ACADEMIA MEXICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS, A.C.
SPECIAL BULLETIN CONFLICT IN CHIAPAS
Number 6, February 15th-21st, 1994.
FIRST OF FOUR PARTS
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PREPARATIONS FOR PEACE
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This week's events were marked fundamentally by the
preparations and the groundwork for the dialogue between the
Commissioner for Peace and Reconciliation, Manuel Camacho Sol!s,
and the Ej rcito Zapatista de Liberaci"n Nacional (EZLN). These
preparations for adequate grounds for the dialogue were preceded by
some significant actions, such as: the military withdrawal from the
conflict zone; the liberation of the ex governor Absal"n
Castellanos, unharmed and according to his own confession, in
perfect health (notwithstanding, he was accused of illicit
enrichment, illegal land acquisitions, and of supposed
responsibility in several assassinations); as well as by the
president Carlos Salinas de Gortari's declarations in which he
recognized that the change in the justice system is long and there
still many unattended demands. These events, as well as others of
later occurrence (such as the subcommander Marcos' declarations
recognising that the violation of human rights is not the Mexican's
army policy, even though they might occur unintentionally) inspire
the hope that peace might finally be achieved in this convulsant
area. As long as there is a predisposition for dialogue and that
this be mediated by mutual respect, a cease of the conflict may
arrive soon.
However, change is not easy. A trajectory of change would have
to imagine solutions for the preexisting conditions that allowed
the conflict to erupt, as well as for those derived from the
current arm conflict. In this respect, the defense and respect of
human rights is a key factor in achieving a long lasting peace and
for promoting policies that can really attack the secular problems
of the indigenous people of Chiapas. Without respect for human
rights it is impossible to think in a true development for the
region.
This is why the reports of some violations of human rights
during this week are so troublesome. On the side of civil society,
two hundred indigenous people impeded access to the municipal
headquarter of Chanal demanding that the Municipal Council elected
by them more than a month and a half ago be recognised and that
human rights be respected. Among the above mentioned reports there
is one that needs in depth investigation, since it affirmes having
proofs regarding the complicity between the army and the Judicial
Police in the imprisonment and torture of fourteen indigenous men
accused of supposed alliance with the EZLN. They also denounced the
mayor who expelled 101 persons from 48 families also accused of
being "zapatistas".
On the other hand, Amnesty International demanded that the
Mexican government investigate accusations of the torture,
disappearance and execution of three indigenous men from the ejido
community of Morelia, in the Altamirano municipality, in which
there is clear proof of army involvement. It is important to note
that the Secretariat of National Defense denied any responsibility
in the events, even though, it recognized that on January sixth it
detained 32 "law transgressors", accused of being members of the
armed groups, yet at the same time it affirmed that the three
indigenous men found dead were not among them. In response, Amnesty
International declared that the official reports presented serious
contradictions and needed to be clarified.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Artucio, a lawyer from the International
Jurists Commission, admitted that the human rights violations in
Chiapas are severe, but he emphasized that they have been
exaggerated. On a similar note, Javier Gil Casta$eda from the
National Commission for Human Rights's Consultive Council,
denounced that on January 20 Luciano Jim nez was assassinated by
the Zapatista Army; he was a member of the Rural Association of
Collective Interests (ARIC), the Union of Unions of Ocosingo. The
ARIC recently stated that the conflict with the EZLN originated
when its members were accused by the "zapatistas" of being corrupt
and traitors for not joining the arm struggle. However, it was said
that there is predisposition to solve their differences peacefully.
Within this context the indigenous people of the continent directed
a letter to the Organization of American States denouncing the
abuses by the Mexican Army in Chiapas. They requested that the
Interamerican Commission for Human Rights emit an urgent resolution
to demand that the Mexican government facilitate the investigation
of these abuses. Making the accusation more precise, Peter Cashey,
the lawyer who formally presented the petition, said that the
investigation carried out in Chiapas during the month of January
confirmed that disappearances, torture and extrajudicial executions
had occur.
