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Jack Hammond phone: 212-663-1358
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Subject: Chiapas Alert II
Subject: SIPAZ Action Alert - 9
Date: 12/25 12:51 PM
Received: 12/25 1:12 PM
From: Joe McIntire, mcintire@aug.com
To: mcintire@aug.com
SIPAZ Action Alert December 24, 1997
Massacre in Acteal (Chenalho), Chiapas
- Paramilitary group kills 45 Tzozil Indians
On Monday, December 22, an armed group of supporters of the ruling PRI
(Institutional Revolutionary Party) massacred 45 displaced indigenous
persons who had sought refuge from earlier violence in Acteal in the
county of Chenalho in the Chiapas highlands. The victims were Zapatista
supporters or members of the peasant organization "the Bees" (Sociedad
Civil Las Abejas, a group with politics similar to the Zapatistas but
which does not support armed struggle). They were attending Mass in the
Catholic church when the shooting started.
Witnesses who were present who succeeded in fleeing to San Cristobal de
las Casas reported that the attack had been planned several days earlier.
They said that the attackers included at least 60 heavily armed men from
the communities of Los Chorros, Puebla, La Esperanza, and Quextic.
Javier Jimenez Luna, a member of the Bees from Acteal, and leaders of the
autonomous council of Polho affirmed that the group of refugees was
attacked from several sides so that they could not escape.
The Mexican Red Cross reported 45 deaths, including nine men, 21 women,
14
children and one baby. Nineteen others were wounded and are being
treated
in the Rural Clinic and in the Regional Hospital of San Cristobal de las
Casas. The reported number of casualties may rise as more information
becomes available.
Background
The December 22 massacre takes place in the context of a wave of violence
in Chenalho in recent months that has resulted in dozens of deaths,
numerous wounded, and at least 2,000 internal refugees.
The large majority of the displaced indigenous who sought refuge in
Acteal
are originally from Tzajalucum, Chimix and Quextic. Those who came from
the first two had fled after being attacked last month by a PRI
paramilitary group who burned a number of houses and stole food stores.
Since the beginning of December, the PRI supporters had threatened to
attack the refugees. However, a dialogue between the constitutional
municipality of Chenalho and the autonomous municipality of Polho was
initiated with the assistance of CONAI (National Mediation Commission,
presided by Bishop Samuel Ruiz) and COCOPA (Commission for Agreement and
Pacification of the Mexican Congress). They agreed to a halt to the
violence, mutual tolerance, support for the displaced from all sides, and
rebuilding of houses that were burned. As a result the violence was
temporarily checked.
However the autonomous council of Polho did not attend a dialogue meeting
on December 19, citing a lack of security. At that time, the PRI
representatives suspended the dialogue process, complaining that the
Zapatistas had kidnapped Vicente Perez from the community of Pechequil.
A
commission headed by Gonzalo Ituarte, Executive Secretary of CONAI, later
found this individual "safe and sound." It turns out that he was part of
a
group of 20 families from "the Bees" who were being held against their
will in Pechequil by PRI supporters. Currently he has taken refuge in
the
community of Cacateal.
According to the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center, the
Secretary of Government for Chiapas, Homero Tovilla, had been informed
about the threats to attack the refugees. The human rights group
reported
that, far from preventing the attack, state police (Seguridad Publica)
officials who were 200 meters from where the attack took place did
nothing
to intervene even after it had begun.
In fact, according to a number of reports from displaced persons, the
majority of the acts of violence in the county of Chenalho during recent
weeks have been undertaken with the backing of the police. Meanwhile,
last month's attempt on the lives of the bishops of San Cristobal de las
Casas has gone unpunished, and no end is in sight to the continuing
escalation of the violence.
This tragedy takes place in a context of extreme tension, with the talks
between the Zapatistas and the federal government suspended for more than
a year. We may ask to what degree the implementation of the San Andres
Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture (signed in February 1996 but
still not fulfilled) might have contributed to averting this tragedy.
Recommended Action
Please send faxes or letters as son as possible to the officials listed
below, asking them:
- to give immediate attention to the victims of this tragedy and to
repair
damages;
- to ensure free access to the area by the communications media and human
rights groups;
- to investigate this attack, including the role of state police
(Seguridad Publica) and to apply appropriate sanctions;
- to disarm the paramilitary groups that operate in the area;
- to fulfill the San Andres Accords regarding Indigenous Rights and
Culture as well as international agreements that the government has
signed
that commit it to respect the rights of indigenous peoples.
We also request that you contact your members of congress or parliament,
informing them of the escalating violence in Chiapas and asking them to
communicate their concern about the situation to the Mexican government.
PLEASE RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Thank you. The SIPAZ Team San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas
Addresses:
Lic. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon
Presidente de la Republica Palacio Nacional:
06067, Mexico, D.F.
Fax: int-52-5-516-5762 / 515-4783
email: webadmon@op.presidencia.gob.m
Emilio Chuayffet Chemor
Secretario de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er piso
Col. Juarez
06699 Mexico, DF - Mexico
Fax: int-52-5- 546-5350
Jorge Madrazo
Cuellar Procuraduria General de la Republica
Paseo de la Reforma No. 75
Col. Guerrero
06300 Mexico, D.F.
Fax: int-52-5-626-4419
and a copy to:
SIPAZ Chiapas Office or SIPAZ International Office
Dr. J. Felipe Flores No. 38 PO Box 2415
San Cristobal de las Casas Santa Cruz, CA 95063
Chiapas, CP 29250 USA
Mexico Tel/Fax: 408 425 1257
Tel/Fax: (967)-803-81 E-mail: sipaz@igc.org
E-mail: sipaz@laneta.apc.org
For more information, go the the SIPAZ website at
http://www.nonviolence.org/sipaz/