12 Jan 2011

Rapa Nui group wants special Chile police to leave

7:47 am on 12 January 2011

A group of about 40 Rapa Nui people has held a march on Easter Island to demand the withdrawal of the special police contingent sent from the Chilean mainland.

The force was sent to the island to help end occupations of public buildings by Rapa Nui who claim they are on ancestral land.

The head of the self-proclaimed Rapa Nui parliament, Leviante Araki, has told Chile's Bio Bio Radio that the demonstration is to call for an end to the policy of violence against the people of Rapa Nui.

He says such marches will continue to be held once or twice a week.