In an irresponsible move, on the 14^th of August of this year, the president Vicente Fox published the law for indigenous rights and culture, which is distinct from the Cocopa Law that was presented to congress.

Because of this, the Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights, the Centre for Economic and Political Research and Community Action (CIEPAC), and Global Exchange held a press conference today in Mexico City to denounce the treason committed by the executive and legislative powers against the indigenous peoples and Mexican society. Below is a reproduction of the press bulletin that was released.

“ In the present year, events in the state of Chiapas and in the national plan have put in doubt the government’s will to move towards building peace in the country. The executive and legislative powers and the Commission for Concord and Peace (Cocopa) did not comply with the political and democratic pact to pass the law for indigenous rights and culture, created by this commission as a product of the accords signed in San Andres between the EZLN and the Federal Government. This has put in doubt the political and democratic solution to the problems that generated the armed conflict.

“ Far from creating conditions for peace, the Federal Government has continued to declare and carry out war against the indigenous communities through harassment and systematic violations of human rights in Chiapas, through the Mexican army and paramilitary groups. Worrying police actions have taken place where there have been demonstrations of inconformity across diverse sectors of Chiapan society. These have resulted in arbitrary detentions, casualties and displacements, as has been the case in the municipality of Ixtapa, Venustiano Carranza, Predio Cuatro Milpas in Tapachula, and with the Workers of the Mexican American Commission for the Eradication of the Livestock Drill Worm in Chiapas de Corzo, the farmers of MOCRI and members of civil society who took the SAGARPA offices in Tuxtla Guttierez and Marques de Comillas, among others.” Although we do not support kidnappings as a means of resolving the problems in the communities, neither do we support repression in other forms, believing in a way forward through peaceful negotiation.

“ At the end of April of this year, the Union Congress passed the counter-reform on the law of indigenous rights and culture, known as the ‘Bartlett-Cevallos Law’ (legislators of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and of National Action). Subsequently, in the months of May and June, they carried out related consultations in the local congresses, which were plagued with irregularities. Since then, at least 104 military operations have been recorded in the 16 municipalities, as well as paramilitary and police actions. The military actions have consisted in harassment, temporary and permanent bases, patrols, military repositioning, training in indigenous communities and interrogations, among others. It should be noted that during this period, at least twelve bases have been re-installed in Chiapas.

The sectors affected by these actions have been the indigenous communities, farmers’ and social organizations, and the displaced peoples who continue to await government promises to solve their forced displacement by the presence of paramilitary groups and the Mexican army in their native communities.

President Vicente Fox, in addition to being the Supreme Commander of the armed forces of Mexico, is responsible for the promulgation of the counter-reform with regard to indigenous rights and culture in the official federal newspaper, two days ago. This, far from cultivating the path for peace, continues to place obstacles in its way. In addition, the situation for the indigenous and farming communities in the country runs the risk of worsening significantly. The agricultural crisis in the production of corn, coffee, sugar and other products on which thousands of indigenous and farming communities depend in Chiapas and in other states, combined with this critical situation, could, in the case of Chiapas, reach a peak before or after the local congress and the 118 council elections on the 7th of October.

“ Because of the above, we demand the following of President Vicente Fox, the Union Congress, Cocopa and Governor Pablo Salazar Mendiguchia, that each of them ensure:

1. The fulfillment of the San Andres accords, as laid out by the Cocopa law initiative.
2. An end to the harassments and violations of human rights against the indigenous communities, social and peasant organizations, by the Mexican army and the state and federal police.
3. Solution of the problem of the displaced indigenous population in the state of Chiapas.
4. Immediate application of the law to the paramilitary groups in Chiapas.
5. A truly informed consultation with the population about government plans, including the Plan Puebla-Panama and other development projects that affect them, which allows the decisions of the people to be respected.
6. That the Federal Executive reverses the current conduct and written policy of the armed forces in Mexico, as indicated in the constitution.
7. A restructuring of agricultural politics and the renegotiation of the Free Trade Agreements in a manner that respects the interests of the indigenous and farming sectors.

