/* Written 12:15 am Jan 14, 1993 by newsdesk in igc:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "GUATEMALA: UNCERTAINTY REIGNS AS RE" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved. Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.
Reference: Population
Title: GUATEMALA: UNCERTAINTY REIGNS AS REFUGEES SET OUT FOR HOME
guatemala, jan 11 (ips) -- about 2,000 guatemalan refugees in
mexico are expected to arrive at the guatemalan border on
wednesday, but it is uncertain whether they will all be allowed
to return home.
a refugee caravan left camps in the southern mexican provinces
of quintana roo and campeche monday for the border town of la
mesilla, 341 kilometres north of guatemala city, where it aims to
arrive around noon on jan. 13.
but guatemalan defence minister jose garcia has claimed that
members of the guerrillas groups that have been fighting the
state for three decades now have ''infiltrated'' the refugee
caravan.
and on monday, the guatemalan government called on the
international organization on migration to carry out a census
among all refugees so as to legalize their situation before they
cross the border.
normally the refugees should have documents issued by the
unhcr and the mexican commission on refugees (comar).
however, a diplomatic source who requested anonymity told ips
that ''many of the refugees who have begun the return to
guatemala have no document which accredits them as such and this
could cause them many problems'' when they try to enter the
country.
but the spokesperson for the permanent commissions of
guatemalan refugees (ccpps), ricardo curtz, stressed that, as
guatemalans, the refugees ''all have the right to come into (the
country) when we wish to do so.''
the ccpps represent the 45,000 guatemalans who fled to southern
mexico since the early 1980s to escape constant harassment by the
military.
in october last the ccpps and the governmental commission on
refugees and displaced persons (cear) signed agreements paving
the way for the return of the refugees.
however, they failed to agree on the route which the returnees
should take.
the cear wants them to travel along a 300 kilometre-road which
would take them straight from ixcan, near the mexican border, to
reception centres in north-western guatemala.
however, the ccpps want them to travel a distance of 1000
kilometres along the inter-american highway and through the main
cities of north-western guatemala as well as the capital and then
to a provisional resettlement zone until the question of granting
land to the returnees is settled. (more)
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curtz stressed monday that this was the route which the
refugees would take since the ccpps feel that it has better
infrastructure and security than the road proposed by the
government's commission.
moreover, it offers the possibility of ''entering the country
by the front door,'' so as to let all guatemalans know of the
existence of the refugees and the reasons for their return,
according to the refugee spokesman.
the government, on the other hand, feels that the ccpps have
chosen that route so as to ''politically manipulate the
remigration.''
cear director sergio mollinedo warned sunday that if the
refugees insisted on using the highway ''it would be on their own
account and at their own risk.''
the refugees' return is being monitored by representatives of
the office of the un high commissioner on refugees (unhcr), a
support group made up of sweden, canada and mexico, and national
and international non-governmental organizations.
(end/ips/trd/so/ff-ds/kb/93)
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