AFSC statements about Ingrid, Terry and Lahe'



to Tom Goldtooth, IEN: I represent the U.S./Colombia Coordinating Office in Washington DC. Gabi Tayac of the League of Indigenous and Sovereign Nations asked me to send you copies of statements made in regards to the death of Ingrid, Terry and Lahe', by members of the coalition that my office coordinates. I know you have probably been overwhelmed by the response. I include below statements by the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia, PA. Sincerely, Alison Giffen

Dear Friends, As many of you know, Ingrid Washinawatok, who was murdered in Colombia on March 5, 1999, was a volunteer, committee member and supporter of AFSC's work. Following are copies of letters which have been sent to Presidents Clinton and Pastrana in english and spanish.

American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1479
(215) 241-7000

March 16, 1999

President Andrés Pastrana
Republic of Colombia
Palacio de Nariño
Santafé de Bogotá,
Colombia

Dear President Pastrana:

We are deeply saddened by the murders of Ingrid Washinawatok, Lahe’ena’e Gay and Terence Freitas on the Colombia-Venezuela border on March 5, 1999. Ingrid for many years has been a volunteer and supporter of AFSC's work, particularly with Native Peoples, so these murders touch us in an even more personal way.

We applaud your previous efforts to initiate peace negotiations. We urge that you now make every effort to move your people away from violence. These three murders follow upon the murders of 26 Colombian human rights workers since May 1997 and the 3,000 to 4,000 Colombians, mostly civilians, killed as a result of political violence each year.

We urge you to assure that a full investigation into the murders is conducted by independent human rights organizations. We request that you name the Human Rights Unit of the Fiscalia to be the coordinating body for the investigation conducted by Colombia, and that full cooperation to independent human rights organizations be extended by the Colombian government.

We have also written to our President to request our government’s cooperation in sharing information to which it might have access, and to support the Menominee Tribe’s request for a Congressional Inquiry into State Department actions in Colombia.

In summary, we urge you to pursue a policy which truly supports a peace process and fosters conditions necessary for negotiations rather than fueling the armed conflict with infusions of military aid. In a national referendum in October 1997, Colombian civil society expressed a clear mandate for peace. Colombian human rights organizations stress that human rights violations and impunity represent obstacles to peace and must be upheld as a pre-condition and integral part of an effective peace process.

Sincerely,

Kara L. Newell
Executive Director

cc. President William Clinton

Dear President Clinton:

We are deeply saddened by the murders of Ingrid Washinawatok, Lahe’ena’e Gay and Terence Freitas on the Colombia-Venezuela border on March 5, 1999. Ingrid for many years has been a volunteer and supporter of AFSC's work, particularly with Native Peoples, so these murders touch us in an even more personal way.

Although members of the FARC have now claimed responsibility for this terrible crime, we support the request of the Menominee tribe, to which Ingrid belonged, that the United States investigate our government’s actions regarding this case through a Congressional Inquiry. We cannot forget that the three U.S. citizens who were murdered were engaged in support to the Uw'a Tribe in its land dispute with U.S. owned Occidental Petroleum Company. The Uw'a have witnessed the slow and humiliating destruction of other native peoples when their lands were encroached upon, and at one point threatened mass suicide rather than suffer a similar fate. As you acknowledged in your recent visit in Guatemala, the United States government has in the past put its power behind the interest of U.S. corporations, even at the cost of the rights and the lives of local citizens as well as U.S. citizens.

We call upon you and the Congress to reconsider the military and police aid which you have promised to Colombia. It is not a coincidence that the deaths of Ingrid, Lahe' ena'e and Terence occurred as Janet Reno was delivering $230 million in U.S. military and police aid to Colombia. These events underscore the truth that the policies of violence which we promote abroad, affect us as well.

Colombia, with the worst human rights record in the hemisphere, is currently the largest recipient of U.S. military aid anywhere outside of the Middle East. Given the levels of violence and impunity in Colombia, U.S. military policy fuels the fire of a grisly and explosive situation and contributes to the systematic violation of human rights.

Although our government says that its funds are to be used in the drug war, Colombian and U.S. activists have testified on numerous occasions that it is impossible to prevent them being used in the internal war which has been going on in Colombia for some thirty years. The United States should not be involved in escalating this internal struggle.

The American Friends Service Committee is also writing to President Pastrana requesting that there be a full investigation into the murders. We are requesting that the Colombian government name the Human Rights Unit of the Fiscalia to be the coordinating body for the investigation. Additionally we are requesting that the U.S. and Colombian governments cooperate with this investigation and any investigations carried out by international human rights organizations.

These three murders follow upon the murders of 26 Colombian human rights workers since May 1997 and the 3,000 to 4,000 Colombians, mostly civilians, killed as a result of political violence each year. In a national referendum in October 1997, Colombian civil society expressed a clear mandate for peace. We ask you to assure that our government's policy in the region contributes to building that peace.

We believe that the United States government can make a positive contribution in Colombia. We urge you to · reassign the funds currently assigned for military and police aid to development and mediation. · support a negotiated solution to the internal war, · support in non violent ways the reconstruction of the society, · support development projects where the beneficiaries participate in the formulation of the projects.

