Up to 100 dead in Amazon clashes: activist

[struggle4progress]

By News Online's Amy Simmons
Posted June 8, 2009 16:39:00
Updated June 8, 2009 16:59:00
Peru's Indigenous hold press conference

Up to 100 Amazon natives have been killed after Friday's military crackdown on protesters in Peru and the situation is expected to worsen, says a Canadian Indigenous rights activist.

Twenty-two-year-old Ben Powless is working alongside Peru's national organisation of Amazon Indigenous people, AIDESEP, and fears more lives will be lost, with the government now labelling protesters as "terrorists" ...

He says Friday and Saturday's deadly conflicts appear to have settled down, but more unrest is expected on Thursday when a national strike, called for by Indigenous organisations and unions, will be carried out.

"Today what we've been told is that some Indigenous groups have taken over one of the oil refineries as well as one of the airports in one of the regions," he said ...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/08/2592391.htm?section=world