From: David Sangurima <sangu@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Date: 24 Jan 93 21:44 PST
Subject: IPS:Human Rights in Americas
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473800424:000:4305
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!sangu    Jan 24 21:44:00 1993


From: David Sangurima <sangu>
Subject: IPS:Human Rights in Americas

/* Written 12:25 am  Jan 24, 1993 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "LATIN AMERICA: INDIGENOUS GROUPS CA" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: LATIN AMERICA: INDIGENOUS GROUPS CALL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE


an inter press service feature

by ivannia mora

san jose, jan 21 (ips) -- representatives of latin america's
indigenous peoples, at a regional human rights conference here,
have called for an end to the violence and mutilation against
their peoples.  they are also claiming their rights to identity
and bi-cultural education.

according to quechua indian, eleuterio ramirez, indigenous
people are the most vulnerable to violence.  they have to deal
with insurgent groups who hide in their territories as well as
work with governments in the name of national stability, he said.

''governments believe that we want to replace the state
structures,'' ramirez, coordinator of the south american indian
council, told ips.

three indigenous representatives at the conference presented a
balance sheet which indicated that guatemala, peru, colombia and
honduras were the most violent countries with respect to their
indigenous populations.

the regional human rights meeting in san jose, held between
jan. 18 and 22, is being attended by 500 official delegates from
non-governmental and international organisations.

democracy and development in the context of human rights is a
major topic at the meeting and delegates are stressing
participation by indigenous people at all levels.

the conference is preparing a regional proposal to be presented
at the world human rights conference in vienna in june this year.

''leftist groups manipulate indigenous identity to gain
national and international recognition for themselves. this
affects and damages our sovereignty in addition to disorienting
our specific cultural objectives,'' said pedro balcumez,
representative of the guatemalan council of maya indians.

in government circles, he said, there is talk of protecting
indigenous peoples ''as if we were fossils in a reserve...we do
not want protection but rather participation in the economies  and
societies of our countries,'' he emphasised.

activists are encouraged that proposals will receive support
from the commemoration of the international year of indigenous
peoples last year which culminated in the award of the nobel peace
prize to guatemalan indian leader, rigoberta menchu.
menchu was unable to attend the san jose meeting due to illness.
(more/ips)

latin america: indigenous (2)

maximiliano ferrer, a panamanian indian and a representative of
the nabuana kuna organisation, said that ''our proposal is to
demand that governments present at the meeting ratify resolution
169 of the international labour organisation.''

this resolution, ratified by only four of the 33 latin-american
and caribbean nations, includes approximately 80 percent of the
rights that indians are fighting for and covers the right to land,
education, culture and development.

for guatemalan leader, balcumez and others, a major concerns is
the lack of commitment by governments.  he said while they support
the resolution ''it worries us that there has not been
verification.''

one document presented at the conference made a general call to
overcome ''racial discrimination and economic, social and cultural
exploitation suffered by indians for the past 500 years'' and for
''governmental solidarity'' and adherence to the universal
declaration for indigenous rights that include constitutional
guarantees.

signed by 13 indigenous organisations, it calls for the
creation of a high commission on indian affairs which will have
direct participation and indigenous representation.

ramirez said he deplored the proliferation of non-governmental
organizations (ngo's) which, he said, in theory protect indigenous
rights but, in practice, their only object is to earn money for
themselves.

according to data collected by ramirez, only nine percent of
the total funds earmarked for indigenous people and projects
actually arrives to their destination. (end/ips/im/jemg/93)