Rights Action - July 1, 2011
HONDURAS - Urgent Action:
The Global Economic Order, Illegal Evictions, Burning of Homes, Disappearances & Killings
RIGORES COMMUNITY ATTACKED & BURNED (TOCOA, CORTEZ, HONDURAS)
POLICE DRAW GUNS ON HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVER DELEGATION FROM THE US & CANADA
WHAT TO DO
* Demand that the US and Canadian governments and the OAS voice public concern for the safety and rights of the Rigores community
* Demand an end to US military and police aid to Honduras
* Demand an investigation into the paramilitary training in the Rio Claro military base
WHAT TO DO
Donate community emergency relief funds
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Annie Bird, annie@rightsaction.org
Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org
Karen Spring, spring.kj@gmail.com, 011-504-9507-3835 [in Honduras]
* Please re-publish and re-post this information, citing source
* To get on/ off RA's listserv: www.rightsaction.org
* Rights Action's Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rights-Action/176850879028427?ref=ts
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RIGORES COMMUNITY ATTACKED & BURNED (TOCOA, CORTEZ, HONDURAS)
HONDURAN POLICE DRAW GUNS ON HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVER DELEGATION FROM THE US
On July 1, 2011 a group of 18 US and Canadian citizens visited the community of Rigores, Tocoa, Cortes to learn about the violent and illegal eviction which had occurred there on Sunday, June 26. At approximately 9am (July 1), while the group was hearing testimonies about last weeks' attack, a group of approximately 50 security forces, principally the police special forces COBRA unit, but also including a military special forces sharp shooter moved into the community from a side street, in the style of a military assault, burning houses.
The police approached the community members gathered with the human rights observation delegation with their guns drawn. This action can only be described as a militarized assault on a civilian community, not an eviction as no notice was given to the community. Local human rights activists and community leaders discussed the legality of the action with the police.
Previous to the July 1 assault, community members reported to the human rights delegation that a truck with private security guards - who were paramilitaries trained in the Rio Claro military base - was parked out of view near the entrance to the community. Local human rights activists believe that the paramilitaries did not participate in the acts of violence because of the presence of the human rights observer mission.
The eviction is illegal not only because of the violence with which it was carried out but also because although judicial orders had been issued, no judge was present, and there had not been any investigation by the Public Ministry into the conditions that gave legitimate land rights to the families which have lived on and farmed the land for 11 years.
Rights Action is extremely concerned that once the human rights observation mission is no longer present further violence will be enacted against the community.
BACKGROUND: RIGORES COMMUITY
The community of Rigores has lived on the farm for 11 years. Previous to this the land was fallow for many years. According to agrarian reform legislation in Honduras, land which has been fallow can be purchased from the title holder for the use of small farmers, so Rigores community members moved onto the land with the verbal consent of the title holder who hoped to be paid for the land by the Agrarian Reform Institute.
After years of petitioning for the agrarian reform program to be applied to this farm, African palm oil production has expanded in this area, making it an attractive investment property for palm oil producers that is then used in the production of diesel bio-fuel.
On Sunday, June 26, police burned two schools, a church and most of the homes of the 150 families who live in the town. Families are essentially homeless, including hundreds of young children, some women have miscarried. They are sleeping in the community meeting house, and had begun repairs on homes when they were again destroyed July 1.
During this visit, the human rights observation delegation heard testimony from residents reporting that the palm oil planters private security forces are being trained as paramilitaries on the 15th Military Battalion in Rio Claro, Tocoa, and have been observed to participate in violent evictions wearing police or military uniforms. It is also reported that what appear to be US army helicopters, Chinooks, pass through the 15th Battalion, and that US Army Rangers have conducted joint operations with the 15th Battalion.
Palm oil company security forces that appear to act as paramilitaries are blamed for dozens of killings in the region over the past two years, eight in Tocoa over the past month. On May 15, Francisco Lopez Pascual, a member of the Rigores community, disappeared. His ten year old son reported witnessing security guards shoot his father. Nearby farmers report that police found shell casings and a trail of blood that led into the neighboring Panama Farm, a palm oil plantation that maintains heavy presence of security guards, but refused to enter the farm. Though a photograph of the Lopez Pascual's body was reportedly posted on internet, his body has not been located.
Extremely violent evictions are common since the June 28, 2009 military coup, especially in this region. On June 9, 2011, 89 year old Jose Luis Rodriguez was burned alive in the home he shared with his family in the agrarian community 28 de Mayo, a community that borders Tocoa, but is located in in Trujillo, Colon. A group of 40 police attacked the community with tear gas and burned homes. A community member is reported to have warned the security forces not to burn the houses since an elderly man had been unable to leave quickly during the rapid assault. The police responded to his pleas by beating him.
Rights Action holds the US and Canadian governments partially responsible for the on-going systemic repression carried out in Honduras by the military-backed regime that came to power after the June 2009 military coup. Internationally, the US and Canada have been the most vocal supporters of this regime.
