S.I.S.I.S. note: The following statement was sent in support of the Ts'Peten Defenders, who are currently serving prison sentences handed down after being convicted of charges stemming from the Canadian police and military's 1995 month-long siege of 18 people defending sacred Sundance and burial grounds.
COORDINADORA DEPARTMENTAL MOLOJ HIL TINAMIT KAKCHIQUEL CAHI
SENOR: EMBAJADOR DE LA REPUBLICA DEL CANADA
GUATEMALA.
We Condemn in the name of the Indigenous and Mayan People,
We repudiate the deplorable incidents and violations of human rights of our brothers and sisters of the Shuswap People. With them we are in solidarity.
We are well aware of the international conventions and treaties which protect the lives of the indigenous peoples in all aspects: economic, political, social, cultural, our constitutional rights and rights to travel freely and organize ourselves.
We the Mayan People have felt with our own blood the marginalization and discrimination, the extermination of our people, the extinction of our form of life, of our spirituality, our ceremonial temples were taken from us and destroyed by facist governments. Nevertheless our People have continued to fight these 500 years.
Today more than ever we are uniting ourselves, all the marginalized and discriminated peoples of the world, while urging ourselves on, advancing our struggle for justice and social equality.
We demand of the governments of Canada, that you adopt effective measures to comply with and respect human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples, that you immediately suspend your repression against our brothers and sisters, that you free from prison their leaders and activists.
We will maintain our vigilance over your activities until such time as our demands, the demands of the indigenous peoples of Guatemala are met.
FIRMANTES DE LAS ORGANIZACIONES MIEMBROS DE LA COORDINADORA
COPREDE RUCUX TINAMIT CAKCHIQUEL ASOCIACION DE MUJERES UVIYIN JUNAM
ACCION CATOLICA IGLESIA EPISCOPAL UNION DE ORGANIZACIONES PRO TIERRA
AOSDESCA 2000 PATZICIA S. TRA. C. 12
ORIGINAL VERSION:
QUE SUSPENDA INMEDIATAMENTE LA REPRESION EN CONTRA DE NUESTREOS HERMANOS Y LA LIBERACION URGENTE DE SUS LIDERES Y DIRIGENTES QUE ACTUALMENTE SE ENCUENTRAN PRESOS.
NOS MANTENDREMOS AL TANTO DEL CUMPLIMIENTO Y DE NUESTRAS DEMANDAS COMO PUEBLO INDIGENA DE GUATEMALA.
MUNICIPIO Y DEPARTAMENTO DE GUATEMALA CENTRO AMERICA.