Colombia
30.06.00
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: police attack peaceful demonstration
Colombia: police attack peaceful demonstration
Case COL 300600
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of the OMCT expresses its grave concern at the recent acts of violence committed by members of the forces of order against the indigenous community of U'wa, peasants and workers in the district of Cubará, Department of Boyacá.
Reports from various organisations, including the Foundation Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners, a member of the OMCT network, indicate that the police aggressions took place between Saturday, 24th June 2000 in the early hours of the morning and Sunday 25th June 2000 in the afternoon. In the early hours of Saturday morning, June 24th an army convoy travelling through the Cubará district, traditionally an U'wa Territory, requested permission from the indigenous authorities to cross its lands in order to reach the district of Saravena. The request was accepted and anti-riot police squads, together with the convoy, entered and attacked a peaceful indigenous meeting by surprise with tear-gas and blows, injuring adults and children, some of whom had to be hospitalised.
Subsequently, on Sunday 25th June at approximately 3 p.m., as a peaceful demonstration was taking place in the main street of Cubará, an army patrol passed through the place followed by a group of about 60 members of the National Police who, without warning, violently attacked the participants calling them subversive and insulting them and beating up a good number of them brutally. During these incidents 33 persons, leaders and members of various social organisations were arbitrarily detained. A list of the persons detained is available at the International Secretariat.
Moreover, during these proceedings a press photographer working for the Caracol channel in the department of Arauca, and identified as Emiro Goyeneche Goyeneche, was the victim of similar attacks, his camera being damaged and the film which contained proof of the attack on the population was confiscated.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the concern of the Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners in view of such acts, and is particularly anxious for the life and physical and psychological integrity of the persons detained and in general for safety of the indigenous population of the region mentioned, as well as the rest of the country.
Action requested
Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to :
i. guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the persons detained during the above-mentioned events as well as all other persons in the community of U'wa;
ii. order the immediate release of all detained persons in the absence of valid judicial charges against impartial civil tribunal and ensure the respect of their procedural rights;
iii. carry out a full and impartial investigation into the excessive use of force by the army and the anti-riot police during the events which occurred in the community of the U'wa in the District of Cubará in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and impose upon them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iv. in general guarantee in all circumstances the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country in accordance with national laws and international standards on human rights and in particular those referring to the rights of indigenous peoples, ratified by Colombia.
Addresses
S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 86
Doctor Humberto de la Calle Lombana, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio de Gobierno, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño. Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25
Doctor Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 342 97 23; (+57 1) 2817531
Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 22.
Doctor José Fernando Castro Caycedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 346 12 25
Doctor Gustavo Bell, Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Telefax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado, Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Telefax: (+57 1) 222 29 35
- Representaciones Diplomáticas de Colombia en sus respectivos países
Geneva, 30 June 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Case COL 300600
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of the OMCT expresses its grave concern at the recent acts of violence committed by members of the forces of order against the indigenous community of U'wa, peasants and workers in the district of Cubará, Department of Boyacá.
Reports from various organisations, including the Foundation Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners, a member of the OMCT network, indicate that the police aggressions took place between Saturday, 24th June 2000 in the early hours of the morning and Sunday 25th June 2000 in the afternoon. In the early hours of Saturday morning, June 24th an army convoy travelling through the Cubará district, traditionally an U'wa Territory, requested permission from the indigenous authorities to cross its lands in order to reach the district of Saravena. The request was accepted and anti-riot police squads, together with the convoy, entered and attacked a peaceful indigenous meeting by surprise with tear-gas and blows, injuring adults and children, some of whom had to be hospitalised.
Subsequently, on Sunday 25th June at approximately 3 p.m., as a peaceful demonstration was taking place in the main street of Cubará, an army patrol passed through the place followed by a group of about 60 members of the National Police who, without warning, violently attacked the participants calling them subversive and insulting them and beating up a good number of them brutally. During these incidents 33 persons, leaders and members of various social organisations were arbitrarily detained. A list of the persons detained is available at the International Secretariat.
Moreover, during these proceedings a press photographer working for the Caracol channel in the department of Arauca, and identified as Emiro Goyeneche Goyeneche, was the victim of similar attacks, his camera being damaged and the film which contained proof of the attack on the population was confiscated.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the concern of the Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners in view of such acts, and is particularly anxious for the life and physical and psychological integrity of the persons detained and in general for safety of the indigenous population of the region mentioned, as well as the rest of the country.
Action requested
Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to :
i. guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the persons detained during the above-mentioned events as well as all other persons in the community of U'wa;
ii. order the immediate release of all detained persons in the absence of valid judicial charges against impartial civil tribunal and ensure the respect of their procedural rights;
iii. carry out a full and impartial investigation into the excessive use of force by the army and the anti-riot police during the events which occurred in the community of the U'wa in the District of Cubará in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and impose upon them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iv. in general guarantee in all circumstances the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country in accordance with national laws and international standards on human rights and in particular those referring to the rights of indigenous peoples, ratified by Colombia.
Addresses
S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 86
Doctor Humberto de la Calle Lombana, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio de Gobierno, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño. Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25
Doctor Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 342 97 23; (+57 1) 2817531
Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 22.
Doctor José Fernando Castro Caycedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 346 12 25
Doctor Gustavo Bell, Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Telefax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado, Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Telefax: (+57 1) 222 29 35
- Representaciones Diplomáticas de Colombia en sus respectivos países
Geneva, 30 June 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.