Chilean Troops open fire as Rapa Nui (Easter Island) land conflict escalates

[Stacey King]

ABC RADIO PACIFIC BEAT Updated December 7, 2010 09:28:59

An excellent radio interveiw with our good friend Prof Grant McCall who is an expert on Easter Island. He is talking from Suva, Fiji regarding the Escalating Fight on Rapa Nui (EASTER ISLAND) by Chilean troops over traditional land. Grant will be arriving on Rabi this weekend for 15 Celelbrations.

Armed Chilean troops have opened fire on unarmed civilians on the island of Rapa Nui during conflict over land rights.

The Chilean government annexed the island which lies about three thousand miles off its coast, more than a century ago.

Hawaii Public Radio's Kayla Rosenfeld spoke to cameraman Santi Hitorangi who was filming the violence, when he was shot, along with dozens of other people. He has since told Pacific Beat that he has gone into hiding.

Grant McCall is an anthropologist from the University of New South Wales in Australia who lived on Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, for seven years.

He gave Pacific Beat some insight into the political situation and the reasons behind the violence on Rapa Nui.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Grant McCall, anthropologist, University of New South Wales

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Grant has also sent us a link with photographs of all the Rapa Nui people shot during the violent attachs

http://prontus.diariosregionales.cl/prontus_multimedia/site/artic/2...