[translation - original follows]
The Defensoria Maya which works for the rescue, promotion and defense of human rights and the rights of the Mayan people has been made aware via the testimony of our Indigenous brothers and sisters of Canada, that presently there continues a process of invasion and destruction of lands, desecration of sacred places and persecution by the governments of Canada and British Columbia.
For example, in 1995 paramilitary units invaded the Ts'peten Sundance Camp confronting the Shuswap People. We have known the extent of such violence to which the Indigenous of the ceremonial Sundance camp of Ts'peten have suffered where they experienced the use of dog teams, helicopters, planes, military vehicles and submachine guns of the highest power, destroying their ceremonial site and sacred objects.
According to our communications, presently our Indigenous brothers and sisters of the Ts'peten continue to be the target of repression of the governments of Canada through the application of political process to weaken their organizational, social, cultural and spiritual fabric and in the application of legal measures to imprison their leaders and defenders.
The Indigenous Peoples of Guatemala, primarily the Mayan Peoples, are aware of this grief, the consequence of discrimination and oppression, something which we have lived through our 504 years of coexistence in Guatemala, and so we wish to manifest our solidarity with the difficult struggle of the Indigenous of Canada, which we carefully will watch over until such time as the government will respect wholy and fully the rights of the indigenous people so affected in Canada.
To the government of Canada we request the following:
1. To not follow through with your politics of repression and control against the indigenous of your country.The Defensoria Maya is aware and respects self determination of indigenous peoples as reflected in international law, but we also are aware of the extreme importance for the world's governments to reflect on their way of relating both directly and indirectly with the indigenous peoples throughout the world.2. To immediately free the indigenous leaders imprisoned for defending their rights.
3. To initiate a dialogue with the indigenous peoples to solve the problems through nonviolence.
4. To put into practice the international conventions, treaties and agreements with respect to indigenous rights.
Original version:
Hemos estado al tanto de la violencia que sufren los Indigenas en este caso del campamento ceremonial llamado BAILE DEL SOL y el lugar tradicional llamada Ts'peten, donde en la misma se utilizaron equipos de perro, helicopteros, aviones, vihiculos militares y ametralladoras de alta potencia, destruyendo su sitio ceremonial y sus objetos sagrados dentro del campamento.
Segun comunicacion, en la actualidad los hermanos Indigenas del Ts peten siguen siendo objeto de represion por parte de los gobiernos del Canada, mediante la aplicacion de politicas de desarticulacion on su forma organizativa, social, cultural y espiritual, asi como la aplicacion de medidas juridicas de encarcelamiento de sus lideres y defensores quienes hoy dia guardan prision.
Los pueblos indigenas de Guatemala, principalmente el Pueblo Maya consciente de este dolor que sufren los indigenas por la discriminacion y opresion, caso similar o peor que vivimos los indigenas durante 504 anos en Guatemala, manifestamos nuestas muestras de solidaridad con la ardua lucha de los indigenas del Canada y vela por que el gobierno respete integra y plenamente los derechos de los pueblos indigenas afectados en ese pais.
Al gobierno de Canada solicitamos lo siguiente:
1. No seguir con la politica de represion y control contra los indigenas en su pais.Defensoria Maya es consciente y respeta la autodeterminacion de los pueblos conforme al derecho internacional, pero tambien es sumamente importante hacer reflexionar a los gobiernos del mundo en cuanto a su actuacion directa o indirecta con los pueblos indigenas en cualquier parte del mundo.2. Liberar de inmediato a los lideres indigenas encarcelados por la defensa de sus derechos.
3. Iniciar un dialogo y negociacion entre los pueblos indigenas y el gobierno canadiense para que por via de la no violencia se solucionen los problemas que enfrentan dichos pueblos.
4. Es urgente que el gobierno y demas autoridades de Canada pongan en practica los convenios, tratados y acuerdos internacionales en relacion a los derechos de los pueblos indigenas.
To sign the petition demanding an inquiry into the crisis at Ts'Peten (Gustafsen Lake), send a message to SISIS@envirolink.org with "petition" in the subject header and "I support the petition for a full public inquiry into the events surrounding the Gustafsen Lake crisis," your name, and your city of residence in the body of the message.
For more information:
Free the Wolverine Campaign Box 13-2147 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5N 4B3 Spokespeople: Splitting the Sky - Phone/Fax: (604) 543-9661 Bill Lightbown - Phone: (604) 251-4949