Source: Sociedad de Amigos en defensa de la Gran Sabana
Date: 20, October 2003

The Imataca Forest Reserve covers an area of 38,219 square kilometres, of which over three million hectares, that is to say 80% of its surface, are rainforests. Six out of each ten square metres of the territory are legally under some kind of environmental protection, but will now be affected by the Bill on the IMATACA Land Planning and Use Regulation, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment.

According to the authorities, this plan limits mining activities up to (a maximum of) 11% of the area, against 38% foreseen in the previous 1997 decree. However, its critics argue that it is a frontal legalization of mining, authorizing prospecting, exploration, exploitation, processing, transformation and transportation of metallic and non-metallic minerals in a zone that – due to its extreme ecological fragility and low regeneration capacity – once intervened will be placed in the category of “forests in danger of disappearing.” Alexander Luzardo of the College of Sociologists, considers that this new regulation will affect the “right of Venezuelan society to preserve its forests in pristine conditions perpetually,” with a higher value to future generations than the immediate economic benefit.

The ecologist organization Amigransa is demanding President Chavez to enforce the commitments taken on during his electoral campaign, when he publicly stated that if to remove gold, the forests had to be done away with, then they would keep the forests.

Please write letters of support considering the following points:

1) Ratification of the Global Vision of the Bill for Land Planning and Regulation of Use of the Imataca Forestry Reserve

2) To propose that the Ministry of the Environment should designate a considerable area of the Imataca Forests as Imataca National Park

3) To request that mining use should be excluded from the Plan for Land Planning and Regulation of Use of the Imataca Forest Reserve.

4) To request that Imataca should be free of mining centres and that areas that have been degraded by mining should be rehabilitated. Mining concessions and/or contracts should be rescinded and the granting of new concessions and mining infrastructure in Imateca should be prohibited.

5) To request a moratorium on forestry exploitation in Imataca.

6) To exhort the Ministry of the Environment to promote with time, a broad national discussion, with real interactive participation.

7) To exhort the government to conclude the Demarcation of the Habitat and Land of the Indigenous Peoples, prior to any land planning and allocation of uses in Imataca.

for more information
La Reserva Forestal de Imataca
Un bosque insustituible en peligro de desaparecer

Send your letters to:

Ministra del Ambiente y de Los Recursos Naturales de Venezuela
Dra. Ana Elisa Osorio
Telf. Fax 58 212 408 1024
aosorio@marn.gov.ve

c.c Azucena Martínez:
Directora de Educación Ambiental y Participación Ciudadana del MARN
amartinez1@marn.gov.ve

C.C
Sociedad de Amigos en defensa de la Gran Sabana .AMIGRANSA
amigransa@cantv.net

Source: SAM-FOE Malaysia
Date: 20, October 2003

Our friends of Sahabat Alam Malaysia need your help to support a campaign to drop wrongful charges against 2 indigenous people who were wrongfully arrested due to instigation by timber company.

Background information here

Please find below, a sample letter addressed to the Sarawak Attorney
General's Chambers and the Sarawak Commissioner of Police asking them to
withdraw the charges. If you want to express your support, please sign-on this letter (state your name, position -- affiliation, address and country) and reply to Shamila Ariffin: shamila73@yahoo.com before Nov 3, 2003.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor
Sarawak State Prosecution Unit
Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia
Tingkat 2, Wisma Persekutuan
Block B, Fasa 2
Jalan Cahaya Lopeng
98000 Miri
Sarawak.

The Commissioner of Police, Sarawak
Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontigen, Sarawak
Jalan Baharudin
93560 Kuching
Sarawak.

Dear Sir,

Wrongful Arrests of Two Long Lunyim Villagers

We the undersigned, would like to express our deep concern over the
arrests of Mr. Semali Sait and his father Mr. Sait Kiling from the Penan
village of Long Lunyim in Sungai Pelutan, Baram on Sept 4 and 5, 2003, and
the charges that have been made out against them on Sept 12, 2003 under
Section 506 of the Penal Code by the Magistrate Court of Marudi, Baram in
the Miri Division of Sarawak.

We have come to learn that both Mr. Semali and Mr. Sait were arrested
following a police report which was lodged by the manager and a worker of
a timber company who claimed that five members of the Long Lunyim village,
including Semali and his father, had threatened them.

Mr. Semali and Mr. Sait have asserted that the claims made by the
employees of the logging company are false and were made without any basis
as they did not even engage in any form of communication with the two
persons concerned on the day the alleged incident took place.

We have reason to believe that the charges are linked to the people's
strong opposition against the activities of the timber company concerned
on their customary land without their free, prior and informed consent.
The people of Long Lunyim have clearly made their position on the issue
known to the company and the authorities. In August 2003, they put up a
six-day peaceful blockade on the road used by the timber company and as
early as November 2000, a police report was already lodged on the issue
concerned followed by several letters addressed to the relevant local
authorities and the company itself since then.