That was the text of the press release.

To conclude, the three signals demanded by the EZLN for the resumption of talks have not been met, which could worsen the political and social situation not only in Chiapas but in the entire country. For its part, the Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights in Chiapas mentioned in this conference that:

“ The current president of Mexico re-iterated promises for change – which some believed possible – during his electoral campaign and in the few months before he took office; it was considered possible that the demilitarisation process long awaited in the State of Chiapas could begin. In a press conference convened by Subcomandante Marcos on the 2 December 2000, the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) called for the federal government to meet three demands that would signal the resumption of dialogue towards peace. Among these demands was the withdrawal of the federal army from seven positions: Guadalupe Tepeyac, Jolnachoj, Rio Euseba, La Garrucha, Cuxulja, Roberto Barrios and Amador Hernandez.”

They added that, “The withdrawal from the seven military camps occurred in a slow and torturous manner, in a climate of tension. With the withdrawal from these camps, the government, apart from “formally complying” with their public commitment, wanted to demonstrate to the outside world that they were in the process of demilitarising. However this was only for appearances’ sake. The reality for the indigenous and peasant communities in our state of Chiapas is in fact very different: there has been no diminishing of military forces in Chiapas, only a repositioning of military posts and an increase in army actions against our communities. The strategy of low intensity warfare has been renewed, now taken on by president Vicente Fox”.

With regard to this “in the various regions where the Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights operates, we have collected information, testimonies and evidence that the army is reinforcing its practice of control and occupation of our territory, and is increasing its harassments against the population as a whole, threats, injuries and persecutions. For this reason, we shall relate the experience of militarization and paramilitarization in which we live”.

ACTIONS OF THE FEDERAL ARMY

In the Northern Palenque - Santo Domingo zone, which includes part of the municipalities of Salto de Agua, Palenque, Chilon and Ocosingo, we have registered the following occurrences:

-         Increased military presence in the roads and communities of the Santo Domingo ravine and the Laguna Santa Clara, Francisco Leon, Cintalpa and Palestina area. The zone includes the autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magon.

-         Reinforcement of the federal army barracks in Cintalapa and the Palestina crossroads.

-         Reconnaissance operations in all of this territory, through paths and country roads, with incursions into the communal lands (ejidos) and communities.

-         Installation of a military camp in the community of Paraiso (Autonomous Municipality of Ricardo Flores Magon).

-         Reinstallation of the base in the community of Chocoljaito, which is located between the municipalities of Palenque and Chilon, after having withdrawn from there at the start of this year.

-         They also completed ground observations of the Ejido Nuevo Samaritano de Palenque, to install a new camp on this site. It was installed on the 20 of July 2001.

-         A military base was established on the 14 of July 2001 on the El Clavo road section (Autonomous Community of Trabajo).

-         On the 20 of July, a small plane and a helicopter from the federal army flew over the communities of El Clavo, Berea, Nuevo Yajalon, Sinai, Lazaro Cardenas, Vista Hermosa and Victorio R. Grajales. In the latter, a truck with 40 soldiers arrived the following day in a night time incursion into the area.

-         On the 24 and 25 of July, in the Ejido Luis Echeverria Alvarez in Salto de Agua, a military convoy arrived with people from Ejido Nuevo Mundo (known as the centre of the paramilitary group Peace and Justice) announcing its presence for medical services, haircuts and electronic appliance repairs

-         On the 24 of July of this year the military entered offering services such as haircuts, free medicines and consultations, dental health and other services. The authorities complained and in a later assembly, the inhabitants protested in the presence of the army.

-         On the 21 of July, soldiers arrived from Tenosique, Tabasco to the community of San Jose Usumacinta.

