[asia-apec 1029] Mapuche Struggle/Chile - Urgent Fax

[Gatt Watchdog]

Public Announcement

Temuko, February 19, 1999

To our Mapuche communities, organisations, institutions, social and
political organisations, to the Chilean and international community,
This is to inform you that on Thursday February 18 construction works
at the hydroelectric dam at Ralko, in the Alto Bio-Bio, were brought 
to a halt. Construction work at Ralko had been resumed on January 28 
after it had been interrupted by direct action on August 7 last year. 
The work stoppage of February 18 was carried out by our brothers and 
sisters Mapuche Pewenche, with support from some social organisations 
which oppose the construction of this genocidal project. This action 
met with a violent repression from the special forces of the 
carabineros police, and as a consequence 28 people have been arrested 
and an additional nine are wounded. 

As we write, evacuation actions are bein gcarried out at Temulemu
(Traiguen, Malleco region), where 10 people have been arrested, both
men, women and children. The logko (elder) Pascual Pichun has suffered
injury, and they are confiscating the timber, work tools, and
machinery, amongothers. We expect also that our brohers and sisters of
the Choin Lafkenche community (Collipulli, Cautin region) will be
evacuated today as well. 

In the face of these actions, we call on all communities, both 
Mapuche and non-Mapuche organisations, to strengthen the fraternal and
solidarity  bonds with our brothers and sisters who are being strongly
repressed because of their defense of the historical rights of the
Mapuche. These are our inalienable rights, in spite of government
attempts to privatise the resources which belong to all the people who
live on this territory, and in spite of government protection of
national and transnational companies. We will defend Mapuche rights as
a point of honour, but also because our life and that of humanity,
depend on respect for these rights. 

Those who wish to show their solidarity should join us at the sites of
the conflicts, as well as speak out with respect to the violation of
the human rights of the Mapuche.

Coordinadora Mapuche, IX Region
[Mapuche Coordinating Body, 9th Region]