We also hold the OAS partially responsible, having recently re-admitted Honduras to the OAS, while doing effectively nothing to curtail the systemic repression in Honduras.
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ADDRESSES
CANADA
CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA David Johnston
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A1
info@gg.ca, (613) 993-8200, 800 465-6890
Duncan Mousseau, Director of Policy, Planning and Correspondence
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
DMousseau@GG.CA
PRIME MINISTER Stephen Harper
harpes@parl.gc.ca
Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A6
Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
Minister of Foreign Affairs
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A6
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) Peter Kent
125 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0G2
(613) 992-0253, kent.p@parl.gc.ca
Gilles Duceppe, leader, Bloc Quebecois
1200 Papineau Av, #350, Montreal, QC, H2K-4R5
ducepg@parl.gc.ca
Jack Layton, leader, New Democratic Party
221 Broadview Ave, Suite 100, Toronto, ON, MM-2G3
laytoj@parl.gc.ca
Elizabeth May, leader, Green Party
Saanich Gulf Islands EDA, Box 20076, Sidney, BC, V8L0in9
emaytowin@greenparty.ca
Michael Ignatieff, leader, Liberal Party
656 The Queensway, Etobicoke, ON, M8Y-1K7
ignatm@parl.gc.ca
Bob Rae, Liberal, Foreign Affairs Critic
(613) 992-5234, RaeB@parl.gc.ca
Francine Lalonde, Bloc Quebecois, Foreign Affairs Critic
(613) 995-6327
Paul Dewar, NDP, Foreign Affairs Critic
1306 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON, K1Y-3B2
dewarp@parl.gc.ca, 613-946-8682
Larry Bagnell, Liberal
bagnell.l@parl.gc.ca
Stockwell Day, Conservative
613-995-1702
Peter Julian, NDP International Trade Critic
Rm 178, Confederation Bldg., Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A6
Julian.P@parl.gc.ca
John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough-Guildwood
(613) 992-1447, MckayJ@parl.gc.ca, 613-947-4609
Claire Lehan, Legislative Assistant
(613) 992-6512, McKayJ8@parl.gc.ca
549-D Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A6
Kevin Sorenson, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Room 518, Justice Building, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A6
(613) 947-4608, SorenK@parl.gc.ca, 613-992-2971
Dean Allison, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson
4994 King Street, Beamsville, ON, L0R-1B0
allison.d@parl.gc.ca, 905-995-2772
CANADIAN Embassy in Costa Rica (responsible for Honduras)
Ambassador Neil Reeder
(506) 2242-4400, (506) 2242-4411, sjcra@international.gc.ca
Honduras Office of the Canadian Embassy
Centro Financiero Banexpo, 3 Piso, Boulevard San Juan Bosco, Colonia Payaquí, Tegucigalpa
(504) 232-4551; tglpa@international.gc.ca
AMBASSADOR to the OAS
H.E. Allan Culham
wshdc-prmoas@international.gc.ca
(202) 682-1768
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UNITED STATES
WHITE HOUSE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/, 202-456-1111, Comment Line: 202-456-1414
CONGRESS: Go to http://www.house.gov/ to get info for your member of Congress, and call: 202-224-3121
SENATE: Go to http://www.senate.gov/ to get contact for your Senator, and call: 202-224-3121
STATE DEPARTMENT - Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs: 202 647-0834, WHAAsstSecty@State.Gov
AMBASSADOR CRAIG KELLY, Principal Deputy Asst. Secretary, Western Office of Hemisphere Affairs: KellyC@state.gov
MARIA OTERO, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs; c/o Laura Pena, Assistant: PenaL@state.gov
BENJAMIN GEDAN, Honduras Desk Officer, (202) 647-3482, GedanBN@state.gov
DR. ARTURO VALENZUELA: ValenzuelaAA@state.gov
PAUL MONTEIRO, Office of Public Engagement, Darron_P._Monteiro@who.eop.gov
U.S. EMBASSY IN HONDURAS
Ambassador Hugo Llorens, LlorensH@state.gov, 504 2236-9320 ext. 4268; 2236-9037
Silvia Eiriz, Political Counselor, eirizs@state.gov, 011(504)2236-9320 (x4356)
U.S. AMBASSADOR to the OAS
H.E. Carmen Lomellin
(202) 647-9430
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OAS - ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General
Organization of American States (OAS)
1889 F Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20006, USA
svillagran@oas.org
Sr. Felipe González, President
Inter-American Commission for Human Rights
1889 F Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20006, U.S.A.
cidhdenuncias@oas.org
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EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS
Rights Action has made an initial donation to the Rigores community. To support the shelter, food and health needs of the 150 families, make your tax-deductible check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
DONATIONS OF STOCK: info@rightsaction.org |
