Aracruz denunciated for racism and discrimination
Tupinikim present a Public Civil Action and a Criminial Action to the Federal Public Prosecution Service, against Aracruz Celulose for collective moral damage and violation of the right of using images
Yesterday, 9th of October, the Commission of Tupinikim and Guarani Chiefs and Leaders handed in a representation against the company Aracruz Celulose S.A. and its directors, applying the representative of the Federal Public Prosecution Service (MPF) in Espirito Santo, Dr. André Pimentel, to propose a Public Civil Action with the intention to compensate the moral damage and the improper use of the image of the Tupinikim-people on the site of the company (www.aracruz.com). They also applied a Criminal Action for the crime of prejudice and mockery of the indigenous culture and costumes.
Among the denunciations there is the fact that Aracruz had called these two peoples “alleged Indians” and having used a picture of one of the indigenous leaders to illustrate the thesis of “alleged Indians”, without authorization of the one being photographed. In one part of the representation the chiefs confirm: “Beside this picture, we can see several pictures on the side made inside our indigenous villages with prejudicial and racist phrases, referring to our way of live, housing and cultural traditions, without any type of authorization of the indigenous communities to spread these kind of things.” Therefore the action is about collective moral damage.
According to the Brazilian law (nr 6.001/73, art. 3, I, “An Indian is an individual with pre-colombian origin and ancestry who identified and has been identified belonging to an ethnic group with cultural characteristics distinguished to the national society.” Also Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), who threat about Indigenous Peoples and Tribes in independent countries, and which has been ratified by Brazil, mentions the instrument of ´self-identification´. Article 1, item 2 of this Convention says that who defines its identity, to belong or not belong to an indigenous people, is the community itself.
After having heard the indigenous leaders Dr. André of the MPF guaranteed that he would take the necessary measures, said the Commission.
The representation was signed by the Commission of Tupinikim and Guarani Chiefs and Leaders. Also the folder of the company spread around in the municipal and at schools, a copy of the internet pages of Aracraz Celulose and the pictures of the outdoors who are considered disrespectful for the indigenous peoples, were handed in to the MPF. In accordance with the Indians, some of the outdoors have been removed lately.
International solidarity – against the consume of Aracruz paper
In Germany the NGO RobinWood, who is supporting the fight of the Tupinikim and Guarani already for a long time, blocked yesterday, 9th of October, the entrance of the paper mill of the multinational Procter & Gamble in Neuss, a city in Germany. Procter & Gamble is one of the biggest buyers of the cellulose of Aracruz and with this raw material they make paper handkerchiefs of the brand Tempo, very well known all around Europe.
Today, 10th of October, Procter & Gamble will have its annual General Assembly in the United States of America, where the head office of the multinational is based.
