HONDURAS: Native People on Hunger Strike in Costa Rican Embassy

By Thelma Mejía Reprint | | Print |

Thelma Mejia

TEGUCIGALPA, Jul 30 1997 (IPS) - The 16 Honduran indigenous people seeking political asylum in the Costa Rican embassy here went on hunger strike Wednesday when their request was turned down.

Their action formed part of the Lenca and Chorti peoples’ efforts to pressurise the Honduran government, demanding they hand over land offered in May and protect security in for asylum as the indians claimed they had been iand been robbed of their lands in Copan, Ocotepeque and Intibuca – three western areas with high poverty indices.

Costa Rica’s foreign ministry said Tuesday i leader, Nohemy Aranda said her group had received Costa Rica’s rejection “with sadness, because we are really being persecuted and now fear even more for our lives.”

“We put our lives and hopes in the hands ofChorti peoples, said Aranda.

Meanwhile, human rights and religious groups carefully.

At the same time, the Catholic oGuarantors, a group designated by the government and indigenous people to supervise the fulfilment of mises to provide land to the indigenous peoples nor was it protecting their security.

One member of the Council told IPS the LencaThey are in a delicate situation, and we must be careful (the ethnic) movement does not lose sight of its goalsmised to give the Lenca and Chorti people some 11,000 hectares of land, but has not done soent commitment and call for political asylum in Costa Rica.

There are seven different indigenous groups south and west of Honduras.