Forests. Climate. Community.
Indigenous Peruvians violently repressed for protesting Amazon destruction
The extraction of resources from native lands exacts real costs on indigenous populations, as homes, livelihoods, and sometimes even lives are lost in the struggle to control these forests. The following excerpts are from two news articles covering the recent repression of indigenous Peruvians.Friends of the Earth International | 7 June 2009
Since April 9, indigenous communities in Peru have been holding peaceful protests condemning new laws that would allow for the rapid industrialization of the Amazon rain forest. These laws were put in place by the Peruvian government to further facilitate the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and to make Peru more "economically competitive".
Over 30,000 indigenous people have blocked roads, rivers and railways to demand the repeal of these new laws that would include an increase in oil, mining and logging activities.
On June 5, the situation took a dramatic turn when the Peruvian police took violent action against these protesters.
Without warning, police forcibly dispersed a group of indigenous peoples protesting against the industrialization of their country with tear gas and real bullets. The indigenous community says at least 22 police officers and possibly as many as 40 protesters, including two children, were killed in the uproar.
Guardian | 17 June 2009
The prime minister of Peru, Yehude Simon, said he will bow to opposition demands and resign over violent clashes between security forces and Amazon tribes which left dozens dead.
"I am going to go for sure as soon as calm returns in the coming weeks," he told local radio today. Earlier he apologized to indigenous leaders for the government's attempt to enforce decrees opening the rain forest to oil and gas exploration.
Congress is to repeal two controversial laws in the wake of clashes 11 days ago which left at least 34 dead, including 23 police, near the northern town of Bagua. Other ministers are expected to step down or be fired by President Alan Garcia.
Although the region has been granted a temporary reprieve, logging and oil interests will surely continue to lobby for access. The most effective way to reduce such incursions into native lands is to reduce demand for the offending companies' products. As such, the tragedy of this event powerfully underscores the importance of understanding where your magazine’s paper comes from. Does it come from endangered or high conservation value forests? Does it come from areas of social conflict? Are communities near the mills, plantations, or forests being disenfranchised or displaced by paper company decisions that don’t involve the local residents? First Nations in the Grassy Narrows of Quebec, the Talang Mamak and Orang Rimba in Indonesia, and residents around the Green Swamp of North Carolina are just a few of the communities that have already felt the negative impacts of the magazine paper industry. Sadly, the more magazines purchase uncertified virgin fiber paper, the more names will be added to that list.
Magazine publishers can avoid contributing to such horrendous violations of human rights and environmental destruction by purchasing recycled and FSC-certified paper, which will reduce your publication's resource consumption while ensuring that the virgin fiber you do use is ethically sourced.
Learn more about the situation in Peru:
- Listen to a report on the protests in Peru on Real World Radio.
- Watch the Democracy Now video on the protests here.
- See photos of the repression.
- Read a solidarity statement signed by Friends of the Earth International and other civil society groups.
- Read a press release by Friends of the Earth Peru (in Spanish).
Learn more about how virgin fiber extraction affects local communities:
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© 2009 Created by Keaty Gross
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