CPTnet

29 September 2006

COLOMBIA URGENT ACTION: Ask Colombian Government to Meet With Miners

BACKGROUND

On September 19th Alejandro Uribe, a community leader and father of two
young children, was killed by members of the Nueva Granada Batallion while
heading home from a community meeting in a neighboring village. The
assassination of Alejandro is the latest of a series of threats, robberies,
blockades, detentions and assassinations at the hands of the Colombian army.
The communities in the mining region are convinced that this campaign of
terror is aimed at forcing them off their land so it can be turned over to
the mining company Kedahda, an affiliate of the multinational Anglo Gold
Ashanti.

On September 22nd farmers, miners, and their families from the Sur de
Bolivar region of Colombia began converging on the regional center of
government, Santa Rosa del Sur, to demand justice and the right to live
safely in their own communities. Hoping for dialogue, the communities agreed
to a meeting with national civilian authorities on Tuesday, September 26, in
Santa Rosa. When the government representatives arrived, they refused to
accept the previous condition set by the communities that no military be
present at the table. The dialogue did not take place.

The communities have vowed to stay mobilized in Santa Rosa until they meet
with national civilian authorities. We are requesting your help to put
pressure on the Colombian government to arrange a meeting between the mining
communities and national civilian authorities to discuss the situation in
the Sur de Bolivar mining region.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Doctor Franco,

I am concerned about the situation in the mining region of the Sur de
Bolivar where the civilian population is reporting that members of the

5th Brigade of the Colombian army are responsible for assassinations,
blockades, robberies, threats, and intimidation. I am particularly concerned
about the recent death of community leader Alejandro Uribe, which has led to
the mobilization of more than a thousand residents to the town of Santa Rosa
del Sur. Residents have mobilized in order to demand justice and the right
to live safely in their own communities.

The community members are requesting a meeting with national civilian
authorities, those responsible for the actions of the military in a
democratic society. I request that you immediately take steps to resolve the
situation and honor their request to dialogue with civilian authorities
without the presence of the military.

Sincerely, Your Name and Address

LETTER SHOULD BE FAXED OR E-MAILED TO:

Dr. Carlos Franco Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho
Internacional Humanitario FAX: (571) 566- 2064, E- mail:
cefranco [at] presidencia [dot] gov [dot] co?Subject=Re:%20(resent%20with%20required%20e-address)%20COLOMBIA%20URGENT%20ACTION:%20Ask%20Colombian%20Government%20to%20Meet%20With%20Miners&In-Reply-To=<1159567725@mennolink>