Peru Killings: Dramatic Eyewitnesses’ Report

Peru Killings: Dramatic Eyewitnesses’ Report Published

An eyewitness account of the killings in Peru which caused shockwaves around the world is published today by Survival International.

The report contains shocking photos by two Belgians, Marijke Deleu and Thomas Quirynen, who were caught up in the violence and were themselves shot at.

The report, 'Death at Devil's Bend: an eyewitness account' provides a dramatic narrative of the day's events, which ended with a large number of people, both police officers and indigenous protesters, dead. (The exact numbers are still unclear.) The incident has been described as ‘the Amazon’s Tiananmen’.

Marijke Deleu and Thomas Quirynen are coming to the UK, and will be available for interview on Monday June 22nd.

They said today, ‘We saw people being shot before our eyes, and we were ourselves shot at. Whilst it is clear that policemen were sometimes targets, the overwhelming majority of the victims we saw were indigenous people, and other protesters who came out to support them.’

Stephen Corry of Survival said, ‘This report shows, in shocking detail, what happens when Amazon Indians try and defend their lands. Peru's police reacted with overwhelming force and brutality. Even the president is promoting a racist reaction by calling the Indians 'savages'. This incident will be seared into the memories of Indians for decades. Only a proper inquiry, and prosecutions where appropriate, might lessen the immense damage already done. The underlying problem must also be addressed. Are oil company interests more valuable than human rights?’

Deleu and Quirynen are available for interview. Photos from the report are also available.

Deleu and Quirynen’s trip to London is financed and hosted by the Peru Support Group and CAFOD.

Download the report from Survival's website.

To read this story online: http://www.survival-international.org/news/4687

ENDS

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