Gauck should act as a spokesman for the endangered indigenous peoples in Brazil

Joachim Gauck, the German Federal President, should use his visit to Brazil to act as a spokesman for the endangered indigenous communities. This is what the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) asks from him prior to his departure to South America. "We fear that some hard-won rights of the indigenous peoples might be significantly restricted by several new legislation projects," the STP wrote to the President. "Please try to convince President Dilma Rousseff that economic interests do not have priority over issues of human rights, climate changes or environmental protection. The applicable Brazilian and international laws must be respected – and the native peoples must be involved equally in any decisions that affect them." The Society for Threatened Peoples hopes that Gauck will speak to representatives of the native communities and to human rights activists during his visit. On May 8, the President will depart for Colombia and Brazil.

In future, law PEC 215 will allow the congress to determine the borders of indigenous territories in Brazil, reported the STP's Indigenous Peoples Consultant, Yvonne Bangert, in Göttingen on Tuesday. However, since the congress represents the interests of landowners and the industry, there is a potential risk for the existing protected areas and for possible new demarcations.

The draft of the mining act PL 1610/96 aims to lift the ban on mining in reservation areas. This would, for example, allow gold mining by means of toxic cyanide – with significant consequences for the environment – or the exploration and exploitation of uranium deposits, which are suspected on Yanomami territory.

Furthermore, decree (portaria) 303/2012 allows the establishment of military bases and military interventions, roadwork as well as hydro-power plants or mining projects on the indigenous territories. In contradiction to ILO Convention No. 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the affected indigenous communities or the FUNAI-Association would not have to be consulted any more.

In the appeal to Gauck, the STP warns that unrests will spread among Brazils indigenous communities. Thus, the building site of the controversial Belo Monte dam project on the Rio Xingu was repeatedly occupied by indigenous groups, most recently on May 2. According to media reports, the Munduruku on the Rio Tapajos – where several dam projects are to be established too – have even announced to go to war, since their co-determination rights were not respected. Apparently, even military forces and armed police were deployed to ensure the further construction work.