Friday, 2/11/2000, 11:33 AM
The Association of Traditional Uwa Authorities, ASOUWA, and the Regional Indigenous Council of Arauca, denounce the following to departmental, national and international Human Rights and Non-governmental Organizations:
1. Today, Friday, February 11, 2000, at approximately 8:15 a.m., combined Colombian military and police forces arrived by air to the hamlet of Canoas, approximately 4 kilometers from Gibraltar, Northern Santander department.
At the site, approximately 450 Indians – women, children, men and elders from the U’wa community – were gathered. Without prior warning, the public forces violently evicted the members of the community using heavy machinery and tear gas, and they forced us to flee by leaping into the Cubujon River. As a result of these violent acts, three U’wa children died. Other children and women are wounded, and there are U’wa who are missing.
2. We denounce these crimes against humanity, specifically against the indigenous people. These actions violate our constitutional rights, our human rights and international humanitarian law.
3. We urgently request the intervention of governmental and non-governmental observers, from the national and international levels. We urge you to speak out against these abusive acts which violate the precepts of the Colombian Constitution which protect indigenous people and which violate human rights.
4. We demand that the President of Colombia and Occidental Petroleum Company take measures to respect the indigenous communities, and we hold them both responsible for all actions which violate our physical well being and territorial rights.
FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR ETHNIC RIGHTS, OUR PRINCIPLES AND OUR CULTURE
THE U’WA COMMUNITY IS PRESENT
ASOU`WA/ CONSEJO REGIONAL INDIGENA DE ARAUCA
