Death threats to members of the Embera Indigenous Community, Columbia

This Urgent Action relates to members (former or current leaders) of the the Embera Indigenous community, of the Bajo Atrato Camizba Indigenous reservation, in the municipality of Riosucio, in Columbia. They have received a written death threat, stating that they will be killed on December the 24th this year.

Full information from Amnesty here.

Amnesty writes:

The leaders have talked publicly about previous attacks on the Bajo Atrato Camizba Indigenous reservation. These attacks have been perpetrated by all parties involved in Colombia's internal armed conflict, including the security forces, paramilitary groups and guerrilla forces. The leaders' work has also included the defence and promotion of the Indigenous community's land rights, as the area is rich in natural resources, including minerals and oil, and is therefore in demand for the implementation of large-scale economic projects by private and public companies.
(My emphasis.)

There have also been previous threats, on November the 18th female relatives of two of the male leaders listed below were in a house when four armed men broke in, looking for the indigenous leaders. They were threatened with kidnapping if they did not reveal the whereabouts of the leaders.

The below letter is to the president, Señor Álvaro Uribe Vélez. I also wrote to the minister for the interior and justice and the national ombudsman for indigenous and ethnic groups. Copies to the National Indigenous Organisation and the Columbian Ambassadors to Norway and to Australia. Further below I have copied in the email I sent to the Columbian Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Diego Betancur, at embassyofcolombia at bigpond.com.

Señor Presidente Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Presidente de la República,
Palacio de Nariño,
Carrera 8 No.7-2, Bogotá, Colombia


Ole Koksvik
Welhavensv 4
3613 Kongsberg
NORWAY 18.12.2008


Dear President Uribe,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia, and a PhD student at the Australian National University.

It has come to my attention that Julio Mecheche Manyoma, Aquileito Mecheche Barahona, Milciades Chamorro Marmolejo, Herminio Lana Guaseruca, Diomedes Rubiano, Eleciana Chajito, Iris Nayibi Cabrera and Morelia Marmolejo, members of the Embera Indigenous community of the Bajo Atrato Camizba, have received a death threat stating that they will be killed on 24 December this year.

I am writing to urge you to take effective action to protect these people, along with all other members of the Embera Indigenous community in Riosucio, Chocó Department, in the manner deemed appropriate by those under threat themselves.

I furthermore urge you to immediately ensure that a full and impartial investigation into the threats is carried out, and that the results of that investigation are made public, and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Finally, I urge you to see to it that immediate action is taken to dismantle paramilitary groups, in line with the stated commitments of the government and recommendations made by the UN and other intergovernmental organizations.

I thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and for considering these concerns.

Sincerely yours

Ole Koksvik

---------------------------------

To:
His Excellency Mr Diego Betancur
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
Level 2, 161 London Circuit
Canberra ACT 2601


From
Ole Koksvik
4/56 Bandjalong Crescent
Aranda ACT 2614


Regarding Members of the Embera Indigenous community of the Bajo Atrato Camizba Indigenous reservation.


Dear Sir,

My name is Ole Koksvik, I am a Norwegian citizen, and a permanent resident of Australia, as well as a PhD student at the Australian National University.

Please find attached a letter I have sent to the President, Señor Álvaro Uribe Vélez. I sent similar letters to the Minister of Interior and Justice Señor Carlos Holguín Sardi and to the National Ombudsman for Indigenous and Ethnic Groups, Señor Horacio Guerrero. The letters relate to death threats against members of the Embera Indigenous Community. I urge you to read these letters, and to communicate to your government the grave concern I feel for the wellbeing of these people at your earliest opportunity.

I thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Let me end by apologising for not writing to you in Spanish. In 1998 I would have been able to do so properly, alas today I was afraid of not being able to properly express myself.

Sincerely yours


Ole Koksvik