We thus urge that your office to withdraw the wrongful charges against the
two accused persons.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Name
Position and Affiliation ,Country
Address

Source: Oilwatch
Date: 23 October 2003

International campaign supporting Tambogrande against Manhattan Minerals mining company .

Tambogrande decided to apply a moratorium to mining activities in its region - a fertile valley, wich lives from agriculture.

Please find below a sample letter to be send to the Peru President, Alejandro Toledo.

Please send mails to:
- Presidente Alejandro Toledo: sepres@presidencia.gob.pe
- Beatríz Merino, Presidenta del Consejo de Ministros: bmerino@pcm.gob.pe
- Américo Villafuerte, Empresa Minera Manhattan: mscm@manhattan-pe.com
- Mesa Tecnica de apoyo a Tambogrande -Mirtha Allende -Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos: mallende@dhperu.org
- Campaña internacional en apoyo a la resistencia de Tambogrande contra la explotacion minera: tambogrande_international@yahoo.com

And faxes to:
- President of the Republic of Peru
Mr. Alejandro Toledo Manrique
fax: 0051 -1- 4260407

Cc:
Hans Flury Minister of Energy and Mining
Francisco González García Minister of Agriculture
Américo Villafuerte President of Manhattan Sechura Company
Francisco Ojeda President of the Defense Front

Dear Mr. President,

I write to express my concern about the situation in which lives the population of Tambo Grande, Piura. The first producer of mangos and lemons of Perú.

We understand that the population of Tambo Grande have expressed in a consultation summoned by the local government, their opinion about the potencial mining operations in their district . The result was 98.6% of the population saying NO to mining activity in the area.

We are convinced that the deficient Study of Environmental Impact (EIA in Spanish) displayed by Manhattan Company reflects its lack of clear arguments to avoid the environmental damage. This project will lead to the destruction of the ecosystem of carob trees and the dry forest of the valley, turning it into a desert.

We ask you not to approve the EIA of Mahattan because it´s a project that endanger the agriculture, which is the main activity of the people of Tambo Grande. The imposition of this project would constitute a serious violation of the self-determination right of Tambo Grande population.

We consider that foreign investments are important for Peru, but they must not be carried away putting in danger the way of life of a whole town, on the contrary, investments must serve people and sustainable development.

Decisions must not be imposed. We can not forget that land means a lot for our country and the people who lives and works in it.

Sincerely,

Source: Niger Delta Project for Environment, Human Rights and Development
(NDPEHRD)
Date: 23, October 2003

Join NDPEHRD to keep watchful eyes on the mangrove resources of the Niger Delta. Promote the rights and capacity of the local coastal people to protect and restore their resources.

Please write letters to SPDC asking them to obey Nigerian Environmental Laws and be mindful of the impacts of their activities on the peoples environment.

Sample letter for Shell Oil:

Samuel E. Inyang,
General Manager,
Production (East),
Shell Petroleum Development
Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC),
P. O. Box 263,
Port Harcourt,
Rivers State,
Nigeria.

Dear Sir,

On Your Major Oil Trunkline Replacement And
The Health Of Mangrove Forests In Nigeria.

I write to express my deep concern about your project above. As you know, Nembe CK Tie-in, Nembe CK main, Alakiri, Soku, Buguma, Cawthorne, Bonny, Bomu, Ogale and other communities in your Eastern Division of the Niger Delta belt of Nigeria harbor luxuriant mangrove forests of different classes, sizes and types, reserve areas and sanctuaries, shrines, rainforests and archeological sites, that are vital to the survival of the mangrove forest communities there.

I am writing to remind you of the distasteful consequences of your project, which is, about to commence without a genuine and proper Public Hearing and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as provided in the Nigerian constitution, (Oil Pipeline Act Cap. 338 and EIA Decree of 1992) respectively.

I am specifically concerned about the indigenous mangrove species in the area such as Rhizophora racemosa, Rhiphora harrisonii, Rphizophora mangle, Avicennia africana, Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus which you are about to plunder to execute your huge project.

Please do as the law strictly requires and respect the rights of the poor local coastal people and dwellers there.

I hope you will spare them the agonies again.

Thanks.

Yours sincerely,

For more information, please contact:
Cletus B. Kiele, Information Officer,
Niger Delta Project for Environment,
Human Rights and Development
(NDPEHRD)
6, Obo Nwanboke Street (Post Office Building),
P. O. Box 590,
Ogale – Nchia,
Eleme Local Government Area,
Rivers State, Nigeria
Email: nigerdeltaproject@yahoo.com