CORRECTION:Indigenous Released, Abused in Detention/230 indigenous-Garifuna pursued in the mountains

[magbana]

Update on COPINH--correction
Posted by: "Greg McDonald" [e-mail] gregiww
Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:57 am (PDT)

CORRECTION
The group of COPINH being pursued in the mountains numbers 230
people, not 30. They are also accompanied by members of the Afro-
Caribe Garifuna group OFRANEH.

<http://resistenciamorazan.blogspot.com/>

domingo 26 de julio de 2009
URGENTE - 230 compañeros del COPINH y de OFRANEH estan siendo
perseguidos por el ejercito en la montaña intentando llegar a Las Manos
Nuestros compañeros indigenas y garifunas se encuentran en la montaña
intentando llegar al puesto fronterizo de Las Manos, entre los
compañeros se encuentran Miryam Miranda, Bertha Caceres, Salvador
Zuñiga y Alfredo Lopez.

Se ha perdido el contacto con ellos, y la ultimá vez que supimos de
ellos fue hace 6 horas, cuando denunciaban estar perseguidos por el
ejercito.

From: Greg McDonald <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Date: Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:13 am
Subject: Honduras: Update on the COPINH Detainees and more

Update on the COPINH detainees. Indeed, all of the people have been
released. They were detained while trekking through the woods to meet
president Zelaya at the border, in violation of the 24 hour curfew
which is now in effect. They were captured by members of the honduran
military who were wearing ski masks to prevent identification.

I just listened to one of the women denouncing their treatment while
in jail. She spoke on the Radioglobo station broadcasting from
Tegucigalpa. They were 24 women and 26 men, held in two closed,
dirty and dark cells at the police station in Danli. They were
insulted by the military, who called them "dirty indians". Two
soldiers came in and stripped this one woman and wanted their way
with her, and she refused and fought back. In retribution for her
refusal, they took her husband's keys to the car and destroyed the
brakes, surely with the hope that they would have a wreck after their
release. She denounced this on the air and knows she is now in
danger. She certainly is a very brave woman. Apparently some others
were beaten as well, but not the minors or the elders.

Unfortunately, the 3,000 citizens who have mobilized to greet
president Zelaya at the border are caught between two military
cordons, and are under a 24 hour state of siege. The military is not
allowing food, water, or medical aid in. One woman in a jeep with
supplies tried to get in 4 different times, and was stopped each time
by hooded men with shotguns. This is now two days the people are
suffering under an involuntary hunger strike.

The situation is indeed dire. Other reports from the radio globo
confirm that in spite of the attempts by caravans to get through the
military cordon with food, water, and medical aid, they are not being
allowed entry.

The announcer on radio globo described it as an open air
concentration camp.

A man on air now is stating that people should not try to go through
the mountain passes, because there are armed men there wearing ski
masks in hiding and they are capturing and/or killing people. This
is, of course, unconfirmed, but strikes me as true, given everything
else that is occurring. These are the paramilitaries, the death
squads. Another man is now confirming this information on the air. A
third report is now stating that a group of 30 people in the
mountains have been pursued by military columns. No further
information was given. No one knows of their current whereabouts.

Another woman confirms that women are indeed being captured and
raped by armed men wearing ski masks.

A civilian truck has been filmed, filled with "Cobra" battalion
military personnel, intimidating the people caught in the cordon with
their weapons. These are special forces trained especially in
counterinsurgency by the US military.

We are witnessing a humanitarian crisis on top of massive military
repression. A very large caravan will shortly attempt to get through.

The announcer is asking the civilian population to take up the
slogan: "Soldiers, do not kill your own people".

That's about all I can take for the time being. I'm heading out for
my daily swim.

More later.
Greg McD

=========================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un Paraíso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

[Judi Lynn]

1. Yesterday watching Telesur online, I saw the cameras trained on several men wearing camoflauge,

two of those men were wearing black ski masks. It had a very strange appearance, as you instantly understand that since they are not otherwise dressed for cold weather, they are wearing these masks to avoid being recognized.

Those two men were truly bulked up, like men who routinely use weights. They moved in a sinister fashion, looking as if they really intend to intimidate. They swaggered, holding their beefy arms out. I felt their mannerisms, posture revealed them as American Blutos, and felt sick, wondering what the hell American mercenaries are doing there.

I have a feeling we will eventually learn some of the people behind those masks are American criminals, like Black Water bastards.

[magbana]

2. I bet you are right, Judi Lynn! Maybe these guys are fresh from

Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo itching to crack heads.