Greenpeace calls for demarcation of all Indian lands in the Brazilian Amazon
The Deni Indian community with help from UK volunteers today began to physically cut a border in the Amazon rainforest to demarcate their lands in a bid to protect their traditional territory from industrial exploitation. Without this demarcation the Deni lands would be vulnerable to land grabs by logging companies after the wealth of natural resources which belong to the Deni. This is only the second time that an Indian group has, without government assistance, demarcated their lands in the Amazon.
On board the Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, the Patarahu (Deni chiefs), Greenpeace, CIMI, a branch of the Catholic church, and OPAN, an organisation working with Indians, today announced the beginning of this project to protect the Deni lands, some 1,530,000 hectares (approximately 4 million acres) 1000 kilometers southwest of Manaus in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
"We have been waiting almost 15 years for the Brazilian government to protect our traditional lands by demarcation. Our people have lived with the threat that logging companies were planning to destroy our home lands," said Deni chief Haku VarasahDeni. "We have no choice but to carry out the demarcation ourselves. We call on the Brazilian government to recognize this demarcation and ensure that there is no further threat to our land or people."
The Deni were first informed that half of the their lands had been purchased by Malaysian logging giant WTK in May 1999 when a Greenpeace expedition went to the area to investigate illegal logging activities in the region. The Deni people were unaware of this sale and the plans to log their land. At this point the Deni asked Greenpeace to help them with the demarcation process. Greenpeace brought in CIMI and OPAN, organisations with experience in Indian issues, to assist the Deni in the process. In further discussions with Greenpeace in the UK, WTK have stated that they will not challenge the demarcation. WTK's main market for Amazon wood products is in the UK.
A team of Brazilian experts plus an international team of 12 Greenpeace volunteers will provide logistical support to the Deni people over the next two months to demarcate their lands. Volunteers from the UK, Brazil, Chile, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Germany, Austria, the US and China will be filing daily reports to Greenpeace's website, and doing interviews from the jungle, to make it known that the Brazilian Government must support this process for the Deni lands to be protected. Once the Government recognizes demarcation, permits for logging and other destructive industrial activities cannot be issued for these lands.
"The Brazilian Government committed to fully demarcating all Indian lands by 1993 and they have not done the job. The Deni have taken the protection of their lands into their own hands but they need government support to ensure full legal recognition," said Greenpeace campaigner Paulo Adario in Manaus.
"Greenpeace calls on the Brazilian government to complete the demarcation of all Indian lands in the Amazon. The Amazon is the biggest rainforest left on Earth, and such recognition by Brazilian President Cardoso will go a long way to ensuring that the Indian lands - 20% of the Amazon - is safe from any illegal and destructive exploitation," he said.
This project is part of Greenpeace's campaign to protect the world's remaining ancient forests. Some 80% of the world's ancient forests have already been degraded or destroyed, and only 20% of large, intact ancient forests remain intact. Time is running out for the last 20% unless governments around the world take swift action to ensure their future.
Notes to editors:
Greenpeace International will go live today with daily updates from the Deni Lands and the Greenpeace Amazon expedition.
Dr Ian Cameron is 33 years old and from Guernsey. Ian is a tropical doctor, used to work in Accident and Emergency in the UK and currently working in Public Health in Cornwall. Ian has been a Greenpeace ship doctor between 1997 and 1999 on expeditions to North Atlantic, the Antarctic and the Mediterranean. Ian has a keen interest in wilderness hiking and has travelled in Tibet, Papua New Guinea, the Congo and China. Ian visited the Deni lands in 1999 on the earlier stages of the Deni demarcation project.
Dr Jeanine Bonnet is 26 years old and from Liverpool. Jeanine is a medic and has worked in Public Health in the UK and has been a Greenpeace ship doctor on expeditions and on the Greenpeace, Izmit, Turkey Earthquake relief mission. Jeanine is an experienced climber and has been a volunteer on numerous Greenpeace direct actions. Jeanine has a keen interest in sailing.
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