“ There are other occurrences associated with those listed above that directly affect certain individuals who are relentlessly pursued or whose persons or belongings are attacked for being sympathizers, Zapatista bases of support or simply for their failure to act against such people.”

“ In the community of Roberto Barrios, headquarters of the Zapatista Aguascalientes of the same name, the autonomous authorities have been attacked; as have the bases of support where homes, belongings and animals have been harmed, and a catechist in the area has been threatened for his work in making known events of general and national interest, such as the Plan Puebla Panama.”

“ In the Central Highlands zone which includes parts of the municipalities of San Cristobal de las Casas, Nicolas Ruiz, Teopisca, Comitan and others, the following actions have been recorded:

-         In 1995, the army closed the roads between the communities of San Isidro el Ocotal, Agua de Leon, San Antonio el Porvenir, Pinabetal and Accion Agraria – which lie adjacent to the 31^st Military Zone - and San Cristobal de las Casas, the most important commercial and economic centre in their day-to-day development. 

-         Since February 2001, army incursions into the community of San Isidro el Ocotal have begun. Soldiers dressed in civilian clothing and sometimes in uniform and armed, have entered the community lands, under the pretext of buying food, insisting on paying with military goods.

-         In the month of March, army elements entered a family home and the community clinic.

-         Constant detonations of firearms have been heard which intimidate the people living in the communities neighbouring the 31^st Military Zone.

-         Pollution of community lands with solid waste.

-         Army surveillance at community assemblies, as was discovered on the 22 of July, during a meeting in which the Defence Network heard the concerns of a group of communities near San Isidro.”

With regard to paramilitary action, the Defence Network exposed that, “ On the 20 of January 2001 a meeting of the paramilitary group, Peace and Justice, took place. Subsequently, in the municipality of Palenque, in the community 20 de Noviembre, a meeting took place between the communal lands (ejido) authorities of the region and the municipal presidents of Palenque, Salto de Agua, Tumbala and Tila. The objectives of the meeting were to request the return of the army and to put together a list of zapatistas of Roberto Barrios.”

They added that “ In Salto de Agua, the Ejido Nuevo Mundo forms the main paramilitary centre for Peace and Justice, and from there, army actions in the area are carried out. For example, lands from this ejido were given over for the construction of an army clinic; from which the soldiers began a series of visits to various communities to offer their medical and dental services, haircuts, electronic appliance repairs, and so on.”

In addition to what has been remarked by the Defence Network, since the month of May 2001, other military actions have been recorded, reported by the same villagers in the indigenous communities. These have confirmed the bases, patrols, harassments, interrogations, and so on. According to the testimonies that have been gathered, in the locations through which the army has passed, community authorities have been asked that the people give them water, food and a place to sleep and they have sought information about the kind of people who live in the communities.  They have asked about distances, the number of hours it takes to get from one community to another, and about zapatistas and “foreigners” who are not from the region. They consistently install temporary bases in the Crucero Palestina, Cintalapa, Paraiso and Chocolja, and inquire as to the types of people passing through the area. The patrols used to consist of three military vehicles; they are now made up of more than six armoured tanks, with soldiers wearing bulletproof vests, and they pass three times a day. The communities in these regions are worried because they know that there are 12 thousand U.S. soldiers across in Peten in Guatemala, and because on several occasions they have heard detonations.

-         On the 14^th of April, the army installed a provisional military camp in the community of El Paraiso with 10 armoured vehicles and 150 soldiers. In order to get closer to the zapatista bases of support they carried out reconnaissance missions through the roads and paths from El Paraiso to Viejo Velasco Suarez, many of them at night.

-         On the night of the 15^th of April they went towards the community of Nuevo Mariscal and warned the population that they were going to Flor de Cacao, but  they gave false routes as they were in fact going to the community of Jerualen, patrolling as far as Paraiso and passing by Francisco Leon.

-         On the 20^th of April, the army patrolled from Paraiso, Crucero Palestina, as far as Chancala.

