Mapuche girl seeks political asylum in Switzerland

Ten-year-old Relmutray Cadin Calfunao has been arrested and interrogated by Chile’s Carabinero uniformed police force. She barely survived a mysterious arson attack on her house in 2005 and has repeatedly seen police beat her parents and brothers. With most of their family in prison and to avoid further psychological damage to their youngest member, the Calfunaos decided to send Relmutray away to Geneva, Switzerland, where they say she will have the opportunity to regain a lost childhood. Relmutray is now appealing to the Swiss government for political asylum.

While Chile’s government insists there is no need for any Chilean to seek political refuge, the Calfunao family argues that through their struggle to protect their ancestral land in Chile’s Region IX – also known as the Aruacanía or Wallmapu – family members have been subject to constant police persecution, unjustified prison sentences, and torture.

“There is ample evidence indicating that since her birth, Relmutray has lived in an environment of relentless police tension and harassment,” reads a document that the Mapuche International Link (MIL) submitted to the United Nations on September 16. “She has witnessed police brutality against her parents and her community as well as personally suffering inhumane, cruel, and degrading treatment.”

On Sept. 9, Relmutray left the indigenous Mapuche community Juan Paillalef, where she grew up with her family and 14 other families, just east of Region IX’s capital, Temuco. Relmutray’s aunt, Flor Rayen, who has lived in Geneva since 1996 and does research for the United Nations' human and indigenous rights commission, returned to Chile to accompany her niece on the long journey to Europe. And during the first week of October, Flor and MIL submitted the petition for Relmutray’s political asylum to the Swiss government.

While living in Chile, Relmutray would cry every day and have constant nightmares. “Her mental state seemed to be deteriorating,” said Remultray’s sister, Carolina Calfunao (20), who is the only family member never to have been incarcerated, although she must register once a month at the district attorney’s office and is prohibited from leaving the country because of her family affiliation.

Carolina receives regular calls from Geneva in which Relmutray tells her about her new home. “She is taking swimming lessons, ice skating, and learning a new language with her classmates,” said Carolina. “She is doing all these things that she couldn’t do when she was here. Of course she’s sad to be so far away from us, but she now has the chance to live like a normal child. And, thanks to Aunt Flor, at least she is still with family.”

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