The State Department on Monday released its annual report on human rights
conditions worldwide, citing the same group of nations for their
mistreatment of indigenous peoples.
While improvements were noted, the United States continues to point out
abuses suffered by Indian tribes and people in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and
Guatemala. Each makes a return appearance for documented discrimination,
violence, poverty and other social ills for the year 2001.
With President Bush pushing a worldwide campaign against terror and seeking
support from other nations in exchange for monetary and other aid, the
report has gained added significance. In a press briefing yesterday, State
Department officials acknowledged the need for these allies to improve their
record.
“We’re getting there,” said Assistant Secretary Lorne Craner when asked to
provide examples of how countries have improved.
In particular, Craner said Colombia was of “great concern” to the Bush
administration. Colombian President Andres Pastrana has ended talks with the
rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a move which has
heightened tensions in an area where Indian tribes are caught in the
crossfire.
“Members of indigenous communities continued to be victims of all sides in
the internal conflict, and a number of them were killed,” the report on
Colombia states.
Tribes are recognized by Colombia’s constitution and land is set aside for
their use. But the report states that Indian communities are often held in
terror by FARC and other rebel groups, which won’t allow them to leave their
land without permission.
Several high-profile Indian leaders have been kidnapped and executed by
rebel groups, the report acknowledges. Kimy Pernia Domico, an Embera chief
who opposed oil drilling on the U’Wa Reserve, was killed as were Cristobal
Secue Tombe, a leader of the Paez Tribe, Tascicogucho spokesperson Alberto
Sabugara Velasquez and Masael Cheta Cety, governor of the Cristal Paez
Reservation.
Elsewhere in the Americas, Ecuador is again cited by the State Department.
Although indigenous people make up 85 percent of the population and are
recognized by the constitution, they face widespread prejudice, the report
states.
“Despite their growing political influence and the efforts of grassroots
community groups, which were increasingly successful in pressuring the
central Government to assist them, indigenous people continue to suffer
discrimination at many levels of society,” reads the report. “With few
exceptions, indigenous people are at the lowest end of the socioeconomic
scale.”
Complaints about the treatment of indigenous men, women and children abound
in the report on Guatemala. “Indigenous people constitute over one-half the
population but remain largely outside of the country’s political, economic,
social, and cultural mainstream,” the report states.
Treatment of indigenous people at the hands of law enforcement and the
courts is singled out as unfair. Due to their limited understanding of
Spanish, the report states that Indians “often did not have equal access to
the justice system” in Guatemala.
Similar complaints are echoed in the report on Mexico, which finally amended
its constitution to recognize Indian rights, albeit in a limited form that
was opposed by indigenous leaders. The State Department cites reports of
forced sterilization of Indian women, lack of access to education, high
poverty rates and unfair treatment in the justice system among the problems
in the country.
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