cafonso%ax@cdp.uucp (10/08/89)
/* Written 10:56 am Oct 3, 1989 by ax:cafonso in cdp:ran.tropictimber */ /* ---------- "NEW ACTION ALERT-- C.MENDES REGIO" ---------- */ AMAZONAS: DEVASTATION AND INPUNITY CONTINUE TO WALK TOGETHER In spite of the whole world's mobilization in defence of the Amazon, the picture of devastatation and violence from the great landowners of the region, continues to rule. Three days ago the great landowner (fazendeiro) Jarbas Linhares, decided to deforest an area - at the Seringal (place without owner abounded with rubber trees) Porongaba, em Brasileia, where many of the rubber gatherers (seringueiros) families live and work. - just because he wanted to facilate the entrance to his farm (fazenda). He didn't just bring a machine for deforestation, but also a troop of Police armed even with machine-guns. The workers, who live at the Seringal Porongaba for many years, and who try to transform it to an Extractive Reserve (Reserva Extrativista), decided to resist against the deforestatation because they depend on the forest for their survival. The landowner is threating to kill the leaderes of the rubber gatherers workers, and the situation in the area is very tense. Meanwhile the deforestation and the burnings of the forest are continuing very quickly ( in the beginning of 1989, there was already oficially granted license to burn 26 000 Hectares just in the state of Acre; this without talking about the thousands of Hectares which are burned without license, and the Justice is working very slow. Nine months have passed since the murder of the trade Union Leader and ecologist Chico Mendes, but the process against his murderers are still in the phase om making the judgement. The Judge in Xapuri concluded that the prisoners comitted a crime. But the prisoners' lawyer went to the Tribunal de Justica (The Superior Court) in an attempt to modify the sentence of the Judge. The final decision has yet not been taken, but we know that there exists a risk that the murderes of Chico Mendes will not be judged. We are asking that all those who defend life and justice, and who want to contribute to the preservation of the Amazon, that they put preassure on the brasilian authorities, so that they give guaranties to the workers in Seringal Porongaba, of their right to stay in their area without deforestation, without police violence and without threats to death, and that the murderers of Chico Mendes shall be punished. Please, send messages of protests and pressure by telex to the following authorities (with a copy to the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais de Braileia (The Lantworkers Trade Union in Brasilia) - a/c Osmarino Amancio Rodrigues - R. Xapuri 67, CEP 69330, Brasileia, Acre, Brasil): - Presidente Jose Sarney (55) 614416 or 613117 -Ministro da Justica Saulo Ramos (55) 611080 -IBAMA - Fernando Cesar Mesquita (55) 612120 or 611711 -Governador do Acre: Flaviano Melo (55) 682593 or 682513 --- Patt Haring | United Nations | Did u read patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information | misc.headlines.unitex patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange | today? -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-