VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #1092 1431359
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231359Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9201
INFO RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0051
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0131
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 1031
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 4566
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA PRIORITY 0224
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0501
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0480
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0177

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 001092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2016 
TAGS: PHUM PREL AU NZ CI
SUBJECT: CHILE: TRIPARTATE DEMARCHE ON DECLARATION ON THE 
RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 
 
REF: STATE 78740 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Emi Yamauchi for reasons 1.4(b) 
and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: On May 18, Deputy Chief of Mission and the 
Ambassadors of New Zealand and Australia delivered reftel 
demarche and background papers to Amira Esquivel, Director of 
Human Rights for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Esquivel 
said the GOC shared our concerns about approving such a 
global document without consensus.  Chile is also concerned 
about provisions for self-determination and property rights, 
but given domestic and international pressure regarding 
indigenous rights in Chile it will be difficult for the GOC 
to oppose the DRIP should it come to a vote in the UN General 
Assembly.  While commenting that GRULAC consensus was not as 
firm as reported, Esquivel said Mexico, Guatemala and Peru's 
support for DRIP complicated Chile's position.  Esquivel said 
the best outcome would be to extend the working group for an 
additional year to allow further discussion of the final text 
of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (DRIP). 
  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Ambassador Fyfe led the demarche.  Esquivel, who was 
accompanied by the MFA's specialist on indigenous issues, 
Virginia Barahona, said Chile shared concerns about the DRIP 
text and how it had been disseminated, but noted Chile faced 
considerable international and domestic pressure on 
indigenous rights issues.  (Note:  International media and 
human rights groups are following the story of four 
indigenous activists who are on a hunger strike protesting 
their convictions under an anti-terrorist statute.  End 
note.)  Further, last year's Chilean presidential candidate 
Aucan Huilcaman, an indigenous Mapuche leader, had expressed 
support for the text as it stands. 
 
¶3.  (C) Esquival noted the agenda for the June meeting of the 
Human Rights Council (HRC) had not been set, and hoped the 
text would not come to a vote there.  Barahona, who attended 
the GRULAC meeting at the 11th session of the Working Group 
on the DRIP, said while there had been no consensus, 
Guatemala, supported by Mexico and Peru, had pressed for 
introducing the text in Geneva.  She added that the Working 
Group Chairman had not been effective in building consensus 
during the group's final meeting, and it was not clear the 
DRIP would obtain a majority in the HRC.  Esquivel said the 
GOC had not issued instructions to its delegation in Geneva, 
since Chile was not on the HRC and therefor its ability to 
influence the outcome was limited.  Should the declaration 
come to a vote in the General Assembly, Esquivel said it 
would be difficult for Chile to oppose it. 
 
¶4.  (C) Esquivel said some countries with larger indigenous 
populations were not taking seriously concerns about the 
language on autonomy, reparations and property rights.  She 
supported further attempts to reach consensus rather than 
allow a vote on a divisive text.  As the meeting closed, she 
suggested a meeting with the director of the National Council 
on Indigenous Development (CONADI), who would also influence 
the GOC's final decision about whether to support the DRIP. 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment: As demonstrated by Esquivel's closing 
suggestion, the MFA Human Rights Department's influence is 
sometimes limited.  In the past, its recommendations 
occasionally have been trumped by decisions taken in the 
Multilateral Affairs Department.  At Post's urging, New 
Zealand's mission in Chile had initially requested a meeting 
with Deputy Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren to discuss 
the issue.  They were told he would not be available until 
the first week in June.  With reftel demarche delivered, New 
Zealand will continue to pursue a meeting with Van Klaveren 
as well as with the Director of CONADI.  Post will follow up 
on these approaches as joint efforts as per reftel. 
KELLY