Additionally, we urge you to seek out, support and cooperate with the numerous efforts of Colombian and international non governmental organizations in their work to end the violence and build a more just and peaceful society.

Sincerely,

Kara L. Newell
Executive Director

cc. President Andrés Pastrana, Republic of Colombia
U.S. State Department - Colombia Desk

16 de marzo de 1999

Sr. Presidente Andrés Pastrana
República de Colombia
Palacio de Nariño
Santafé de Bogotá
Colombia

Distinguido Sr. Presidente Pastrana:

Los asesinatos de Ingrid Washinawatok, Lahe’ena’e Gay y Terence Freitas en el área fronteriza de Colombia-Venezuela el pasado 5 de marzo de 1999 nos han causado una tristeza profunda. Por muchos años, Ingrid contribuyó al trabajo del Comité de Servicio de los Amigos (AFSC) como voluntaria, especialmente en el trabajo con pueblos de indígenas nativo-americanos. Por esta razón esos asesinatos nos conmueven aún más en un sentido personal.

Aplaudimos sus esfuerzos anteriores para dar inicio a negociaciones de paz. Le exhortamos a que no siga escatimando esfuerzos para alejar a su pueblo de la violencia. Estos tres crímenes siguen a los asesinatos de 26 trabajadores colombianos de derechos humanos desde mayo de 1997, y a los 3,000 a 4,000 colombianos, en su mayoría civiles, asesinados cada año a raíz de la violencia política.

Le exhortamos a que asegure que se lleve a cabo una investigación completa de los tres asesinatos por medio de organizaciones independientes de derechos humanos. Respetuosamente le sugerimos que nombre a la Unidad de Derechos Humanos de la Fiscalía como la entidad coordinadora para la investigación que se conduzca en Colombia, y que el gobierno colombiano extienda su cooperación completa a las organizaciones independientes de derechos humanos.

También hemos escrito a nuestro presidente para pedir que nuestro gobierno coopere en compartir la información que tenga, y para apoyar a la petición de la Tribu Menominee aquí en los Estados Unidos para una investigación del Congreso de Estados Unidos sobre las acciones del Departamento de Estado en Colombia.

En resumen, le exhortamos a que persiga una política que verdaderamente apoye al proceso de paz y promueva las condiciones necesarias para las negociaciones, en vez de fomentar el conflicto armado con infusiones de asistencia militar. En un referéndum nacional en octubre de 1997, la sociedad civil colombiana expresó un claro deseo por la paz. Las organizaciones colombianas de derechos humanos recalcan que las violaciones a los derechos humanos y la impunidad representan obstáculos para la paz. Esperamos que las acciones tomadas alrededor de este crimen puedan fortalecer un respeto más amplio de los derechos humanos y un fin a la impunidad, factores ambos que son absolutamente imprescindibles para el proceso de paz en Colombia.

Sinceramente

Kara Newell Directora Ejecutiva

cc. Presidente William Clinton

March 8, 1999

The unwarranted murders of Ingrid Washinawatok, Menominee humanitarian, Lahe'ena'e Gay, Hawaiian-Mohawk activist, and Terence Freitas, ally to indigenous peoples and biologist, by terrorists in Colombia, South America on March 5,1999 have left the indigenous peoples of the Americas stunned with grief.

While on a human rights mission to the U'wa Indian people, armed men kidnapped the three activists on February 25, 1999 and held them captive until their heinous executions. The North Americans had just completed an assessment of how to help the U'wa, whose territory is threatened by Occidental Oil and increasing militarization.

The victims were found bound, hooded, and riddled with bullets on the Venezuelan border. This incident marks the precedent of North American indigenous people being rnurdered while assisting Indians in South America.

LISN demands a full investigation into these murders, apprehension of the perpetrators, and prosecution of all responsible parties to the fullest extent of Colombian, United States, international and indigenous law.

We, the millions of indigenous peoples of the Americas will not rest or relent in our quest for justice. The days of murdering Native Americans and our allies are over and will never be tolerated again in the international family of humanity.

Whether these incidents occurred in modern cities, small communities or in isolated areas anywhere in this hemisphere - wherever our Creator placed us at the beginning of time - we work to protect our people and allies. A new millenium is about to begin and the indigenous American philosophy of many nations, but one people binds us together as a separate, distinct people.

Chief Billy Redwing Tayac
March 6, 1999

!!!!!Alert!!!!!

Please write, fax or e-mail to any of the following, to express your opinions and/or feelings about the tragic loss of these three human rights activists:

Here's the short list, with all related information listed immediately below:

(1) Embassy of Colombia
(2) Secretary of State --- U.S. Department of State
(3) State Department Foreign Post in Bogota (phone # only)
(4) U.S. Ambassador to Colombia
(5) Colombian Foreign Consular Offices, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
(6) Colombia: President, Vice President, Legislative Branch, House
of Representatives, Judiciary Branch and other Ministries
(7) U.S. House Committee on International Relations
(8) Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Phone: 202-224-5042
Fax: 202-224-0139
E-mail: senator@biden.senate.gov http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/

Back to Hostage deaths and funeral arrangements

Return to IEN Subject Page

Return to IEN Notices Page