Communique of the Mapuche political prisoners of the Land Conflict in the LLeu LLeu region

translated from culmine

PUBLIC COMMUNIQUE
Monday, September 27, 2010
1 - We, political prisoners of the Mapuche Land Conflict in the area of Lleu Lleu, prisoners in Concepción and Lebu prisons, remind our people and international opinion as follows: 1 - We have been on hunger strike for 77 days and already four of us are in hospital, suffering from some liver and cardiac consequences, while one remains in prison of El Manzano, with a weight loss exceeding 20 kilos. Three other brothers in Lebu prison, are also weakened.
2 - Today, it has been possible to establish a direct form of dialogue with the government, through the important work done by Bishop Ricardo Ezzati. There have been some discussions on the requests of the representatives of the collectives of PPM (Mapuche political prisoners) of the various prisons in which have been exposed as indispensable: The non-application of the Anti-terrorism Law, the non-application of Military Justice (dual trials for the same offence) and non-use of masked witnesses as evidence.
3 - In this case we used the direct path of dialogue with the government to address our demands through concrete and fast political and administrative solutions, compared to the legislative route that we consider to be slower and more complex, although we have not completely excluded it.
4 - In this sense we have reached an important agreement, i.e. the waiving of the charges for violation of the Anti-terrorist Law by the government. However, we find ourselves trapped by the unwillingness of the Public Prosecutor to begin the new formalization of the charges.
5 – Although, we repeat, the political-administrative route is that most relevant to the urgency of the moment, so as to avoid fatal developments, we hope that legislative power, by the deputies of both the majority and the opposition, is capable of dealing with the question and of meeting international standards in matters of legislation, opening, through amendments to the anti-terrorist law - Ley Antiterrorista - a new option for the cessation of the hunger strike.
6 - Finally, we appeal to the People of the Mapuche Nation, to our brothers and sisters of other indigenous peoples who are resisting the capitalist States, and to the democratic and popular sectors to continue to remain vigilant and mobilised for our rights, justice and freedom.
NEWENTUAIÑ
AMULEIÑ COM PU CHE