Resiste Honduras: Military repress COPINH Indians in front of the Government Palace

Monday, May 3, 2010

Military repress COPINH Indians in front of the Government Palace

Monday May 3, 2010 14:10 Dina Meza

Requires COPINH terminated hired killers

Military of the Government House who are guarding the regime attacked dozens of Indians, while demonstrating peacefully this morning, apart from beating them, stripping them of seven crosses and cellphones , as well as threatening them.

Indigenous people from the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, COPINH, arrived at about half past six to protest against the crime and impunity and therefore ask the international community not to recognize the regime. For the demonstration, they pretended to be crucified on crosses where they had several messages, including a stop to impunity, removal from office of the current president of the Supreme Court of Justice, CJS, Jorge Aviles, the Attorney General, Luis Alberto Rubi and the Commissioner Human Rights, Ramón Custodio.

Aureliano Molina, a young 21 year-old Indian, reported that about 12 soldiers pulled him by the hair out of the COPINH vehicle he was driving and was hit by them in the head, neck and arms.

Molina said that these actions contrast with the image of reconciliation that the regime wants to have through a Truth Commission which is a lie.

"Young people are fighting for a real re-founding of the country through a National Constituent Assembly, the assembly is a step to that process," Molina said.

He added that as a youth "we want a constitution that recognizes the seven languages in the country, that multicultural education takes place, which respects the autonomy of indigenous peoples with their decisions on communities, not to politicize education, to not imposed anything on us but we must decide. "

The COPINH gives full support to the Truth Commission Alternative

The COPINH gives full support to the Truth Commission Alternative

Along with Molina, a 17 year old was hit in her left foot by the military, she said that the military had a very aggressive attitude, the same they've had since the coup of June 2009 against President Manuel Zelaya Rosales.

In a statement released COPINH noted that "when we demanded the truth and defended our real right to speak, the oligarchy and the regime remove us, they burn or persecute our media, imprisoned us falsely, they lie to us with the lies of hatred, judge us for wanting to inform ourselves, the oligarchy and the regime, tell us we are not worthy of being listened by same peoples, therefore they throw us gases, censor us, threaten to kill journalists and every day they want to silence us. "

Bertha Caceres, COPINH leader, said enough of the lie of that so called truth commission endorsed by the coup leaders and the oligarchy, we support the alternative Truth Commission, led by the Platform for Human Rights.

Another demand by COPINH is to put an end to hired killers and dismiss several characters that the regime has appointed as ministers, like Alejandro Ventura, Minister of Education.

The demilitarization of society and to expel all the military who are in the public administration, and the end of the US American occupation in Honduras.

We call the Honduran people to sign the Sovereign Declaration to lead to a democratic and Popular National Constituent Assembly and join this great task of reshaping this country for a more humane society, said Caceres.

In the statement COPINH gives full support to the Alternative Truth Commission, an initiative of the Platform for Human Rights.

The indigenous peoples from COPINH were violently evicted in front of Presidential Palace, but then stationed themselves a few blocks down , where men, women and youth were on the crosses, while military and police patrols were very close, as a form of pressure to not continue in the protest.