AN APPEAL

From: Women and Mining <rimmrights@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Subject: An appeal
To: Rafael.CorreaDelgado@presidencia.gov.ec, presidencia@presidencia.gov.ec, presidencia@asambleaconstituyente.gov.ec, ecuadorsolidarity@gmail.com

Dear HE The President,
The Ecuador Solidarity Network, an organization based in Canada and the United States, is joining human rights and indigenous peoples organizations in calling on President Rafael Correa to respect human rights during nation wide protests against large-scale mining that will begin on Monday January 19th. The protests will spread from the Amazon and reach Quito, Ecuador's capital, on January 20th.

Anti-mining protests earlier this month were met with police violence in the Southern provinces of Azuay, Loja, Zamora Chinchipe and Morona Santiago. A number of activists were beaten and detained, and one leader was critically injured after being shot in the head.

The Ecuador Solidarity Network, an organization based in Canada and the United States, is joining human rights and indigenous peoples organizations in calling on President Rafael Correa to respect human rights during nation wide protests against large-scale mining that will begin on Monday January 19th. The protests will spread from the Amazon and reach Quito, Ecuador's capital, on January 20th.

Anti-mining protests earlier this month were met with police violence in the Southern provinces of Azuay, Loja, Zamora Chinchipe and Morona Santiago. A number of activists were beaten and detained, and one leader was critically injured after being shot in the head.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and a number of farmer and environmental organizations are protesting the recent approval of a mining law by Congress, opening the country to large-scale metal mining. The CONAIE emphasizes that the demonstrations will be peaceful and calls on President Correa to not use police or military forces against protesters.

We make this request that the government take preventative action to ensure that protesters' human rights are respected.

We also denounce any attempt by right-wing organizations in the U.S. or Canada to opportunistically use the upcoming mobilizations to attack President Correa for motives that have nothing to do with indigenous rights or environmental protection.
We request the Ecuadorian Government to Protect Human Rights During Upcoming Anti-Mining Demonstrations .

In solidarity
RIMM(International Women and Mining Network)