Moreover, Blanca Leticia Escoto, coordinator of the Committee
from the Support Found for the payment of Indemnification to the
Victims of the Armed Conflict, informed that the indigenous
population does not want to claim help for fear of being detained
by the army under supposed complicity with the arm fighters. She
also stated that there are reports of 14 widows, two orphans, two
widowers and material damages in the municipalities of Comit n,
Ocosingo, Margaritas and Oxchuc.
Joining the long list of accusations of human rights
violations, David Ramos from the State Council of Indigenous and
Peasant Organizations, declared that the State of Chiapas' Justice
Department has refused to liberate thirty two indigenous men
accused of complicity with the EZLN imprisoned at the Cerro Hueco
penitentiary.
Finally, there is another situation which is acquiring importance
due to the manner in which it is developing; this is the
displacement of indigenous people from their communities. Regarding
this problem the Secretariat of National Defense informed that in
nine chiapanese municipalities there are 20,482 displaced people.
It is necessary to add to this number the increasing number of
families that are passing through the borders into Guatemala to
avoid the conflict, and those other families expelled from their
natal communities for being accused of aiding the rebel forces.
Within this framework the dialogue for peace initiated privately on
sunday 20th and officially on Monday 21th, constitutes both the
most concrete sign of hope and the most favourable ground for
processing all these situations. On the other hand, the sole
suspension of arm conflict will not be sufficient as a resolution
to all the problems mentioned.
Laura Gonz les.
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CHRONOLOGY
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February 15.
"We do not inhibit those who come to present a complaint.
Notwithstanding, there have been 25 complaints made since January
26. None of them against the army, all of them against the
transgressors or those who result responsible", stated the
Lieutenant colonel of Infantry, Octavio Pulido Ram!rez, who argued
that the Mexican Army could have finished with the guerilla "in
eight days" if it had wanted.
The National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) informed that
the two minors held prisoners at Los Altos de Chiapas for their
alleged collaboration with the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberaci"n
Nacional, Ra#l L"pez (15 years old) and Luis Morales Hern ndez (17
years old), were left free and handed over to their relatives in
the community of La Garrucha.
A "secret" visit by the director of the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA), James Woolsey, was carried out under strict security
measures. The American official was received by the Gobernaci"n
Secretary (Minister of Interior), Jorge Carpizo, with whom he spoke
about the preoccupation of his government regarding the arm
conflict in Chiapas.
February 16.
Violence erupted in Chiapas because "interests were too
hostile; if everyone would function within the law and would act
within that framework, then the conflict would not have had its
present dimensions", assured Manuel Camacho Sol!s, Commissioner for
Peace, when answering to the ranchers from Ocosingo, Altamirano y
Las Margaritas. They manifested that the problem is not only
product of poverty, they said that peasants are "used as shields"
by the zapatistas and that poverty is "used as a mask".
Amnesty International asked the Mexican government to conduct
and thorough investigation regarding the accusations of torture,
disappearances and execution of three indigenous men members of an
ejidal community in Morelia, in the municipality of Altamarino. The
agency affirms that in these events "the responsibility of the
Mexican army is clear".
The uruguayan lawyer Alejandro Artucio, member of the
International Jurists Commission stated that even though the
violations of human rights in Chiapas carried out by government
troops were severe, they had been exaggerated by the press. In
Mexico as a result of the indigenous conflict in Chiapas "a great
explosion of truth and freedom of expression" has occurred, said
the writer Carlos Monsiv is in a masterly conference at the
University of California. He added, that "the professionals of
lies" are on their way to extinction everywhere except in Televisa.
The State Council of Indigenous and Peasant Organizations of
Chiapas proposed the initiation of a public debate to discuss if it
is "worthwhile to continue emending our Carta Magna or if in
accordance with the times we are living, it is appropriate to write
a new one".
