www.survivalinternational.org/news/4970

Overflight of uncontacted tribes' land by Peru's government

Survival International
3 October


 
One of the photos of logging camps in the Murunahua Reserve, released by Survival earlier this year. (c.) C. Fagan


Peru's indigenous affairs department, INDEPA, has announced it will carry out an overflight of an uncontacted tribes' reserve in the remote Amazon.

The announcement came after the publication of photos showing an illegal logging camp in the reserve, which were taken by the US-based organisation Round River Conservation Studies and released worldwide by Survival.

INDEPA said it would take action immediately after the publication of the photos, but until the recent announcement it was not clear what that action would consist of.

"If we find evidence of loggers or others engaged in illegal activities, we will take the relevant course of action to stop it," said INDEPA's president, Mayta Capac Alatrista.

The logging camp was spotted in the Murunahua Reserve, inhabited by at least one uncontacted tribe known as the Murunahua or Chitonahua. The reserve was created in 1997, but loggers have regularly entered it looking for valuable timber such as mahogany and cedar.

Some Murunahua have already been contacted - a catastrophic experience that led to an estimated 50% of them dying.

Brazil's state oil company, Petrobras, has a contract to explore in the reserve. Survival has written to the company urging it not to work there.


Act now to help the Uncontacted Indians
Your efforts are crucial in defending the Uncontacted Tribes. Writing a letter to the Peruvian government can make a real difference.

-- sample letter --

To: S.E. Alan Garcia
Presidente de la República del Perú
Palacio de Gobierno
Plaza de Armas
Lima 1
Peru

[insert Date]

Your Excellency,

I am extremely concerned about the future of uncontacted tribes in Peru. They are exceedingly vulnerable to outsiders' diseases and they make it clear they want to be left alone. They have the right to live on their lands and to remain in isolation. These rights have been recognised by international law.

I strongly urge the Peruvian government to protect uncontacted tribes by removing all loggers from their land, by stopping the entry of any other outsiders, and by prohibiting any form of natural resource extraction on their territories.

I also call on your government to set up an emergency medical plan in case of contact between the uncontacted Indians and outsiders, and conform to international law by recognising the tribes as the rightful owners of their land. At present these tribes are at huge risk and could well be wiped out.

Yours sincerely,
[+ your full name and full address]

-- end sample letter --

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