On 20 January, the dispute over land rights peaked in a violent move by the police. 120 federal policemen, acting on the initiative of Aracruz, destroyed the Indian villages Corrego do Ouro and Olho de Agua in Espirito Santo. They fired rubber projectiles at the Indians and hounded the fleeing people from helicopters. More than a dozen people were injured.
Representatives of the Green Desert Movement from Brazil has confronted P&G with photos of the brutal attacks; they show Indians with bleeding gunshot wounds and policemen in helicopters aiming their rifles at the people who are fleeing. Three P&G representatives participated in the meeting in Frankfurt am Main, including George Carpenter, P&G Environmental Director from the USA. It was revealed during the meeting that P&G, according to its own information, has not once met with the affected Indians or the relevant NGOs in Brazil.
"Procter & Gamble continues to buy its cellulose in Brazil as if nothing had happened. The international corporation denies any share of responsibility for the conflict. But the suffering of many people in Brazil is a part of every Tempo tissue. When the consumers learn about that, many of them will leave these products on the shelves," says Peter Gerhardt, rain forest specialist at ROBIN WOOD. 
This recent action by the police was intended to break the resistance of the Tupinikim and Guarani against Aracruz Celulose. They are fighting to regain 11,000 hectares of land which Aracruz has not returned to them although the Brazilian Indian agency FUNAI recognized this area as indigenous territory as far back as 1998. Aracruz drove the Indians away from this territory during the Brazilian military dictatorship so that a eucalyptus monoculture for cellulose could be planted. An end to the conflicts is not in sight. The Indians have in the meantime returned to their destroyed villages and have begun rebuilding.
For those mastering the German language, you can also click on the banner below for more info:
(The others can do so as well, but they won't understand much.)
Do you bother, that you support such shit each time when you blow your nose with a Tempo or wipe your ass with Charmin?
Our society is seriously sick.
a few P&G products
To read about P&G animal testings check out this entry.
~peace~
