An End to Violence in the Peruvian Amazon Urged

Link: http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/36221/

Source: infoZine

Boston, MA - infoZine - As demonstrations by indigenous peoples of Peru’s Amazon region turned to deadly conflict in recent days, international aid agency Oxfam International expresses grave concern over the violence. Oxfam objects to the violation of rights, violent acts and use of force between indigenous communities and Peru’s National Police, which has led to a tragic loss of human lives and a large number of wounded.

Oxfam calls on the Peruvian authorities and indigenous leadership to end the violence and immediately resume dialogue in order to guarantee the respect of human rights in this region.

“For years, we have supported indigenous communities in their effort to overcome poverty and the deterioration of the Amazonian ecosystem,” said Francesco Boeren, coordinator for Oxfam International in Peru, which supports sustainable development, democratic governance, the protection of human rights, and environmental conservation in the region.

“These communities have long suffered from weak government presence and a lack of basic services. At the most basic level, they are asking for respect for their human rights.”

Demonstrations in the Amazonian province of Bagua began in late April when indigenous organizations began protesting a series of legislative decrees justified by the Peruvian government as part of United States - Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (US-Peru TPA). Indigenous federations and many civil society organizations have protested the potential consequences of these laws for the Amazon rainforest and indigenous land rights. These decrees were also adopted without transparency or genuine consultation, in contradiction with the spirit of US-Peru TPA commitments and ILO Convention 169. This convention, ratified by the Peruvian government in 1993, grants indigenous communities the right to be consulted on issues affecting them, including natural resource exploitation.

Oxfam urges the Peruvian government to reach agreement with indigenous communities on concrete actions that support socially equitable and environmentally sustainable development of natural resource industries. This will require an alternative to the current legislative decrees, and must be established with consent from indigenous communities and organizations.

“The government can regain the confidence of indigenous communities by fulfilling one promise - respect the rights of these citizens as recognized by national and international law,” said Boeren. “We urge both parties to work for a solution to this conflict through dialogue, not by force.”