Intro
In Araucania, Southern Chile, resides a large Indigenous group, by the name of the Mapuche. This group makes up the majority of individuals living in this region. They were also deprived of their territorial and political rights, and had these privileges revoked after Chile declared independence from Spain. This decision had resulted in the government enforcing the Mapuche to live on reserves they were forbidden full ownership of. Due to these injustices they had been experiencing, they had decided to start a hunger strike in hopes of changing the way the law is operating.
Contents
- Intro
- Background
- The Hunger Strike
- August 12th October 8th
- March 1st 2011 and October 10th 2011
- Conclusion
- References
Background
During 2009, the president of Social Democrats Michelle Bachelet had suggested a proposal that the government should buy privately owned land in order to help accommodate for land that the Mapuche had lost. Although unfortunately the landowners were not willing to sell. After the election of President Sebastian Pinera, he had made deals between these owners and the uniformed police or "the carabineros". This later escalated to violence because Mapuche protesters had set fire to machinery and land that had belonged to private owners. In consequence of their actions, there had been anti-terrorist laws made against the Mapuche people. On July 12, 2010, in response to their imprisonment, they decided to establish a hunger strike in order to protest against being charged under the Terrorist Act. It was stated that individuals who have been declared guilty under the act of terrorism are forced to suffer through a more intense sentence in comparison to if they were charged under a criminal case. They would also face a punishment that resulted in getting their citizenship renounced. Additionally, the fifteen years following their release, they had been banned from contributing to society, and performing tasks such as, teaching in schools, and any other forms of professionalism. Circumstances had further escalated during 2001, when the Chilean government decided to make alterations to their law. They had chosen to focus primarily on cases surrounding theft, destruction of land, and arson.
The Hunger Strike
A major inspiration that also sparked the idea of initiating a hunger strike was Partricia Troncoso. She along with other Mapuche activists had been convicted with arson in 2002, when a fire had caused mass destruction of a several acres of pine. Troncoso along with the other activists had started a 111-day hunger strike in 2007. The e ill treatment of Mapuche people had been a breaking point for the activists and had inspired a request of twenty Mapuche activists who were in a likewise position, to be released from imprisonment. Also for the government to reconstruct the Terrorism Act, due to the fact of the improper way it was formulated. The government eventually denied many other requests of hers, and only succumbed to lessening her sentence to an extent. Following the decision of defining the acts demonstrated by Mapuche activists as terrorism, there was a lot tof disapproval that came from the International Federation of Human Rights, and Amnesty International. More attention arose on July 12, 2010, when fourteen additional individuals had accompanied the group. Over the first two months in specific, many of the activists that participated, had been scattered across five separate prisons throughout Southern Chile. All of these prisoners were apparent victims of receciving false allegations towards them such as attempted murder, injury done to the body, and setting fires. Despite this conflict, there had been an unforeseen amount of support that was provided by four associates of Congress that were a part of the Human Rights Commission. On September 9, 2010, they had joined the strikers and gave their encouragement and approval by fasting individually on their own time. Sebastian Pinera reacted to their agreement by suggesting revamping the Terrorist Act. His intentions were to reduce the sentences affiliated with terrorist charges and ban the process of minors and civilians being charged in military court. The protesters had rejected his offer, vindicating their demands of the charges against them to be dropped in entirety.
August 12th- October 8th
The journey continued on with a fierce battle into August 12, 2010. The family members of the protesters created a delegation and proceeded to Valpariso to get together with Congress members and declare the complaints of the prisoners. The following day, they had met with Supreme Court Chief Justice, Milton Juica and other representatives. On October 1, 2010, there was as a few of the participants, twenty four to be exact, who had agreed to sign an approval to conclude their fast with the Pinera Government. Following the contract, the government had decided to retract the terrorism charges. They also came to terms with agreeing to modify the Terrorism law and the relatively minor acts that were regarded as terrorism charges. It was concluded that these crimes should be deemed as common offences instead. On October 8, 2010, an additional ten strikers had also signed as well. Following the signing, their spokesman had announced that despite their decision to sign, they did not feel they were being fully compensated with the final terms of the agreement. This also resulted in having other participants continue their fasting in the hospital. This action was done in hope that the government would consider further rectitude on their injustice. Thereafter the completion of the strike, the Mapuche have however been facing continuous persecution under the Terrorist Act.
March 1st 2011 and October 10th 2011
Due to their constant state of injustice there had been four Mapuche prisoners that began a hunger strike on March 1, 2011, which remained for eighty seven days in total. It was done to protest against the law and coerce the government to decrease their sentences. More action against the law had occurred on October 10, 2011, when roughly ten thousand people had engaged in a non-violent march in Santiago, Chile to support and show awareness for the ongoing battle that Indigenous people have been facing.
Conclusion
This action has sparked much attention, but it has not yet received any dedication from the government. Although the Mapuche people are still in a state of injustice, there was a moment of hope on March 13, 2014, when the Chilean government had apologized for confiscating their land for several years. There has been laws that have been placed in recognition of the Indigenous community, but they are yet to be adhered to. A further fight for justice is still in transition for the Mapuche.