Beatriz Paredes Rangel, president of the National Commission
for Integral Development and Justice for Indigenous People, argued
that: the solidarity from civil society towards the country's
indigenous peoples in this moment, does not have to emerge from
emotion, nor from the emergency of their protagonism, but from its
disposition to eradicate racism through a new composition of power
and those who take part in it.
For the writer Carlos Montemayor it is highly unlikely that
the EZLN was not detected for ten years in the Lacandonian Jungle,
where no one can pass unnoticed. Moreover, he thinks that it is
important to recognise the indigenous character of this movement,
and to see that the problem does not have a military solution, but
rather, it requires profound answers of and economic and social
type.
SPECIAL BULLETIN CONFLICT IN CHIAPAS
Number 6, February 15th-21st, 1994.
SECOND OF FOUR PARTS
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CHRONOLOGY, SECOND PART
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February 17.
Manuel Camacho Sol!s, Commissioner for peace, stated a few
minutes after the realised of general Absal"n Castellanos
Dom!nguez, that "we are confirming that politics as a principal is
the best path for the resolutions of conflicts and problems". He
added that the released could not being achieved through violence.
In the outskirts of Las Margaritas, in the frontier between the
free zone and rebel territory, a member of the community read a
document entitled "The Chiapanese jungle's Popular clamour", in it
the ex governor was judged for "his corrupt actions". He was
accused of illicit enrichment, of owning 20800 hectares which make
up eleven ranches, of buying tractors with public resources, and
finally, of "having assassinated" three indigenous fighters. During
this event the community at Guadalupe Tepeyac asked that Televisa
(television network) leave the site.
The Council of Indigenous and Peasant Organizations of Chiapas
(COIC) agreed to carry out a series of mobilizations to ask for the
resolution of their demands, since the federal and state
governments "have not given real answers" to their petitions. It
agreed to demand from the authorities recognition of land
possession to those people who have occupied lands, through an
agreement which can safeguard the security of these people and
immediately initiate a landowning regularization procedure.
The National Commission for Human Rights is not "covering up" for
the Mexican army, nor is it the EZLN's "protector"; its commitment
is with Mexican society and with truth", stated its president Jorge
Madrazo Cu llar.
The Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) installed near
the Guatemalan borders a new military zone, numbered 38, which
headquarters are located at Tenosique, a Tabascan municipality. Its
operation radius encompasses parts of the conflict area in Chiapas.
Oscar Luj n, Argentinas' Justice Attorney general and member of the
Interamerican Commission for Human Rights, assured that this
organization has not received any specific accusations regarding
individual or collective cases of violations of human rights in
Chiapas. He stated: "what the NGOs presented us with last week, was
only a preliminary report".
A coalition of human rights and indigenous organizations
representing more than one hundred American indigenous movements,
presented a document to the CIDH, in which they accuse the Mexican
army of human rights violations in the Chiapas conflict. They asked
that the CIDH pass an urgent resolution to demand that the Mexican
government facilitate human rights and medical organizations
information regarding a series of alleged violations. The petition
was formally presented by the Centre for Human Rights and
Constitutional Law based in California.
With the vote of the parliamentary fractions, the Congress
Permanent Commission condemned the veto against the television
network Televisa, impeding it from covering the Peace Negotiations
in Chiapas.
February 18.
The government will continue to privilege a political solution
in Chiapas over an armed confrontation.
The EZLN is made up by a new generation which arrived at the
painful option of war, "because in this instant its wishes are
clearly for an end to all this, because they do not desire war but,
on the contrary a true peace", said the bishop Samuel Ruiz Garc!a.
With regards to the Church, he said that it was also overridden,
"it will have to rethink its way of living close to people in order
to be able to interpret their suffering and offer adequate remedies
so that events of this nature do not repeat themselves". He added
that the dimensions of this arm conflict experienced by this
institution, are not only chiapanese, but national and
international.
When interviewed Absal"n Castellanos Dom!nguez manifested not
knowing the "causes for the arm movements (from the EZLN) or the
motivations for their struggle".
