Two assassinated in Chiapas by paramilitary

Friends,

We bring you this report about the recent escalation of hostilities in Chiapas including the dispatch of more soldiers of the Mexican Army to the conflicted Selva Lacandona (Lacondon Jungle) region. Representatives of over 30 human rights organizations in Chiapas are
responding to the increase of of hostilities, confrontations, harassment and assassinations in indigenous communities. On August 28 two human rights accompaniment and observation caravans left San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas for the municipalities of Ricardo Flores Magon, San Miguel and Olga Isabel to investigate the current situation in the region. We will continue to bring you updates.

In this update please find:

1) Background information and current reports
2) Action YOU can take
3) Press Communique issued by on August 27, 2002 by human rights
organizations in Chiapas
4) Conflicts in Chiapas signal lack of dialogue, AFP - 8/30/2002

For more information please contact Carleen at
carleen [at] globalexchange.org.

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1) Background information and current reports

In the last two weeks, the conflict in Chiapas has escalated, culminating in confrontations, forced displacement and the murders of 3 Zapatistas. The Human Rights Center 'Fray Bartolome de las Casas'
reports that the number dead is 5. Old paramilitary groups have reactivated, while others, like the OPDIC, have appeared publicly for the first time. The paramilitaries’ actions have been complimented by the deployment of hundreds of additional Mexican soldiers throughout the “canyon” region of Chiapas. The Mexican Army has advanced its positions throughout the conflict zone, establishing new check points and bases, ensuring the movement of paramilitary groups. Several Zapatista communities have fled because of paramilitary violence, while others are currently occupied by the Mexican army. This latest round of displacement occurred on the heals of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Francis M. Deng's visit to Chiapas.

The appearance and reactivation of paramilitary groups is reminiscent to the conditions of fall 1997, prior to the massacre at Acteal. These actions represent an escalation not yet witnessed during the Fox administration and mark a new stage of counter-insurgency warfare against Zapatista communities. Coincidently, the recent wave of violence has occurred primarily in and around the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. The predominately Zapatista communities located Montes Azules have been accused of environmental crimes and are under threat of "relocation."

These recent events seriously threaten the fragile peace process in Chiapas, which has been hindered since the passage of the Indigenous Rights and Culture counter-reform law in 2001. Continued paramilitary and military violence will only exacerbate the already tense situation.

Human rights groups in Mexico are calling on the Mexican government to take urgent steps demilitarize indigenous communities and to punish and dismantle paramilitary groups before the peace process can resume.

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2) Action YOU can take

--- Travel to Chiapas and volunteer as a human rights observer: Global Exchange continues to facilitate for Human Rights Observers to participate in 'Peace Camps' in Chiapas. The communities need human
rights observers in all of the communities listed above. For more information about applying as a Human Rights Observer, please visit:
<http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/mexico/volunteers.html> or write to mexico [at] globalexchange.org

--- Contact the Mexican government and express your concern for the peace process in Chiapas: Fax, call and email the Mexican embassy in your state/country. More information and sample text is below.

--- Donate to local communities in Chiapas: As a result of the recent paramilitary violence and military occupation, several indigenous communities have been forced from their communities, and lack both food and medicine. Local organizations are coordinating collections for food, medicine and clothing to be delivered to the newly displaced
communities. If you would like to make a financial donation to support this process, please contact Global Exchange’s Mexico program for more information (email mexico [at] globalexchange.org or call 415.255.7296 x 239)

To contact the Mexican government call, email, fax or write to your local Mexican embassy. In Washington DC you can reach the Embassy at:
1911 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, t. (202) 728 -
1600, e. mexembusa [at] sre.gob.mx. For a directory of consulates in the
United States visit:
http://www.embassyofmexico.org/english/consulados/listofconsulates.htm

You can use the text below as guidelines for your message to the Mexican government. Shortly we will post a fax action on the Global Exchange site. In the meantime your action is needed to pressure the Mexican government, the Governor of Chiapas and the Supreme Court to intervene in the escalating situation in Chiapas. Human rights organizations in Chiapas have complied this list of demands:

To President Vicente Fox
We call on President Fox, as commander and chief of the Mexican Armed Forces, to halt all military actions in Chiapas, considering that the Law for Dialog and Reconciliation is still in force. The increased militarization only contributes to the deterioration and radicalization of the conflict in Chiapas, further distancing the possibility of true peace in the state. We also call for President Fox to testify on the military strategy initiated during the last 15 days, deploying hundreds of additional soldiers to the conflict zone. Finally, we call on President Fox to take the necessary measures so that soldiers who commit human rights violations be punished.

To the Chiapas State government of Pablo Salazar

To Governor of Chiapas Pablo Salazar
We call on Governor Salazar to investigate the Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Farmers Rights (OPDIC) and its leader Pedro Chulin, as well as other known paramilitaries organizations. These groups have, and continue to operate with absolute impunity. We call Governor Salazar to prioritize the investigation into the murder of Jose Lopez Santiz, former inhabitant of the community 6 de agosto, municipality of Altamirano. Lopez Santiz' murder, as well as the homicides in the community of Amaytik, continue in the shadow of impunity.

