{"id":40315,"date":"2014-03-03T12:00:01","date_gmt":"2014-03-03T12:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=40315"},"modified":"2015-05-05T22:11:02","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T21:11:02","slug":"at-last-brazil-begins-long-awaited-operation-to-save-earths-most-threatened-tribe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2014\/03\/at-last-brazil-begins-long-awaited-operation-to-save-earths-most-threatened-tribe\/","title":{"rendered":"At Last! Brazil Begins Long-Awaited Operation to Save Earth\u2019s Most Threatened Tribe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"More<\/a>

More than six months after the Brazilian army moved in to tackle illegal logging outside the land of the Aw\u00e1, the Brazilian government has now started a major ground operation to evict illegal invaders from inside the Aw\u00e1’s land. \u00a9 Globo TV<\/p><\/div>\n

After months of campaigning by Survival International, Brazil\u2019s government has launched a major ground operation to evict illegal invaders from the land of the Aw\u00e1, Earth\u2019s most threatened tribe<\/a> .<\/p>\n

Soldiers, field workers from Brazil\u2019s indigenous affairs department FUNAI, Environment Ministry special agents and police officers are being dispatched to notify and remove the illegal settlers, ranchers and loggers<\/a> \u2013 many of whom are heavily armed \u2013\u00a0from the Aw\u00e1 indigenous territory in the North-Eastern Brazilian Amazon.\"brasil-awa-\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The operation comes at a crucial time as loggers are closing in on the tribe and more than 30% of the forest has already been destroyed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In June 2013 Brazil\u2019s military launched a ground operation against illegal logging<\/a> around the land of the Aw\u00e1. The forces closed down at least eight saw mills and confiscated and destroyed other machinery, but they did not remove the loggers and ranchers from inside the Indians\u2019 land.<\/p>\n

An Aw\u00e1 man told Survival, \u2018For a long time we\u2019ve been asking for the invaders to be removed\u2026 we don\u2019t want to see the loggers destroying our forest. We like to see the forest standing.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Army<\/a>

Army helicopters and trucks move in as part of the operation. \u00a9 Globo TV<\/p><\/div>\n

This break-through operation follows a high-profile campaign<\/a> by Survival International, which has been backed by celebrities such as Hollywood stars Colin Firth<\/a> and Gillian Anderson<\/a>, UK fashion designer Vivienne Westwood<\/a> and Brazilian photographer Sebasti\u00e3o Salgado<\/a>, who recently visited the tribe to document their plight.<\/p>\n

Salgado\u2019s images and the Aw\u00e1\u2019s shocking story reached millions of people worldwide<\/a> as they were featured in Vanity Fair, the Sunday Times and Brazilian news outlet O Globo.<\/p>\n

Since the launch of the campaign in April 2012, Survival\u2019s supporters have sent more than 55,000 letters<\/a> to Brazil\u2019s Minister of Justice, urging him to evict the invaders, and have spread the campaign\u2019s aw\u00e1icon logo<\/a> around the world\u2019s landmarks<\/a>, such as Brazil\u2019s Sugarloaf Mountain, South Africa\u2019s Table Mountain, San Francisco\u2019s Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.<\/p>\n

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Americas\u2019 leading human rights body, also demanded answers from the Brazilian government<\/a>, having received an urgent petition from Survival and Brazilian NGO CIMI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a result of the global campaign, the Aw\u00e1 were put at the top of FUNAI\u2019s priority list in April 2012, but it has taken the government until now to start evicting the illegal invaders, while more forest has been destroyed.<\/p>\n

The Aw\u00e1 are one of the last nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes in Brazil and depend entirely on the rainforest. They have been finding it increasingly difficult to find game and are scared to go hunting<\/a> for fear of encountering the armed loggers.<\/p>\n

Around 100 Aw\u00e1 are uncontacted<\/a> and are particularly vulnerable to attacks and the spread of diseases to which they have little immunity.<\/p>\n

Survival has welcomed the start of the evictions operation, and is now urging the Brazilian authorities to put in place a long-term solution to stop the invaders from returning, and to guarantee the safety of the 450-strong tribe.<\/p>\n

Survival\u2019s Director Stephen Corry said today, \u2018This is a momentous and potentially life-saving occasion for the Aw\u00e1. Their many thousands of supporters worldwide can be proud of the change they have helped the tribe bring about. But all eyes are now on Brazil to ensure it completes the operation before the World Cup kicks off in June, and protects Aw\u00e1 land once and for all.\u2019<\/p>\n

*******************************<\/p>\n

Note to editors:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

– Download a timeline of Survival\u2019s campaign to save the Aw\u00e1<\/a> (pdf, 92 kb)<\/i><\/p>\n

Act now to help the Aw\u00e1<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Your support is vital if the Aw\u00e1 are to survive. There are many ways you can help. <\/i><\/p>\n