FARC massacre of indigenous in Columbia, more deaths and displacement

In the first week of February, according to indigenous witnesses, Columbian FARC rebels massacred up to 27 Awa people in the southern Narino province, including women and young children (from ages 3 to 6), bringing the total number of murdered Native people to 50 since the national march in the fall.

FARC press statements have only acknowledged the “execution” of eight indigenous due to their alleged assistance of Columbian military, but witnesses deny that figure and the assertion that the Awa willingly assisted anyone.

Indigenous leaders, along with the United Nations and the European Parliament are urging Columbian authorities to carefully investigate this incident and other killings including the murder of the husband of an indigenous activist by Columbian military.

The National Indigenous Organization of Columbia, ONIC and regional UNIPA, Indigenous Unity of the Awa People, issued a joint statement the week after the massacre, decrying the murders.

“The UNIPA and ONIC denounce the grave violation of human rights and the collective rights of the Awa people of Narino, which is nothing new. … in the last 10 years [in the AWA territory] there have been four massacres, approximately 200 murders and 50 people affected by antipersonnel mines (land mines). … and now 1,300 Awa people are trapped in the area due to confrontations between the army, the guerillas and the para-militaries.” Their apprehensions were echoed by the UN and EU releases.

“The United Nations expresses its most profound concern over the situation of the Awa people, whose living conditions have deteriorated in the last years as a consequence of the violence that affects their reservations, to the point that it puts the survival of their culture in danger,” stated the UN press release.

By elchantajista on Mar 13, 2009, 16:05 in Politics & the war.

RobMiami says on Mar 14, 2009, 00:42:

I can't believe there are FARC or indigenous people there... isn't it an Ivy League college???

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 14, 2009, 02:53:

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

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Lauren says on Mar 15, 2009, 22:38:

I had no idea there was a fraternity in Columbia called "National Indigenous Organization" or is it a sorority? :-)

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