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From: "Dana Aldea" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: ?iso-8859-1?Q?FrayBa,Urgent_Action_re_Cho'les-Tumbala',_Chiapas,O? ?iso-8859-1?Q?ct_11?Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 15:45:02 +0200 Human Rights Center Fray Bartolome' de Las Casas, A. C. San Cristo'bal de Las Casas, Chiapas, 11 de octubre de 2006 Urgent Action Risk of a possible confrontation between ranchers and Zapatista support bases in Cho'les-Tumbala', Municipality of Palenque, Chiapas. The Human rights Center Fray Bartolome' de Las Casa, denounced on August 11 2006, the forceful eviction on August 3rd of the same year of at least 53 persons, constituting 11 families of the community "Cho'les de Tumbala'", all of them civil support bases of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, pertaining to the Zapatista Autonomous Municipality in Rebellion El Trabajo, and to the constitutional municipality of Palenque, Chiapas. On August 3rd, the Zapatista Junta of Good Government "New Seed that is going to Produce" denounced these incidents energetically and several weeks later it ordered the recovery of this estate. Incidents On Sunday, the 1st of October 2006, about 300 members of the EZLN, among them men, women and children, occupied the estate Ch'oles de Tumbala', with the purpose of defending the 532 hectares that constitute it. On October 3rd, this Center received a telephonic denuncia, reporting the presence of detachments of the Sectorial Police in the vicinity of this estate, as well as low overflights of a helicopter of the same corporation, with people carrying cameras. This denuncia was later confirmed by different sources in the area. In the face of these incidents, this Human Rights Center contacted the Ministry of Government by telephone, trying to speak with its titulary, the Licenciado Roger Grajales Gonza'lez. Instead we were attended by the Technical Coordinator of the Ministry of Government of Chiapas, the Lic. Alberto Leo'n Moreno, to whom we expressed our preoccupation about the risks of confrontation, which we observed. This official replied that they had already received a call from Se~or Pedro Fons, President of the Rancher Association of Palenque, who demanded a new eviction of the estate [by the Ministry], or otherwise he would do it on his own. The official asked him for "moderation", and that the issue should be resolved by legal means. He also confirmed the police presence in the area, arguing that it was there to prevent aggressions on the part of the ranchers. On October 4th 2006, members of this Center went to document the denuncia of police harassment, corroborating with various sources the denuncias of the previous day. They however found that the police had already pulled back. On the same day, social and civil organizations decided to establish a civil peace camp in the area, to dissuade possible aggressions and in answer to the call directed by the Junta of Good Government to the civil society. At present this camp still continues there. This Human Rights Center observes with preoccupation that these incidents could lead to a confrontation between Zapatista Support Bases and ranchers and/or municipal and state authorities of Chiapas, in a new attempt to evict the lands which the EZLN claims as its own. It must be stressed, that the performance and intention of the police to avoid a violent action, is unclear, as on October 3rd they established themselves in the area in a intimidating manner, under the claim of preventing a confrontation, and one day later they pulled back without any explanation, and without any change in the circumstances, in particular the threats of the ranchers to act on their own accord. The risk of a violent action prevails, and we stress out, that an act of violence would further dilute the political situation of Chiapas. In view of the incidents stated as well as the referred considerations, this Human Rights Center requests to direct letters to the civil employees indicated below, with the following demands: - That the Mexican State refrains from performing forceful actions and to avoid the use of violence by private persons against the indigenous zapatista residents of Ch'oles de Tumbala, and to privilege at all times the political route, in order to reach a peaceful and definitive solution. - That the human rights violations committed against the residents of Ch'oles de Tumbala' during the forced eviction of August 3rd are investigated, and the responsibilities and sanctions are appropriately established. Antecedents: On August the 3rd, around 10:30 AM, a police convoy arrived in the community "Cho'les Tumbala'", consisting of elements of the Sectorial Police and the Municipal Police of Palenque, which according to witnesses was also joined by approximately 250 elements dressed as civilians, and a supposed judicial official, who ordered the eviction of the estate, thereby promting the most recent of the forced displacements caused in Chiapas in the context of the armed conflict. As this Center denounced on August 11th, this police operation of eviction resulted in: the forced displacement of the families EZLN support bases occupying the estate denominated "Cho'les Tumbala'"; destruction and damages to farm animals, the burning of houses, the felling of fruit trees and several fields, perpetrated by the police elements and approximately 20 civilians, who according to the displaced were workers of the local ranchers, acting with rancor and malice. During the operation acts of arbitrary deprivation of freedom and tortures were committed by the municipal police of Palenque against three inhabitants of this community. All this presumably in the presence of local ranchers, and more aggravating, in the presence of judicial authorities, who did nothing to prevent it, as demanded by law. (Cf. Bulletin 19/06 at www.frayba.org.mx). To direct urgent actions to the following addresses: Lic. Vicente Fox Quezada, Presidente Constitucional de Me'xico. Residencia Oficial de los Pinos - Casa Miguel Alema'n Col. San Miguel Chapultepec 11850, Distrito Federal Me'xico Tele'fono: (+52) 55 50911100 Fax: (+52) 55 52772376 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lic. Carlos M. Abascal Carranza Secretario de Gobernacio'n Bucareli No. 99 1er. Piso Col. Jua'rez Me'xico D.F. Tel: (+52) 55 51280000, Fax: (+52) 55 50933414 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lic. Pablo Salazar Mendiguchi'a Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Chiapas Palacio de Gobierno, 1er Piso, C.P. 29000 Tuxtla Gutie'rrez, Chiapas, MEXICO. Tel./Fax +52 (961) 6129047, 6129048, 6121093, 6123352 y 6120528 (ask for fax signal) email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please send copies of your letters also to: Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolome' de Las Casas. Brasil 14, Barrio Mexicanos, San Cristo'bal de Las Casas, Chiapas, 29240, MEXICO Fax: +52 (967) 6783551, correo electro'nico: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To unsubscribe from this list send a message containing the words unsubscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists.
