Native Forest Network: GE Tree protest coming up 

Native Forest Network is organizing an opposition to the development of transgenic trees on July 21 and 22:

"Over the last few years many companies and universities have field-tested genetically engineered trees and they are planning to release them into the wild on a commercial scale soon.

Genetically Engineered Trees not only carry new genes they also carry unpredictable effects and dangers to the environment. Whether we are campaigning on genetic engineering, logging, environmental justice, wilderness, patents on life, loss of biodiversity and indigenous culture or globalization, genetic engineering of trees affects all of these issues. Trees are the oldest and largest organisms on the planet. Some of them have genomes 8 times larger than the human genome.

We cannot and should not alter their genomes that have developed and adapted to the environment over millions of years. Already we have seen that experiments with transgenic trees have gone wrong, creating serious negative impacts on the environment.

Let us not wait until GE trees are grown commercially all over the world. We have to let the public, the industry and the universities know that we will not sit and watch until genetic pollution from transgenic trees covers our forests.

Once the trees are released they will contaminate surrounding forests and downstream ecosystems, and upset the ecological balance of forest communities. It cannot be recalled."

Read more on the dangers of GE trees on www.gaaget.org  (Global Alliance Against Genetically Engineered Trees).

"The biotech industry needs to know we do not accept their vision of complete biological domination and commodification of all life on this planet.

Here are a number of things you can do to get involved:

* Contact us!! Let us know if you can help.
e-mail: gaaget@gaaget.org 
web: www.gaaget.org  
tel: 503 239 6841
GE-tree Conference / PO Box 15289 / Portland, Oregon 97293

* Check out our website and the conference website.

* Spread this information far and wide.

* Include information on the protest and conference on your email lists, pamphlets, magazines etc.

* Come to Portland on the 21 and 22 of July!
 

Guatemala: Shrimp-farm generates violence and death

Violent Death Returns to Champerico.

" They were shooting at the people like targets!". These words of a native woman of Champerico community offer a vivid description of recent tragic events in that town.

Guards of the shrimp farm company " Camarones del Sur S.A." (CAMARSA) killed Fernando Chiyoc Albizures on June 17th, causing once again violence and abuses against the community of Champerico. This is the second mortally wounded victim in one month due to confrontations between people from Champerico community -mainly fishermen- and CAMARSA. 

The current incidents began on Sunday June 17th, after a community public assembly where the leaders explained all the people the results of a meeting between them and high government authorities held the previous Friday 15th without any result. The indifference of the authorities regarding the grave violations on the national laws by CAMARSA detonated these protests.

From the beginning of May, the community of Champerico - localized in Retalhuleu, at the Ocean Pacific coast of Guatemala - has been denouncing the pollution of the estuaries, the destruction of mangroves to build shrimp ponds and the death of hundreds of fishes provoked by the activities of the shrimp farm company. After these denouncements the government created a commission to resolve the conflicts composed by high officials of the government and authorities of the province of Retalhuleu. The community has been demanding the immediate close of CAMARSA's operations due to the serious irregularities that that company has been carrying out in its operations thus violating the environmental Laws of Guatemala. In the first protest against CAMARSA, held on May 8th, policemen opened fire against the protesters, killing the young man Maytin Castellanos and wounding other 8 people.

On Sunday noon June 17th, the community began a pacific protest in front of the building of CAMARSA. The protest finished in a riot where the guards of CAMARSA shot against the protesters, wounding eight people. One of the protesters, Fernando Chiyoc, died when he was going to the Hospital. After this incident the North American Mike Corser, engineer and manager in charge of CAMARSA in the moment of the protest, was arrested, along with nine guards of the company, accused of homicide.

Please send a letter to the president of the Republic of Guatemala, Mr. Alfonso Portillo, click here to read a sample letter.