-         On the 21^st of April, the army left with 3 military vehicles patrolling from the Palestina crossroads, passing by the Nayte crossroads, the community of Ojo de Agua Tzotzil and as far as San Jancinto Lacanja, where several detonations were heard.

-         On the 22^nd of April, they patrolled roads from Francisco Leon to Pedregal, in the evening they patrolled the mountains by foot and stayed there all night. This same day, they dismounted the provisional barracks in Paraiso and withdrew to Chancala.

-         On the 4^th of May, in the municipality of San Andres Sacamchen de los Pobres, 6 armoured army vehicles patrolled the area from Cate to San Cayetano, where they remained stationed for several hours.

-         On the 5^th of May, a base and military operative was installed from Cate to Simojovel.

-         On the 27^th of May, in the autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magon, military patrols were carried out from Laguna San Clara to Cintalapa, Francisco Leon and Palestina, at the same time that the military camps of Cintalapa and Crucero Palestina were reinforced.

-         From the 2^nd to the 4^th of June, a military operation was carried out in the community of Tzalcum, autonomous municipality of San Andres Sacamchen de los Pobres, which is majority Zapatista, with the pretext of searching for drugs.

-         On the 7^th of June, a military police operation was carried out, with patrols and overhead flights of the PGR, army and Public Security, in the San Andres Sacamchen de los Pobres region.

-         From the 7^th to the 9^th of July, low overhead flights were registered in San Miguel (Ocosingo). In Prado Pacayal, a passenger aeroplane flying over the region dropped something, which made an explosion, raising fear amongst the people.

-         On the 9^th of July 2001, the community of Roberto Barrios denounced the harassment of several inhabitants, one of whom had been threatened, robbed and had his belongings destroyed that day.

-         On the 12^th of July 2001, the communities in the municipality of Yajalon denounced the disarmament operation that the Mexican army and public security claimed to be carrying out because of several crimes that had taken place in the preceding days.

-         On the 14^th of July 2001, the community of Roberto Barrios denounced the aggression and threats, including death threats, to which supporters in the community had been subjected.

-         On the 17^th of July 2001, the autonomous centre of Francisco Gomez denounced aggressions by ARIC militants and demanded that immediate liberty be given to an invalid, whom they had detained so that problems would not arise. In addition, they were intimidated because these people were carrying firearms.

-         On the 17^th of July 2001, the autonomous municipality of Ricardo Flores Magon denounced the presence of the military in their communities and the increased number of barracks found in the community of Cintalapa. At the same time, they denounced the government for falsely claiming that there is no longer a military presence in the communities of Chiapas.

-         On the 23^rd of July 2001, the Network of Community Human Rights Defenders denounced the presence of the Mexican army for provoking fear amongst the people and preventing them from carrying on peacefully with their daily lives. They ask for the intervention of human rights commissions in order to get the military to leave the community.

-         On the 23^rd of July 2001, the Network of Community Human Rights Defenders denounced the incursions and harassment by the Mexican army to which the inhabitants of the autonomous municipality of Vicente Guerrero have fallen victim. They ask that this be given attention, as they fear their rights are being violated.

-         On the 23^rd of July 2001, the Network of Community Human Rights Defenders once again denounces the military incursions, which are becoming more and more frequent; throughout June and July, there has been a continuous military presence.

-         On the 24^th of July 2001, the Network of Defenders denounces the military presence at the main entry points to Roberto Barrios and also denounces the military base that has been posted near this community, where thorough inspections and interrogations take place. On this day, the Voz de Cerro Hueco denounces the abuses of and threats to the prisoners of this penal institution by the prison authorities. They also announce that today they begin a hunger strike, protesting the government’s lies and demanding that they comply with the three signals requested by the people.

-         On the 26^th of July 2001, the Network of Defenders denounces the military presence on the Santa Cruz communal lands, which has arrived on the pretext of doing social work in the community, but in fact raises fears among the inhabitants.

