In one of the biggest operations of its kind, over a hundred Brazilian
federal police arrested eighteen people for crimes against Indians and
the environment yesterday.
Operation Rio Pardo is investigating allegations of killings of members of an uncontacted tribe, known as the Rio Pardo Indians.
In the last decade their land has been invaded by land grabbers and
logging companies. The police have issued seventy arrest warrants and
ninety search warrants in seven states.
In a race against time, FUNAI, the government's Indian affairs
department, has two teams in the Rio Pardo area trying to make contact
with the Indians. This week Brazilian TV showed the first images of one
of the Indians filmed by the team. The Indian man was cutting a tree
trunk in search of honey and was accompanied by two women. After a
brief moment they disappeared into the forest. Nothing is known about
the Indians – not even the language they speak or what tribe they
belong to.
This is the first official 'sighting' of the tribe and proves that some
are still alive. In the last month FUNAI has also found a number of
abandoned temporary camps, with food and possessions – clear evidence
that the Indians are on the run. FUNAI believes that land grabbers and
loggers are intent on wiping out the Indians so they can take over
their land. The territory has had a protection order placed on it, but
has not been officially mapped out and recognised as indigenous.
Logging companies are ignoring the protection order and continue
clearing the land.
Survival's director Stephen Corry said today, The total destruction of
a tribe, however small, is genocide. The land of the Rio Pardo Indians
must be recognised and protected now, or their annihilation will be
complete.'
For more information call Miriam Ross on +44 20 7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.org
