And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: This message is forwarded to you as a service of Zapatistas Online. Comments and volunteers are welcome. Write [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send submissions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 10:18:09 -0800 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: "PRENSA NUEVO AMANECER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Multiple recipients of list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Urgent from Fray Bartolome HR TRANSLATION BY ROSALVA BERMUDEZ-BALLIN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER FRAY BARTOLOME DE LAS CASAS, A.C. SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, CHIAPAS FEBRUARY 22, 1999 PRESS BULLETIN Threats and harassment against the coffee picking brigades in Chenalho. The Human rights Center Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, together with the members of the Civil Organization Las Abejas denounce the following actions that took place in the context of the accompanying brigades for the displaced people cutting coffee in the Tzanembolon community. 1. On the 12th of January of the present year, Mr. Emilio Rodriguez Mendez threatened the members of Las Abejas and didn't allow them to enter their community of Tzanembolon in Chenalho. In addition, he didn't allow them to cut their coffee, and for this reason they registered a complaint before the Sub-Attorneys Office on behalf of the Indigenous on the 13th of January, said complaint has number AL7A/SJI/018/999. Witnesses of the actions were some members of the CNDH and the Mexican Red Cross. 2. On the 16th of February, a meeting took place among the members of Las Abejas, the municipal Judge, the Receiver, and two Councilmen from City Hall in Chenalho, personnel from the CNDH, from the Mexican Red Cross and the CDH Fray Bartolome de las Casas acted as witnesses. During this meeting it was decided that the six people from Las Abejas who have plots of land in said community could enter them to cut their coffee. 3. On the 18th of February, they appeared at the entrance of the community along with a support brigade. They were "greeted" by a Municipal Agent who was waiting to accompany them. As soon as they arrived to Mr. Manuel Perez's coffee plantation, they realized that the coffee had already been cut. When they left, they were met by a group of men led by Mr. Emilio Rodriguez Mendez himself, who threatened with beating Juan Jimenez Rodrigues and Gilberto Jimenez Rodriguez, members of the group Las Abejas, because according to him they are Zapatistas and he wants them to leave the area. The Attorney Gabriel Pineda, from the Mexican Red Cross intervened and reminded them about the agreements and finally managed to gain their freedom. 4. They went to other three coffee plantations that showed different levels of having been picked. 5. When they were leaving the area, they were intercepted one more time by Emilio Rodriguez's group, who was now joined by some 40 men, armed with sticks, machetes and ropes and who threatened to tie up the members of the group who wanted to cut coffee. Emilio Rodriguez and Jose Gomez Guillen started up a discussion about an Act that had not been written and which they demanded to have at this time, furthermore, they again threatened Mr. Juan Jimenez Rodriguez. 6. While a member of this Center of Human Rights, who along some members of the Mexican Red Cross began writing said Act, the members of Las Abejas left the place to return to the camp sites for the displaced in Tzajalchen. 7. While walking to the station wagon, they realized that they were being followed by 15 armed young men who had machetes and sticks; therefore, they had to run to save their skin. 8. It is important to point out that The Rural Municipal Agent showed interest the whole time in bring about all that was agreed upon and he commented that he had a list of the people who didn't agree with the stealing nor with Mr. Emilio Rodriguez, but said that he feared to face him because he knew he was a violent person. The Human Rights Center Fray Bartolome de Las Casas is accompanying the coffee cutting brigades because it considers it as the beginning of the reconciliation process among the various factions in the municipality. However, attitudes such as that shown by Mr. Emilio Rodriguez and Jose Gomez impede the good development of this process and hurt, even more, the peaceful living of all in the Chenalho municipality. We consider it necessary to eradicate prepotent, threatening and harassing attitudes, in order to generate an ambience that garantees the physical security of those willing to build conditions for the return of the displaced to their original communities. Given the obove, the Human Rights Center Fray Bartolome de Las Casas asks the corresponding authorities: 1. That they investigate quickly the stealing of coffee in Tzanembolon, and that the guilty be punished 2. That the affected people receive indemnity for said acts of thievery. 3. That the security conditions for the return of the displaced communities be created. Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolome de las Casas Francisco Leon 5 Barrio de Santa Lucia San Cristobal de las Casas Chiapas C.P. 29250 Mexico Tel.: (967) 8 35 48 Fax: (967) 8 35 51 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.laneta.apc.org/cdhbcasas/ ___________________________________________________ NUEVO AMANECER PRESS-N.A.P.To know about us visit: http://www.nap.cuhm.mx/nap0.htm (spanish) ******************* In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107,this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest. This information is for non-profit research and education purpuses only. **We encourage you to reproduce this information giving credit to NAP.** General Director:Roger Maldonado-Mexico Director Europe: Darrin Wood-Spain Advisor and Special Correspondent:Guillermo Michel-Mexico. NAP Coordinator:Susana Saravia *************[EMAIL PROTECTED]************* "If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. . .But if you have come because your liberation is bound with mine, then let us work together." --Aboriginal Woman ************************************************************************** -- To unsubscribe from this list send a message containing the words unsubscribe chiapas95 to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher://eco.utexas.edu. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
