Public Note #45 – On the disappearance of a Brazilian Indigenous expert and a British journalist in the Vale do Rio Javari Indigenous Land (state of Amazonas)

The Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for the Defense of Human Rights – the Arns Commission – has been following with great concern the disappearance of Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Philips, in the Indigenous Territory of Vale do Javari (Amazonas state), in conditions that have so far not yet been clarified. The exceptionality of the situation and the worsening risk to the lives of these respected professionals demand that the Brazilian State adopt, with the utmost urgency, all necessary measures to locate the disappeared, such as

(a) intensification of the searches, in an agile and efficient manner;

(b) faithful and accurate compliance with the decision of the 1st Civil Court of the Amazonas Federal Court, which requested the use of all necessary means for the success of the operations, determining that the Federal Government has neglected its duties to protect Indigenous peoples and oversee their threatened lands;

(c) personal engagement of Mr. General Achilles Furlan, Military Commander of the Amazon, so that he continues in the high command of the rescue operations, being accountable to the families, the Indigenous peoples, the Brazilian citizenry, and international public opinion;

(d) a deep and thorough investigation of the facts, as well as their possible connection to crimes committed by criminal organizations, in that border region inhabited by isolated and particularly vulnerable Indigenous peoples.

The Arns Commission emphasizes that the disappearance took place in an abnormal context, which has worsened in recent years with the lack of protection of Indigenous lands, the dismantling of environmental control bodies, the reduction in inspections of predatory activities, deep-rooted lack of public security, and the promotion of hatred against Indigenous people, FUNAI employees, IBAMA technicians, and professional journalists.

This sorrowful event underscores the need to protect Indigenous peoples and their lands, as Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips have always sought to do in their professional lives, which are worthy of respect and admiration. To the families of both, we convey our solidarity, in this moment of shared grief. May they soon be found ALIVE.

São Paulo, June 9th, 2022

JOSÉ CARLOS DIAS

President of the Arns Commission