An organisation that supports the revolution and defends the Miskito people year, a new Miskito organization was founded in
July of last
In
Nicaragua, the MISATAN, which seeks to solve the problem of autonomy and of those who lack title to the land they work, through negotiations with the government.
MISATAN's secretary
Oscar P
Hodgson, toured West Germany in January of this year. After a forum of the
Nicaragua Committee in Hamburg, he gave the following interview to
Was Tun, the paper of the German section of the Fourth International.oc
Question. Can you tell us something about yourself and your political func-
Answer. I come from Waspam on the
At the time of the victory of the revolution, I was a student. I realized then that there was a need for work on
So, I decided to do work there in the Ministry of Health. As a representative of the Indian communities, I began working for the FSLN.
Then, as a representative of the eastern regions, I entered the government and started working on the problems of the
Miskitos. The obvious question is why I specifically represent the Miskitos now.
The reason is that the Indian communities on the Atlantic Coast elected me as their representative in an assembly, because they saw me as some one really defended the interests of the
So, at the moment I am
MISATAN's secretary for international
As an organization, we take a critical attitude to the government, but we also defend the revolution, we defend the native people, we defend rights of the everything that leads to the extension of
Why did you form a new Miskito organization, and who took the initiative in this process?
The initiative came from the Miskitos in Nicaragua.
Miskitos live in Nicaragua and they have to face a lot of problems, the war and the fact that they are now living away from their home territory, in the interior of contras continue aggression against Nicaragua. • for international relations,
We also believe that this organization had to be founded at the demand of the Miskito people in order to solve the problems of health, education and the land.
So, on July 22, 1984, at an assembly of 63 Indian communities from Zelaya Norte the organization was set up. Its primary demand was to reunite the Mis-
You have to understand that we Miskitos are now split up. There are 18,000 Miskitos in Honduras and 3,000 in Costa Rica. That is a problem for our people, and we think that it is one of the first things that has to be solved. So, at the moment it is also an important part of our work to publicize this problem internationally and bring pressure on the government of Honduras and its armed forces to make it possible for those Miskitos who so wish to return
Another task of our organization today is to press the demand that our government give us title to our tribal lands. Another difficulty here is that these lands are not suited to agricultural production. But there are some minerals, and we are conditions for exploiting them in accordance with a policy corresponding to the needs of the native people.
So, the organization is concerned to an extent with the land and with a plan for autonomy, a project for a general settlement of the Atlantic Coast question. By a "general" solution, I mean that the Atlantic Coast is not inhabited only by native people but also by Creoles and Latinos, who have their own special problems. In order to come up with a thorit should be said that MISATAN is really trying to fight for the interests of all Miskitos, and by that I mean the interests also of the Miskitos in Honduras, Costa Rica, and the interior of Nicaragua. Naturally, there are also other organizations - MISURA and MISURASATA
We support MISURASATA's dialogue with the government, because we think that the reuniting of our families is the most important thing, and that autonomy on their lands is the right of all Miskitos.
Q. But both these organizations remain in arms.
A. They have gotten these arms from the US government and with them they have in fact murdered their Miskito brothers and sisters in Nicaragua. It is not in our interests for our brothers and sisters to kill each other. Above all, we condemn the US government that has given arms to MISURA and MISURASATA, and we think that this has to be stopped. We are against the proposal for the US government to give money to carry on the war. We say strongly that that will lead to more bloodshed, more sorrow and tears for the people of Nicaragua and most of all for the Miskitos. We are against the behavior of the people who are following Reagan's policy.
Q. Before, you talked about the need for creating a climate of peace, and you also mentioned the amnesty that was declared by the government. What is the significance of this for the Miskitos?
A. We would have to see a climate of peace created for all Miskitos. In this respect, the amnesty decree meant that people who were outside the country fighting against the government got the possibility to return to Nicaragua, and we got the opportunity to work together with them to find a solution.
The national amnesty also gives us the possibility to concentrate, along with those returning, on solving the problem inside the country. War forced on us from outside means death for our brothers and sisters. Because of the amnesty, people who have a political position can return to the country and discuss with all the people of Nicaragua and the people of the Atlantic Coast how best to solve the problems of the country.
This is also a chance to bring all these people closer to the revolution.
International Viewpoint 15 July 1985