The state government determined the amount of the
indemnification allocated for the widows and orphans due to the arm
conflict in several municipalities at Los Altos de Chiapas. This
indemnification will be anywhere from 11 to 55 thousand pesos,
depending on the conditions in which each victim is on, informed
the coordinator of this Fund, Blanca Leticia Escoto.
"All the complaints we have regarding human rights violations
in the Chiapas conflict on the part of the Mexican Armed Forces are
well founded", stated Rick Halperin, ex president of the United
States' section of Amnesty International (AI).
February 19.
A enraged crowd of about 300 indigenous people, some of them
just curious to see what was happening, incited by ranchers and
political leaders from Altamirano, Chiapas, stopped the Second
University Caravan "Ricardo Pozas" and they pillaged five tons of
humanitarian aid which was being taken to an ejido in Morelia.
The Ranchers' Association of Chil"n informed that the number of
small properties invaded during the last week by members of the
National Coordination of Indigenous Peoples (CNPI) in San Crist"bal
de las Casas has risen to 38. The Association demanded the
intervention of state authorities to solve the problem, since "they
fear that this situation might spread to the entire state". The
nomination of the bishop from San Crist"bal de las Casas, Samuel
Ruiz Garc!a, for the Nobel peace price, was officially announced at
Mexico city's University Cultural Centre by a
committee of personalities from the intellectual, ecclesiastical
and secular communities.
The Interamerican Commission of Human Rights (CIDH) from the
Organization of American States (OEA) "has not received any
complaints" related to the events at Los Altos de Chiapas, assured
chancellor Manuel Tello. Meanwhile, Mexico's ambassador at the OEA,
Alejandro Carrillo Castro, stated that the presence of CIDH
representatives in Mexico is not necessary since there are members
of the International Red Cross, from CNDH and NGOs already in the
region.
Antonio Riviello Baz n, Secretary of Defense, said regarding
the alleged violation of human rights by some members of the
Mexican army that the "militaries are embedded with ethical
principles, hence the performance of the troops has complied with
the most absolute respect for human rights".
February 20.
In a time of "trial" for Mexicans, the Mexican army's peace
commitment allows to go forward towards achieving the aspirations
of all Mexicans; a definite stop to the violence and pacification
and tranquillity in Chiapas. The Republic's government will put
everything on its hands so that the dialogue may be conducive to
resolving "the problems and to construct new opportunities",
manifested the president, Carlos Salinas de Gortari during the
celebration of the Day of the Army.
Manuel Camacho Sol!s indicated that around the cathedral of
San Crist"bal, where beginning on Monday the Peace and conciliation
talks will be held, there will be three neutral circles made up by
the International Red Cross, non governmental organizations and
"unarmed military police".
UNAM students members of the Second University Caravan
"Ricardo Pozas" accused Altamirano's municipal president, Arnulfo
Cruz Sant!s, and the local PRI's president at San Crist"bal de las
Casas, Jorge Constantino, and their collaborators of "illegal
seizure of liberty through kidnapping, threats, and physical and
verbal violence towards journalists and university students" when
this caravan attempted to leave the municipality to continue its
journey to deliver five tons of food to a community in Morelia. In
nine Chiapanese municipalities there are 20482 people displaced
from their communities of origin "as a consequence of pressure and
the illicit activities by law breakers", assured a report
elaborated by the Secretariat of National Defense.
The criticisms against the Mexican Army during the last months
regarding its intervention in the 1968 student movement could well
be part of a strategy of "negative publicity" for the armed forces
in order to prepare for the events in Chiapas, stated the commander
of the fifth and twenty fifth military zones, Jes#s Guti rrez
Rebolledo, interviewed at the conclusion of the ceremony
commemorating the Day of the Army.
