Amnesty International Calls on Government to Rein in Police

Michelle Bachelet was elected President of Chile in 2006, the first woman to hold that post. With her election the long protracted transition to full democracy ended. As she became president, Bachelet invited citizens to become active in their affairs; she said her government would listen to the people. The country's social forces were empowered and began making long postponed demands.

A major demand was the education system, left broken during the military dictatorship; despite the efforts of the democratic governments which pumped millions of dollars into the education system bad outcomes remained.

Students see that their future depends on the quality of education. So they took to the streets just three months into the Bachelet administration in 2006, abruptly ending the honeymoon.

The government ordered police to reign in demonstrators and restore order on the streets.

Now into the third year of the Bachelet government, human rights observers say police heavy handedness and undue force is normal police reaction to peaceful protests.

In early April, the Chile chapter of Amnesty International, they wrote the Interior Minister demanding an end to what they called the police repression of public demonstrations.



Sergio Laurenti, Amnesty International's Chile chapter director, says the serious repression of students in the past year and other activist has prompted us to present a letter to the home minister to discuss openly what's the purpose of this increase brutality that is observe in the police force."

"The most recent and serious situation happened when a group of women were protesting in favour of the distribution of the day after pill, were gravely repressed with the use of addition…extra force and water contaminated with water contaminated with chemical materials."

Laurenti says Amnesty International has not received a response from the Interior Minister.

But the Minister says he has not seen the letter and invited Amnesty International to send the letter again, adding he would gladly meet with them.

Felipe Harboe the Undersecretary of Interior, responsible for police and security, also admitted not seeing the letter and could not comment.

But when he was asked about the repression of demonstrations, and in particular about a severe eye injury sustained by a photojournalist for the Spanish news agency EFE, who was struck by a metal whip wielded by mounted police officer at a recent demonstration.

Harboe says "that a basic democratic principle is the right of the press to work freely. What happens at times is that when there is a free-for-all unfortunately clashes happen that involve journalists, like the grave episode of the photojournalist."

Harboe says "there is not a predetermined police attitude to repress demonstrations and journalists." But he qualifies that some protesters carry video and photo cameras.

Marcial Campos, the President of the Foreign Journalists Association, agrees with Amnesty International. He says journalists are concerned and that police heavy handedness has increased with the Bachelet Government.

"Repression is heavier in this government," Campos says. "I don't know what is behind it or the authorities are trying to protect. I don't know what is their idea, perhaps they think if more police are on the streets there will be less problems."

"They are wrong. People should be allowed to demonstrate, I have covered demonstrations and many times people are provoked. People march in peace but are provoked."

Campos cites the use of the water cannon and the so-called skunk, a jeep that spews tear gas to disperse demonstrators

The government maintains police will ensure public order as a democratic victory and will not allow public disorder, because maintaining public order is the only way to protect democracy.

But Campos says in a democratic society people should be allowed to protest peacefully without fearing police repression for exercising their right to assembly and free speech.