Addresses:

Alfonso Portillo, President of Guatemala: mensajes@presidenteportillo.gob.gt 

CC to:

Tropico Verde: mailto@tropicoverde.org 

Presindencial Secretary of Strategic analysis: diransae@yahoo.com 

National office of territorial reserves control: ocret@medianet.com.gt 

Human Rights Presidential commission. copredeh@intelnet.net 
copredeh@guate.net 
   

Source: Global Response Network, Amazon Watch, Project Underground, Rainforest Action Network, CorpWatch
Posted: July 5, 2001

The ongoing investigation into Colombia's infamous 1998 Santo Domingo massacre -- which left 18 civilians dead, including 9 children -- proves what human rights and environmental groups have been saying for years. American oil companies like Occidental are complicit in human rights violations in Colombia. The U'wa, an indigenous group, have asked their supporters to demand an end to U.S. military aid to Colombia because as U'wa president Roberto Perez puts it, "Plan Colombia is a death sentence for the indigenous peoples of Colombia."

Click here for aditional information and for a sample lettrer.
 

Source: Amnisty Internacitonal USA

Date: 6 July 2001

Please join this Amnesty International campaign to protest the killing of
Carlos Roberto Flores, a community leader who opposed construction of a dam in Honduras. Other environmental and indigenous activists and their families may also be at grave risk. A strong outpouring of international support may save lives.

A community leader protesting against the construction of a hydroelectric dam was shot dead on 30 June. Eyewitnesses say the gunmen were security guards working for the private company building the dam. Amnesty International is concerned that other leaders and their communities in the region may be at risk of further attacks.  The power company Energisa won a government contract in May 2000 to build and run a hydroelectric dam on the river Babilonia, in the municipality of Gualaco, Olancho department. The communities that will be affected, and non-governmental organisations, believe the dam will seriously damage the environment and ruin the livelihood of local people, who may be forced off their land. Energisa have carried out environmental impact studies, but the affected communities and NGOs claim these studies have underestimated the damage the dam will cause.

The communities protesting against the planned dam received death threats, and in April 2001 they issued a public statement in a national newspaper, together with the human rights organization La Coordinadora Nacional Contra La Impunidad (CONACIM), National Coordination Against Impunity, denouncing these threats and calling on the authorities to withdraw warrants for the arrest of community leaders (named above) for alleged criminal damage to Energisa property. Carlos Roberto Flores was one of the named community leaders.

Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmail letters:

- expressing concern at the murder of Carlos Roberto Flores on 30
June 2001 in the municipality of Gualaco, Olancho department;
- expressing concern for the safety of his family and of members of
the communities in the municipality of Gualaco which are protesting
against the construction of the hydroelectric dam on the river
Babilonia, particularly those named above;
- asking the authorities to take action to protect all those at risk, and
to consult with them on what action is appropriate;
- urging the authorities to conduct a prompt, impartial and thorough
investigation of the killing and the threats the communities and their
leaders have reportedly received, to make public the results of the
investigation and to bring those responsible to justice

Click here for sample letter (in Spanish)

APPEALS TO:
President of the Republic:
S.E. Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse
Presidente de la Republica de Honduras
Casa Presidencial
Boulevard Juan Pablo Segundo
Palacio Jose Cecilio del Valle
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Telegram: Presidente, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: 504 234 1484
E-mail: law'bureau@hotmail.com 
Salutation: Dear President/Senor Presidente

Attorney General:
Dr. Roy Edmundo Medina
Fiscal General de la Republica
Fiscalia General, Ministerio Publico
Edificio Castillo Poujol, 4 Avd,
Colonia Palmira, Boulevard Morazan
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Telegram: Fiscal General, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: 504 239 3698 (this number may be hard to obtain)
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Senor Fiscal General

Minister of Security:
Dr. Gautama Fonseca
Ministro de Seguridad
Ministerio de Seguridad
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Telegram: Ministro Seguridad, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: 504 238 0238
Salutation: Dear Minister/Senor Ministro

COPIES TO:
National Human Rights NGO:
Coordinadora Nacional Contra la Impunidad
Apartado Postal 1243
Tegucigalpa, Honduras

National Commissioner for the Protection of Human Rights:
Dr Leo Valladares Lanza
Comisionado Nacional de Proteccion de los Derechos Humanos
Avda. La Paz No. 2444
Contiguo a Galerias La Paz
Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS