{news} Fw: USGP-INT Global Greens Press Release: Global Greens CondemnViolence in Peru

[Justine McCabe]

> Statement of the Global Green Coordination
>
> http://www.globalgreens.org/statements/peru
>
> Global Greens Condemn Violence in Peru
>
> June 15, 2009
>
> The Global Green Coordination has called for an independent
> investigation into the actions of police in the Amazonian region of Peru
> which resulted in at least 50 deaths. After the violence near the town
> of Bagua Grande, hundreds more people, mainly indigenous people, are
> missing and it is alleged that police have hidden hundreds of bodies.
> Indigenous people were protesting against new legislation which will
> mean their land can be exploited for oil and gas drilling.
>
> We call on the government of President Alan Garcia to immediately stop
> all police actions against demonstrations by indigenous people. We also
> urge the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to launch an
> independent investigation into the violence, just as it did after
> similar violence in Bolivia earlier this year. In that instance, UNASUR
> played a very important role in calming an extremely volatile situation
> and they could do so again in this case. It is also vital that the
> Peruvian authorities allow human rights organisations free access to the
> area where the clashes took place, so that a thorough assessment of what
> happened can be made.
>
> The Global Greens also call on the international community to put all
> the pressure it can on the Peruvian Government so that it stops police
> violence against indigenous protesters and launches a thorough and
> independent investigation into the causes of the violence.
>
> An important element of the pressure which could be brought to bear on
> Peru is related to trade agreements: the change in legislation the
> indigenous protested against is necessary following the stipulations in
> the recent Free Trade Agreement between Peru and the USA. The Commercial
> Agreement, the EU is currently negotiating with with Peru, Colombia and
> Ecuador contains very similar provisions, and partly goes beyond US
> demands. Therefore, a radical change of the EU negotiations is necessary
> As a first step we call on the European Commission and Council to
> suspend negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with Peru (as well as
> Ecuador and Colombia) until an independent investigation has reached its
> conclusions and the people responsible for the violence have been tried
> and, if found guilty, been sentenced to punishment. The suspension
> should provide the time necessary to reorientate the contents of the
> negotiations, so that a future agreement protects people and environment
> rather then exploit them.
>
>
> For all Global Greens Statments, see 
> http://www.globalgreens.org/statements/
>