To the Supreme Court
We call on the Supreme Court to recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples as an integral component to true peace. We ask that the Court emit a favorable ruling with respect to the Constitutional appeals
process against the Indigenous Rights and Culture counter-reform bill, as an unmistakable example of their vote for peace.

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3) Press Communique issued by on August 27, 2002 by human rights groups

in Chiapas

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas,
August 27, 2002

PRESS COMMUNIQUE
URGENT CALL!

To Organizations
To the People of Mexico
To National and International Civil Society

The below-signed organizations are making a call for urgent mobilization, because of the intensification of the war climate - the confrontations, harassment and assassinations in indigenous communities, which have taken place during the month of August in:
San Antonio Escobar, Quexil, Palestina, La Culebra, Arroyo Granizo, Chamizal Ach'lum, Monte Li'bano, Taniperlas Ejido, Censo, Santa Elena, Monte Li'bano Ejido, Lacando'n and Santo Domingo, Reforma K'an Akil, Yocnabil, Pamala', Nuevo Guadalupe, 6 de Agosto Nuevo Centro de Poblacio'n, El Salvador Poblado. Communities surrounding and included within the Autonomous Municipalities of Ricardo Flores Mago'n, 17 de Noviembre, Francisco Go'mez, San Pedro Polho', Francisco Villa, Primero de Enero, Olga Isabel, Che Guevara, Vicente Guerrero, Miguel Hidalgo, Lucio Caba~as and San Manuel.

It is in these areas where the paramilitaries have reactivated their actions, in full and open provocation against the Autonomous Municipalities, laying siege to communities, blocking accesses, attacking and assassinating EZLN members, authorities and support bases, under the repeated cover of the Mexican Army, which is openly occupying these indigenous territories. Except for Polho', all of the rest are in the coveted Selva Lacandona. These incidents have caused the forced displacement of entire families, under conditions of food shortage, precarious sanitary conditions and their being uprooted from their communities.

By agreement of the signatory organizations, we respectfully and fraternally are calling on you to:

1. Initiate a campaign of denuncias regarding these events.

2. Organize, on an urgent basis, a caravan to Chiapas for the observation and accompaniment of the affected communities.

3. To collect foods and medicine for the affected communities.

We are providing you with ENLACE CIVIL's information as a contact in order to coordinate with us regarding the requested Caravan:
enlacecivil [at] laneta.apc.org, telephone: (011) 52 (967) 678-2104

Sincerely,
Education for Peace Collective (CEPAZ), K'inal Antzetik, Community Defenders Network, Enlace Civil, Center for Political Analysis and Social and Economic Research (CAPISE), Council of Organizations of
Indigenous Traditional Doctors and Midwives of Chiapas (COMPITCH), Fray Bartolome' de las Casas Human Rights Center, Miguel Agusti'n Pro Jua'rez Human Rights Center, Center for Economic and Political Research for Community Action (CIEPAC), CEDIAC, Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada Human Rights Center, Global Exchange, Commission for Community Reconciliation (CORECO), Training and Development A.C. (FOCA), Los Altos Regional Coordinator for Civil Society in Resistance, "Luna Creciente" Cultural Space, Community Communication Promoters A.C., "All Rights for All" Network of Human Rights Civil Organizations, Fray Francisco de Victoria Human Rights Center O.P.A.C., "Oscar Arnulfo Romero" Solidarity Committee. Social Development for Indigenous Mexicans (DESMI), Appropriate Technology Exchange (ITA), Chiapas Civic Alliance.

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4) Conflicts in Chiapas signal lack of dialogue
AFP - 8/30/2002

Recurring conflicts between rival groups in the southernmost state of Chiapas that this week killed three people highlight the consequences of the lack of dialogue between the federal government and the Zapatista guerillas, local sources say.

The most recent violence occurred in the
"autonomous municipalities" of Ocosingo and Altamirano, independently governed areas set up by
Zapatista rebels after the1994 indigenous uprising.

In regard increased tensions in the region, the leader of the organization for Indigenous Communities, Porfirio Encino, said Zapatista support bases had "hardened their position as part of their resistance strategy." He claimed the recently set up rebel checkpoints around Zapatista communities are a source of friction among regional inhabitants, not all of whom are Zapatista followers.

Local priest, Gonzalo Ituarte, blamed the "incredible deterioration" in the socio-political situation in southeastern Chiapas as a reaction to the closing of political means of negotiation.

An Indigenous Rights Bill passed in Congress last year was met with hostility by the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) who claimed it did no meet their demands for increased autonomy and land rights. A 1996 accord, which was signed by both the government and the Zapatista rebels, has yet to be fulfilled.

The polarization and tensions that in recent months have affected jungle communities in Chiapas, provoked a recent warning from Felipe Arizmendi, the Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas, the main site of the 1994 rebel uprising:

"The seed of hate and violence has been sown in many hearts, which makes us fear that, at any moment, we could see the repetition of such
terrible events as that of Acteal," he said. In Dec. 1997, 45 Indians were murdered in the highland village of Acteal by paramilitaries.