Stop the Persecution of Mapuche Human Rights Activists

Today, the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) appealed to Chile’s recently elected President Michelle Bachelet to promote the civil and political rights of the Mapuche, Chile’s biggest indigenous people making up 10 percent of the country’s population. For decades now the Mapuche have been suffering from persecution and discrimination. During her election campaign Mrs. Bachelet stated that it was one of her goals to ascribe more importance to the Mapuche and their needs.

The Mapuche are the oldest ‘Chileans’. Neither the Inca nor the Conquista caused by Christopher Columbus in 1492 could subdue them. It was not until 1881 that the formerly independent Mapuche territory, that is located in the center and the South of Chile, was conquered and incorporated into the country.

If the new government under Mrs. Bachelet wishes to put an end to the numerous act of injustice committed against the Mapuche it must finally recognise and act upon the basic human rights that they deserve as an ethnic minority. These rights include the recognition of Mapudungun (the native tongue of the Mapuche) as a language of an equal footing with Spanish, the recognition of their land rights, and the protection of the enviroment of the Mapuche territory.

"Above all, the unjustifiable persecution of Mapuche human rights activists must be stopped”, asserted Yvonne Bangert, specialist for indigenous peoples at the GfbV. "We will only cease to contact Chilean and South American media, churches, politicians, and human rights organisations if the Mapuche will no longer be accused of terrorism and persecuted accordingly, simply because they demonstrate peacefully against the unlawful and continuing dispossession of their traditional lands.”

Since the beginning of last year the Society for Threatened Peoples has been pursueing the final discharge and rehabilitation of the following Mapuche human rights activists: Troncoso Robles (36), Pascual Pichún Paillalao (52), Rafael Pichún Collonao (21), Aniceto Norin Catriman (43), Victor Ancalaf Llaupe (37), Florencio Jaime Marileo Saravia (27), José Marileo Saravia (31), and Juan Huenulao Lielmil (38).