|
|
Amazon Indians being evicted in Brazil (fwd)
Robert Johnson (johnsorl@COLORADO.EDU)
Wed, 8 Mar 1995 07:29:08 -0700
/* Written 5:56 AM Feb 6, 1995 by theearthtime in igc:earthtimes */
Title: Amazon Indians being evicted
By Daniel J. Shepard
Earth Times News Service
Amazon Indians are being forcibly evicted from their lands in the
Brazilian state of Roraima in order to clear the way for a
hydroelectric dam, according to groups supporting indigenous people.
The Pro-Indian Commission of Sao Paulo and the Indigenous Council
of Roraima issued a statement saying that on January 7, 50 Roraima
Military Police officers, accompanied by seven Brazilian soldiers,
expelled 400 Macuxi Indians, including women, children, and elders,
from their community of Carapuru II and destroyed their livestock.
A second invasion occurred on January 14, and there are reports that
12 Indians were beaten, 2 seriously.
The state government of Roraima has pushed plans to go ahead with
a Cotingo River Hydroelectric Dam at a site that is considered well
within lands that have been set aside for the Indians, despite the fact
that they have not received the necessary authorization from the
Brazilian government to proceed. Under Brazilian law, it is also
necessary to consult with indigenous peoples before proceeding with
projects on their lands. The national electric power company has
advised against building the project.
The Macuxi occupied the dam work site in order to halt construction,
fearing that the dam would flood their fields, kill fish, and clear the
way for major agribusinesses to take over their lands.
Glen Switkes, of International Rivers Network, a non-governmental
organization, said meetings have been held between the Brazilian
Attorney General and indigenous leaders, and the Attorney General
said he would start legal action to remove the police from the area.
Switkes, who called Roraima an "outlaw state" consisting of a high
concentration of goldminers, said it was unclear whether Roraima
had sufficient financing in place to build the dam, and said this "may
all be posturing." He said, "The state government wants to defacto
overturn Brazil's Indian policy. They feel the Indians are in the way
and they want to force the issue."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Earth Times says:
We welcome letters, comments, and requests to be placed on our free
mailing list.
Ashali Varma
Managing Director
The Earth Times
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-297-0488
fax: 212-297-0566
E-Mail: theearthtime@igc.apc.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Excerpted from EcoNet, a nonprofit online system *
* specializing in environmental issues. For further information on *
* EcoNet membership, send any message to <econet-info@igc.apc.org>. *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|