End the violence against Guaraní Indians in Mato Grosso do Sul

The prize winning film Birdwatchers is a monumentl to the Guaraní-Kaiowá in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Without their own land they live on the side of the road in temporary shelter. In 2007 an agreement was reached among the Indian Protection Agency, FUNAI, the Justice Minister, and the General Attorney of Brazil about the boundaries and recognition of 36 Indian territories whereby the Guaraní-Kaiowá would obtain the legal titles to the land. However, this policy has been slow to come into force.

An example of people faced with ruin is the community of 130 Guaraní-Kaiowá from Nhãnderu Laranjeira. The land title to a part of their traditional territory, that they have occupied since the 2007 agreement, should have be turned over by April 2010 at the latest. There is a small wood that has water and firewood and where they can fish, hunt and grow cassava, bananas, and potatoes. This wood is inside the borders of Fazenda Santo Antônio da Boa Esperança in the community of Rio Brilhante. On the morning of September 9th 2009, 35 families with 60 children had to leave. A court order left them 48 hours to leave their settlement. They were not allowed by the owner of the larger estate of which the Guaraní land was a part, to return to pick up the belongings they had left behind. The eviction was supervised by officials of the federal police and officials from the courts. The small settlement of the Guaraní-Kaiowá community was then destroyed by fire. Several of the Guaraní-Kaiowá ventured back to the settlement to retrieve dogs, chickens, and other small farm animal according to information from the human rights group Cimi. Most of the animals had already been killed. These Guaraní-Kaiowá are now living on the edges of highway BR 163 in shelters that are covered only with plastic tarps and without secure provisions of food and water. According to the British human rights group Survival International (S.I.) they have already been displaced from their land by cattle ranchers in the 1960s.

Many large estate owners launch strong opposition against the land right policies of the Guaraní-Kaiowá communities. They block the legal process time and time again with litigation and also resort to violence for the implementation of their own interests. The Indians stand in the way of their soy and sugar plantations as well as the cattle ranches, where they would be welcome only as cheap day labour.

On the 18th of September 2009, only a few days after the eviction of the Guaraní-Kaiowá community from Nhãnderu Laranjeira, the Guaraní-Kaiowá community of Apyka’y were fired at by gunmen in their camp on the edge of the streets. One Indian was ingered. Their settlement was destroyed by fire. This group of Guaraní has been living for six years in such settlements on the edge of streets while attempting in vain to reoccupy their ancestral land that they have been displaced from by cattle ranchers.

Please appeal to the Justice Minister of Brazil Exmo. Sr. Tarso Genro, to see to a long awaited and speedy enforcement of the policy of recognition of Indian land rights for the land rights of the Indians. You can send the accompanying sample letter or a politely formulated individual letter. If it is possible for you, please send a copy of your letter to the Minister of Human Rights, the local division of the Brazilian Indian human rights group CIMI , and the Brazilian Embassy in Germany or if you do not live in Germany, the Brazilian Embassy in your country.

Thank you very much for your support.

To the on-line appeal

address_list

Justizminister Exmo. Sr. Tarso Genro

Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco "T"

70712-902 - Brasília/DF Brasil

Fax: 0055 61 3322 6817

oder 0055 61 3224 3398

Korrekte Anrede: Exmo. Sr. Ministro

Minister für Menschenrechte

Exmo. Secretário Especial Sr. Paulo de Tarso Vannuchi

Esplanada dos Ministérios - Bloco "T" - 4º andar

70064-900 - Brasília/DF BRAZIL

Fax: 0055 61 3226 7980

Korrekte Anrede: Exmo. Sr. Secretário

Conselho Indigenista Missionário, (Cimi)

Cimi Regionalbüro Mato Grosso do Sul

Av. Afonso Pena, 1557 Sala 208 Bl.B

Campo Grande - MS - Cep 79002-070

Tel/Fax: 0055 67-3835364

BRASILIEN

Botschaft der Föderativen Republik Brasilien

S.E. Everton Vieira Vargas

Wallstrasse 57

10179 – Berlin

Fax: 030-72628-320

E-Mail: brasil@brasemberlim.de