Indigenous tribes

international | arts and media | press release Wednesday August 03, 2005 14:27 by Alban - Survival international mr at survival-international dot org (+44) (0)207687 8734

Waves of violence rocks indigenous tribes

3 August 2005
Embargoed until 9 August 2005

WAVE OF VIOLENCE ROCKS WORLD'S TRIBES

As the UN celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day on 9
August, the world's tribes have been rocked by a
wave of violent attacks and killings.

Papua: The Indonesian army attacked the Lani
village of Pyramid in the Papuan highlands in
July. Soldiers cut the face and body of Lani man
Petto Wenda with a razor and a knife before
pouring petrol on his head and setting him on
fire. He is not expected to survive. Two other
men were shot and have now disappeared in the
jungle, where the rest of the villagers are also
hiding. Earlier this year, the army and police
killed a tribal leader, a child and an elder in
the village of Nggweyage. They also burned down
houses and churches. An estimated six and a half
thousand people fled their villages. Too afraid
to leave their hiding places, at least fifty died
from starvation and disease.

Brazil: A Guarani Indian was shot dead on 26 June
by gunmen hired by ranchers, only hours after he
and his people had moved back on to the land from
which they were evicted thirty years ago. Two
Truká Indians were shot dead on 30 June by a
police 'death squad', and an old Guajajara Indian
leader was shot dead on 10 June by assassins
believed to be working for the soya planters
invading his land. Meanwhile the tiny uncontacted
tribe of Rio Pardo are being shot at by loggers
invading their territory.

Botswana: Seven Gana and Gwi Bushmen were
tortured in June by government wildlife officials
- as punishment for hunting. The Gana and Gwi
rely on hunting to feed their families, but the
government has evicted them from their land in
the Kalahari and has banned them from hunting
there. Victim Letshwao Nagayame said, 'They beat
us up badly. I think they wanted to kill usŠ. The
officials pulled my testicles and penis, beat me
up, and kicked me, while one man smashed my
knuckles on the hard floor.'

Survival's director Stephen Corry said today,
'These acts of horrific violence are being
perpetrated against the world's most vulnerable
people, whose existence is already threatened by
theft of their land and destruction of their way
of life. All too often, those responsible for
violence against tribal peoples are not brought
to justice. Survival is calling today for an end
to these crimes.'

Petto Wenda's brother Benny Wenda from Pyramid in
Papua is in the UK and is available for interview.


Photos and footage available. For more
information contact Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20
7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.org

--

Tuesday 9th August is Indigenous People's Day.
Help put a stop to the torture of indigenous
people that still goes on today. Visit our
website http://www.survival-international.org to
read their stories.