 4 at the Forum of Indigenous
People and Social Organizations, an alternative summit to
the APEC meeting, convened by the Coordination of Territorial Identities
and Mapuche Organizations, and integrated by numerous Mapuche organizations
and Non-Governmental Organizations. We will discuss the numerous impacts
of trade on Mapuche communities, and strategies for confronting these
impacts.
NO TO ECONOMIC EXCLUSION!
FOR THE SELF DETERMINATION OF THE PEOPLE!
Subscribing organizations:
- Identidad Lafkenche Tirúa, Adolfo Millabur,
Iván Carialo / - Tirúa Sur, Roberto Garrido, David Huenupil
/ - Huentelolen, interlocalidades, Juan Carlos Polma / - Comunidades del
Budi, Jorge Pichuñual, Armando Marileo. / - Consejo territorial
Lafkenche, Domingo Raín, Pérsida Cheuquenao (Teodoro Schmidth).
/ - Consejo de werkenes, Joel Maripil, Julio Chehuin
- Comunidades de Toltén, Edelmira
Huechán, Mirta Ñancuán. / - Comunidades Maiquillahue,
Boris Hualme / - Osorno, comunidades williche, Miguel Cheuquepán.
/ - Carahue, Asociación pu lafkenche, Wladimir Painecura. / - Federación
Williche de Chiloé, Sergio Cuyul. / - Asociación Nepén
de Ancud, Chiloé, Pedro Naguil. / - Coordinación de comunidades
en conflictos ambientales, Luis Cañulef. / - Temuco, Sergio Caniuqueo,
profesionales Mapuche. / - por Agrupación Konapewman Temuco, Alfredo
Seguel, Pablo Huaiquilao, Gabriela Calfucoy, Eduardo Rapimán. /
- Corporación de mujeres Mapuche Aukinko Zomo, María Isabel
Curihuentro, Ana Tragolaf / - Casa de arte Mapuche, Rayen Kvyeh / - Corporación
Xeg Xeg, Francisco Caquilpán. / - Centro Mapuche Liwen, Pablo Marimán.
/ - Comunidades Nueva Imperial, Audiel Millapi. / - Comunidades Chol Chol
- Imperial, Emilio Painemal. / - Organización territorial Wajontu
Coj Coj Mapu (Chol Chol), Juan Painemal. / - Por Villarrica, Corporación
Villarrica María Luisa Nahuelpán.; Corporación Komkeyuayin,
Benjamín Caniulef; Asociación Wanglen Villarrica, Juana
Curio; / - Identidad Nagche, Lumaco, Traiguén, Los Sauces, Asociación
Ñankuchew, Alfonso Reiman. - Sociedad Wanglen, Lumaco Traiguén,
Galvarino Reiman. / - Traiguén, Temulemu, Juan Pichún. /
- Santiago, Consejería indígena Urbana, José Llancapán,
Eugenia Calquín; / - Perquenco, Savaria , Lucrecia Antileo. / -Panguipulli,
coordinadora Williche, Pikun Wiji Mapu, Jorge Hueque. / - Consejo de lonko
Pikun Wiji Mapu, lonko Agustín Nahuelpán, Werkén
Jorge Abello / - Melipeuco, pewenche, Alfonso Melillán.. / - (Puelmapu,
Argentina) Coordinadora de organizaciones Mapuche C.O.M, provincia Newkén.
/ - (Puelmapu, Argentina) Organización Mapuche Tehuelche
11 de octubre, provincia de Chubut. / - (Canadá) Comités
de apoyo al Pueblo Mapuche. / - (Suecia) Centro de documentación
Mapuche Ñuke Mapu, Jorge Calbucura. / - (Gran Bretaña) Mapuche
International Link, Reynaldo Mariqueo. / - (Holanda) Fundación
Mapuche FOLIL, Rafael Railaf Zuniga.
|