And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >Wed, 25 Aug 1999 21:38:18 -0400 (EDT) >Reply-To: "Mexico Solidarity Network" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "Mexico Solidarity Network" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Urgent Action on Chiapas > >To: US Civil Society >From: Mexico Solidarity Network >Re: Request for urgent action regarding recent events in Chiapas > >Over the past two weeks there has been an alarming increase in >militarization and a near state of siege in indigenous communities in >Chiapas, Mexico. The following letter, signed by thirteen non-governmental >organizations in Chiapas, requests our urgent assistance. The situation is >critical and appears to be deteriorating. Following the letter is a set of >recommended actions. Please act today. > > >To national and international civil society >To national and international human rights organizations > >Since August 14, the Mexican army has sent 10,000 soldiers into new camps i= n >the Lacandon Jungle. For the first time since 1994, the army has penetrated >the Montes Azules biosphere where the general command of the EZLN is >presumed to live. Approximately thirty communities in the region are in a >virtual state of siege. Army troops attacked the inhabitants of Amador >Hernandez in the municipality of Ocosingo with US-made tear gas, wounding >several indigenous men and women. Access to the community has been >obstructed, even for the people who live there. The army has taken >possession of lands near the community and has surrounded them with barbed >wire. The community is being terrorized by constant airplane and helicopter >flights over the area and by the presence of Public Security forces. > >On Thursday August 19, PRI supporters from Taniperlas detained three member= s >of the Fray Bartolom=E9 Human Rights Center, who were on their way to >investigate the arbitrary detention of three people from the community Viej= o >Velasco. One of the community members, Pedro G=F3mez Aguilar, has been miss= ing >since July 23. The PRI supporters detained the human rights workers for two >hours, threatening them and repeating xenophobic rhetoric such as "you are >foreigners and are coming to impede the progress of this area," even though >the detainees were all Mexican. The PRI members also told the human rights >workers that only the Ocosingo municipal authorities could give permission >to travel through that area, and if they tried to enter again without >authorization they would have to pay the consequences. Finally, the PRI >supporters gave them half an hour to leave, threatening that if they did >not, members of the community would burn their vehicle. > >On August 21, a Mexican doctor and two foreign human rights observers were >brutally beaten by a group of PRI supporters who were blocking the road >immediately after a military checkpoint in the community of Vicente >Guerrero, municipality of Las Margaritas. The PRI supporters sexually >assaulted the female doctor. So far, no authority has responded to the >formal complaints filed. > >The substitute governor of Chiapas, Roberto Albores Guillen, has mounted >xenophobic campaign. In an unprecedented act, the xenophobia has even been >directed at Mexican citizens, as in the aforementioned cases. Officials hav= e >also threatened to expel from Chiapas Mexican actress Ofelia Medina, who is >known for her strong work around human rights abuses. The National Institut= e >of Immigration has increased its presence at checkpoints on the roads to >indigenous communities and is expelling many foreigners using the so-called >"definitive departure order." It is also worrisome that this week >Immigration agents have been visiting hotels in San Cristobal, searching fo= r >names and room numbers of tourists in order to give them citations. > >Army troops have, on many occasions, violated the Mexican Constitution. >Examples include violations of the right to free transit, free expression >and article 129, which states: "In peace-time, no military authority can >carry out functions other than those that have a direct connection to >military discipline. There will only be permanent and fixed military >commanders in the bases, forts, and military warehouses that are directly >dependent on the federal government or in the camps, barracks, and deposits >that are established, outside of population centers, to station troops." Th= e >army is also violating its own Military Justice Code. No sanctions have bee= n >applied by Executive, >Legislative or Judicial authorities and no one has been prosecuted for thes= e >violations. In fact, these government officials have been co-participants i= n >the unconstitutional operations, maintaining a climate of terror in >indigenous communities. At the same time, the state government is agitating >PRI militants from indigenous communities to block roads and prevent >national and international observation in areas where the most grave >injustices have occurred, so no witnesses can attest to these human rights >violations. > >We respectfully and urgently call for visitors, observers or accompaniers >for the above-mentioned indigenous communities, in order to restrain the >repressive actions orchestrated by the federal government and carried out b= y >the state government and members of the Mexican National Army. > >Experience and history confirm that the presence of observers, both nationa= l >and international, help to prevent massacres and repression. Moreover, >individuals have the right to carry out human rights observation under the >UN Convention on Human Rights, which has been signed by Mexico. > >Sincerely, >CIEPAC, A.C; Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolome de las Casas; SOS >Chiapas; Red de Derechos Humanos Todos los Derechos para Todos; Comisi=F3n >Mexicana para la Defensa y Promoci=F3n de Derechos Humanos; Centro de Derec= hos >Humanos Miguel Agust=EDn Pro Ju=E1rez; Enlance Civil; Kinal Antzetik; Bolet= in >Resistencia; Junax; Formacion y Capacitacion, A.C.; Coordinadores Regionale= s >de los Altos, Costa y Soconusco; Centro; Frontera Sur y Norte por la >Consulta en Chiapas; > > >Demands: >1) Respect the demands of the indigenous communities by demilitarizing the >state of Chiapas. > >2) Implement the San Andres peace accords. > > >Actions suggested by the Mexico Solidarity Network > >1) Call your Representatives. Inform them of the current crisis in Chiapas >and the possibility of open warfare. >a) Ask them to call the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC, (Tel: >202-728-0694) and the State Department (202-647-8113) to register their >concerns. >b) Ask them to travel to Chiapas (or send an aide) with an emergency >Congressional delegation that is being organized by the Mexico Solidarity >Network (Tel: 773-583-7728 or 415-255-7296). >c) Ask them to sponsor a "Dear Colleague" letter to inform other members of >Congress about the situation. (A sample "Dear Colleague" letter is availabl= e >from the Mexico Solidarity Network, [EMAIL PROTECTED]) > >2) Call the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC, the Mexican Consulate neares= t >you and the State Department with the demands listed above. > >3) Organize an educational/fundraising event in your community to inform >your community about current events in Chiapas and to raise funds for the >indigenous communities that are struggling against dramatically increased >government repression. (Contact the Mexico Solidarity Network for >materials.) >For more information, please contact the Mexico Solidarity Network at >773-583-7728 or Global Exchange at 415-255-7296 ext. 236 or 239 > Information Transferred Via: NATIVE FOREST NETWORK Eastern North American Resource Center POB 57, Burlington, VT 05402 USA (802)863-0571 FAX: (802)864-8203 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.nativeforest.org
