DATE=5/20/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-214563

TITLE=HONDURAS/INDIANS (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=BILL RODGERS

DATELINE=SAN JOSE

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  A HONDURAN INDIGENOUS GROUP SAYS UNKNOWN GUNMEN HAVE 

KILLED AN INDIAN LEADER -- THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF MURDERS OF 

INDIAN ACTIVISTS IN THE CENTRAL AMERICAN NATION.  V-O-A'S BILL 

RODGERS REPORTS FROM OUR CENTRAL AMERICAN BUREAU.

 

TEXT:  THE CIVIC COUNCIL FOR INDIGENOUS AND POPULAR ORGANIZATIONS

(EDS: CONSEJO CIVICO DE ORGANIZACIONES POPULARES E INDIGENAS) 

SAYS 32-YEAR-OLD JORGE MANUELES WAS MURDERED ON MAY 14TH IN 

WESTERN HONDURAS.  IN A COMMUNIQUE TUESDAY, THE CIVIC COUNCIL 

SAID UNKNOWN GUNMEN SHOT AND KILLED MR. MANUELES AND THEN BURNED 

HIS BODY -- IN WHAT THE GROUP DESCRIBED AS A BRUTAL AND SADISTIC 

ACT.  THE MURDER TOOK PLACE NEAR A SMALL INDIAN COMMUNITY CALLED 

"EL PELON DE SAN JUAN" -- ABOUT 150 KILOMETERS WEST OF THE 

HONDURAN CAPITAL.

 

MR. MANUELES -- A LENCA INDIAN -- MOBILIZED INDIANS IN THE 

COMMUNITY TO OPPOSE LAND TAKEOVERS BY OUTSIDERS AND TO PREVENT 

LOGGING OF THE PINE FORESTS IN THE AREA.  THE CIVIC COUNCIL 

DESCRIBED HIM AS A PERSON PROMINENTLY IDENTIFIED WITH THE 

STRUGGLE TO DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF INDIANS

AND PEASANTS.

 

THE MURDER OF MR. MANUELES IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF KILLINGS 

OF INDIAN ACTIVISTS IN HONDURAS.  TWO LEADERS OF THE CHORTI 

INDIANS WERE MURDERED LAST MONTH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COPAN.  

HONDURAN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS BLAME LANDOWNERS FOR THE TWO 

MURDERS.  THESE GROUPS SAY MORE THAN 30 INDIAN ACTIVISTS HAVE 

BEEN MURDERED OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS BECAUSE OF CONFLICTS

OVER LAND.

 

THE HONDURAN GOVERNMENT REACHED AN AGREEMENT EARLIER THIS MONTH 

WITH THE CHORTI PEOPLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH UP TO NINE-THOUSAND 

HECTARES OF LAND IN WESTERN HONDURAS.  UNDER THE ACCORD, WHICH 

BROUGHT AN END TO AN INDIAN PROTEST IN THE CAPITAL, THE 

GOVERNMENT ALSO AGREED TO INVESTIGATE THE

MURDERS OF INDIAN ACTIVISTS.  IN TUESDAY'S COMMUNIQUE, THE CIVIC 

COUNCIL FOR POPULAR AND INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS URGED HONDURAN 

AUTHORITIES TO LAUNCH A PROMPT INVESTIGATION OF MR. MANUELES' 

MURDER -- AND TO BRING THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO JUSTICE. (SIGNED)



NEB/BR/TMD/PT

 



20-May-97 7:13 PM EDT (2313 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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