'Civilization', 'progress', 'development', 'modernity'. . . These are all concepts and practices that have been used and abused to justify removing indigenous people from their land.
The reason? More often than not, it has been to access and exploit the natural resources on or under indigenous territory. These resources include gold, silver, rubber, oil, gas, timber, water etc.
But how do you remove people from their land if they refuse to go? Over the years, governments, companies and others, or those doing their dirty work, have found all kinds of ways:
- imprison them
- beat them
- torture them
- rape them
- hold them to gunpoint
- kill them
- bomb their homes
- destroy their crops
- poison their rivers
- spread diseases among them
And the latest? Or rather, the latest to attract the mainstream media's attention? Buzz them with light aircraft and spray pesticide.
That has just happened in Paraguay. The Ava Guarani have been sprayed with pesticide after refusing to leave their land - wanted by Brazilians to grow soya.
'An aeroplane arrived and sprayed directly above their homes with what are believed to be pesticides normally used on soya crops,' said Amnesty International.
According to reports, more than 200 people were affected: nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.
See this CNN story for more details: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/11/10/paraguay.pesticide.attack/index.html#cnnSTCText
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