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Indigenous Peoples in Colombia in Crisis reports Joint Mission

Indigenous peoples are in a situation of crisis - caught in the midst of a war imposed upon them and suffering increasing erosion of their land rights, a joint mission to Colombia of Rights & Democracy and the Assembly of First Nations said today.

BOGOTA, May 31, 2001 - Indigenous peoples are in a situation of crisis - caught in the midst of a war imposed upon them and suffering increasing erosion of their land rights, a joint mission to Colombia of Rights & Democracy and the Assembly of First Nations said today.

"Guerrilla groups are making strategic use of their communities forcibly recruiting indigenous youth into their ranks and extreme right wing paramilitary groups are retaliating with brutal massacres and kidnappings, often displacing entire communities who abandon their lands in terror," Warren Allmand, President of Rights & Democracy said, following meetings with indigenous rights leaders in Colombia.

"At the same time, indigenous peoples' traditional territories are increasingly encroached upon by national and international corporations, and government policies threaten their existence and identity as peoples."

Since its arrival in Colombia on Sunday, the mission has met with at least 15 of Colombia's 84 indigenous peoples, members of the National Indigenous Organisation of Colombia (ONIC) and with the Indigenous Regional Council of Canca. The indigenous peoples of Colombia have dwindled to 800,000, a mere 2% of the country's population. Their ancestral lands, source of some of the richest bio-diversity, and which shelter a high proportion of the country's natural mineral resources, make up about 28 %,of the country's land surface but this proportion is being transferred to non-native owners.

Colombia's legislation on indigenous peoples is one of the most progressive in the world. The 1991 Constitution recognizes the multi-ethnic nature of Colombia, and recognizes indigenous peoples rights to their lands. The government has also ratified Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which guarantees a broad range of rights to indigenous peoples. Yet according to testimonies from indigenous peoples, the government has failed to respect many of the rights as set out in the legislation, and a number of state policies prevent aboriginals from asserting and ensuring the protection of their cultural identity.

"We, have spoken with nations here who share the common struggles of indigenous peoples of the Americas," said Ghislain Picard, regional chief for Quebec and Labrador of the Assembly of First Nations. We pay tribute to their courage in continuing their struggle in the midst of a dangerous and conflictive situation. The First Nations of Canada are in solidarity with them."

The mission is particularly concerned with the situation in the western department of Cauca, where they travelled Tuesday to meet with Colombia's only indigenous governor, Floro Tunubal?. In this department, an indigenous population of 200.000 and a strong civil society movement, brought Governor Tunubal? to power in last October's elections with a landslide win. Yet this clear victory has drawn the presence of paramilitary groups of the Peasant Self-Defence. Units of Cordoba and Uraba, who have declared the governor and six indigenous mayors military targets. Governor Tunubal? and his cabinet expressed to the mission their firm determination to stay in the department despite constant threats from both the paramilitaries and the guerilla groups.

The mission deplored the lack of state presence in the remote regions of Cauca which allowed the paramilitary massacre over the Easter weekend in the Naya Valley of more than 20 Paez people after a guerrilla group had moved into the commumity. This and other violent incidents caused the displacement of 5,000 people from their villages during the month of April alone, the mission heard. Since the slaying, the governor reported, paramilitaries have re-occupied this remote area of Cauca.

"The bravery and determination of Tunubal? and his cabinet to stay in Cauca is not enough," Mr. Allmand said. "We call on the government of Colombia to comply with its international obligations in human rights protection to take means to ensure Governor Tunubal?'s safety as well as that of the people of the Cauca department."

The delegation will be raising these concerns with the Colombian government in meetings planned for later this week.

Delegates are: Mr. Allmand, Chief Picard, George Erasmus, Chair of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, MP Beth Phinney, Chair of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Lydia Hwitsum, elected chief of the Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island who is also a member of the Board of directors of Rights & Democracy.

Rights & Democracy is a Canadian institution with an international mandate. It works with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad to promote human rights and democratic development through dialogue, advocacy, capacity building and public education. It focuses on four themes: democratic development, women's rights, the rights of indigenous peoples and globalization and human rights.