-         On the 26^th of July 2001, the Network of Defenders denounces the illegal detention of an inhabitant of Teopisca, detained falsely and violently, because they wanted to accuse him of crimes he didn’t commit. They also arrested his wife, who was since released.

-         On the 27^th of July 2001, the autonomous authorities of Roberto Barrios denounce the new road opened by the state government, supposedly to help the communities and to do work such as giving haircuts, bringing medicine and dental health. All of this with the ultimate aim of harassing the communities and convincing them to construct the planned golf course and tourist centre.

-         On the 31^st of July 2001, the Ejido Barrio San Jose, belonging to the autonomous municipality of San Pedro de Michoacan, defined the movements undertaken by MOCRI and demanded the immediate release of the six community members who were arrested by the Public Security and called for the reappearance of the disappeared.

-         On the 25^th of July 2001, human rights organisations denounce the conditions in which the political prisoners in the various penal institutions are being kept and the manner in which they are treated, simply for defending their rights and demanding that the accords of San Andres be ratified.

-         On the 28^th of July 2001, the Voz de Cerro Hueco denounces the indifference of the authorities in their failure to promote justice and to comply with the San Andres Accords, and for the violations of their human rights through maltreatment and unjust imprisonment.

In light of the above, it is clear that Vicente Fox’s government has never had the true will to move forward the process of dialogue and to construct peace in Mexico. For this reason, more than 250 representatives of peasant, indigenous and social organisations around the world, brought together at the First International Encounter of Social Movements in the city of Mexico, released a communication of support to the EZLN in the following terms:

“Dear Zapatista brothers and sisters: We, the participants in the meeting of Social Movements in the city of Mexico D.F., from the 12^th to the 14^th of August 2001, representing 38 countries of America, Europe, Asia and Australia wish to express to you our sentiments of love, support and solidarity in your fight, which is also a part of our fight. We have been following the process that you have been conducting over the last seven years and we wish to demonstrate our admiration, respect and affection because you continue undeterred and without losing heart towards the goals that gave rise to your fight. Our organisations of farmers, indigenous people, workers, women, young people, NGOs and other civil sectors, reiterate our solidarity in your fight and wish to make known to you that we will be carrying out actions in our respective countries, endorsing the demands which you have placed and continue to place before the Mexican government.”

“Zapatista brothers and sisters: We are convinced that only with courage and strength such as yours, from the Lacandon jungle to the mountains of Tibet, can we construct a world of peace, justice and equality for all men and women. MARRI-CHI-WEU – 10 TIMES WE WILL TRIUMPH. ZAPATA LIVES! THE FIGHT CONTINUES. A SINGLE FIST, A SINGLE HEART, A SINGLE FIGHT. WE GLOBALIZE THE FIGHT, WE GLOBALIZE THE HOPE.”

In this way, at the said encounter, the “ Movement of International Protest against the Mexican Government for their Indignant Authoritarianism over the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico” was made known on the 20^th and 21^st of August 2001. Participate!

Note: If you wish to be placed on a list to receive this English version of the Bulletin, or the Spanish, or both, please direct a request to: ciepac@laneta.apc.org and indicate whether you wish to receive the bulletin in plain text or as a Word 7 for Windows 95 attachment.

Note: If you use this information, cite the source and our email address. We are grateful to the persons and institutions who have given us their comments on these Bulletins. CIEPAC, A.C. is a non-government and non-profit organization, and your support is necessary for us to be able to continue offering you this news and analysis service. If you would like to contribute, in any amount, we would infinitely appreciate your remittance to the bank account in the name of:

CIEPAC, A.C.
Bank: Banamex
Account number: 7049672 Sucursal 386
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México.
You will also need to use an ABA number:
BNMXMXMM

Thank you! CIEPAC

Telephone:
in México: 01 967 674 5168
from outside Mexico:: +52 967 674 5168