The Indigenous Missionary Council , issued
a statement on May 20 in which it denounced the "illegal and
authoritarian" manner with which the missionaries and staff of CIMI were
treated by the Federal Police in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the municipality
of Sidrolândia, during the clearing operations of the Buriti farm, occupied by
indigenous people since 15 May.The statement recalls similar events in which
the police expelled journalists or members of CIMI, as in the case of the
hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte."In Brazil, more and more often, the
police assumes the role of political interlocutor in land conflicts and
violations of the rights of indigenous peoples. What is happening is the
militarization of conflicts linked to the struggle for indigenous rights.
Institutionalization of this practice is a brutal attack against a journalist,
against the freedom of social organizations and, even more, against the
established democratic relations and law in our society.We denounce this act of
unjustified, arbitrary and illegal censorship," said the statement sent to
Fides.
In the photo: indigenous people from the
Kayapo tribe in Brazil attend a round table event for the Brazilian church
brotherhood campaign (AP Photo/Antonio Araujo)
Source: Vatican News in Facebook
