Monday, May 12, 1997 4:00 Eastern Time

VIOLENT MILITARY FORCED REMOVAL OF PEACEFUL INDIGENOUS DEMONSTRATION

IN HONDURAS

At 4am this morning the Honduran armed forces and police violently

removed over 3000 indigenous peoples from the Presidential Palace in

Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The army brutally beat many of the protesters

including pregnant women, elderly and small children. Some of the

indigenous have disappeared and are still not accounted for, and

others had to be hospitalized because of the beatings by the army and

police. All of the food and many of the belongings of the indigenous

people was confiscted.

The native peoples had gathered peacefully to protest the recent

assasinations of indigenous leaders Candido Amador Recinos

and Ovidio Perez and to demand lands that pertain to their

communities. These lands are currently occupied by large landowners.

The Indigenous leaders were ready to sign an accord with the

government following lengthy negotiations. Instead of signing an

agreement, the military brutally removed the indigenous from the

presidential palace to a vacant lot nearly a mile away.

The indigenous people have decided to remain encamped where they

are until the government agrees to sign the accord. They have

little access to food, water and shelter. To support their effort

please send donations to:

CONPAH (Confederation of Autonomous Peoples of Honduras)

Apartado 20-585, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Tel. (504) 25-2612

Telefax (504) 25-4925

Please fax President Carlos Roberto Reina at: (504) 37-8237

with a message of protest at this violent act and urge that he

sign the accord which has been negotiated with the indigenous

leaders.

Please send copies of your messages to:

conpah%conpah@sdnhon.org.hn and andres%acceso@sdnhon.org.hn

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