Chiapas governor, Javier L"pez Moreno, ask 551 members of the
State Indigenous Council (CIE) (among them 76 mayors of an equal
number of municipalities with indigenous population) "to leave
aside pressure and coercion tactics" since "land invasions are
illegal and can not be tolerated by the government or supported by
any organization". This declaration was given as a response to the
petition made by this Council, who asked the Secretariat of
Agrarian Reform (SRA) that it "implement the measures necessary to
end the severe problem of unclaimed lands". They also ask state
authorities to withdraw all judicial charges against those who have
invaded lands in the last days in some regions of the state. In the
same occasion the governor distributed 23 million pesos from
Pronasol for diverse works in the 76 municipalities.
SPECIAL BULLETIN CONFLICT IN CHIAPAS
Number 6, February 15th-21st, 1994.
THIRD OF FOUR PARTS
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CHRONOLOGY, LAST PART
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February 21.
Among cheers from the multitude which took to the streets to
greet them, the EZLN returned after fifty days to San Crit"bal de
las Casas with a proposal for peace as a weapon. It came
represented by 19 delegates who will participate in the Peace and
Reconciliation talks.
For the reconciliation and unity among indigenous communities
of Las Ca$adas, close to 500 tzeltales from the ARIC-Union of
Unions carried out a peregrination from the top of the Ococingo
municipality towards the ejido San Miguel, closely watched by the
EZLN.
The president, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, awarded medals for
Distinguish Service to the widows and families of 14 members of the
Armed Forces fallen in the line of duty in the conflict at Chiapas.
He also awarded similar recognitions to the 35 members of the
Mexican Army who were injured at the operations in the country's
southeast.
With a mass were initiated the peace talks organized by the
Popular Revolutionary Union Emiliano Zapata (UPREZ). A prayer was
said for the indigenous people of Chiapas and their presence in the
national democratic life because they finally represent "the
interests of the poorest of this country".
The third Congress of Michoacanian Indigenous Communities
concluded and demanded a new relationship with the State, the
recognition of ethnically autonomous regions, an Indigenous Human
Rights Commission and a new constitution in which Spanish would not
be considered the only official language for the country. During
the event, in which there were representatives from 45 national
minorities and 13 guest organizations, the reforms to the
constitution's article 27 were refused; there was an agreement for
electoral participation "as communities"; a commission was named to
travel to Chiapas to offer support to the EZLN and to ask for
solidarity from the Chiapanese indigenous peoples for the
Michoacanian struggles.
Mexico's ambassador to the OEA, Alejandro Carrillo Castro,
declared that the Mexican government is studying the possibility
and the pertinence of recognising the Interamerican Court for Human
Rights, yet he did not indicate that a resolution will be achieved
in the short run.
Source: This section was written based on information facilitated
by Servicios Informativos Procesados, A. C. (SIPRO).
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THE ACTORS AND THE FACTS
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Two facts drew public attention last week. Both are intimately
linked to the much awaited dialogue between the Commissioner for
Peace and Reconciliation, on his condition as government
representative, and the members of the Ej rcito Zapatista de
Liberaci"n Nacional (EZLN), with good offices of the National
Commissioner for Intermediation, the bishop from San Crist"bal de
las Casas, Samuel Ruiz Garc!a. The first one of them occurred on
wednesday 16, when the liberation of general Absal"n Castellanos
Dom!nguez, the ex governor of Chiapas, finally came true. General
Castellanos had been kidnapped (as a "prisoner of war" according to
his captors) since January 2, when the EZLN burst into his ranch.
Apparently the kidnapping was not a premeditated action, but a
product of a purely circumstantial situation.
What is significant about this event was that, even though,
throughout this period it had not been made explicit, the agreement
regarding his release had to be related to the negotiations.
Surely, this was the reason way the release was delayed. The
release was not conditioned on a clear assumption that supposed
zapatista militants would be realised.
The event caught the public's attention and a large media
coverage was deployed. Beyond the dramatical grazes due to the
presence of the prisoner's relatives, the event's central issues
were the warm welcomed given to the zapatista delegation by the
population and the written statement read by a member of the
community. In essence, the document contained the accusations and
the subsequent sentence which formed part of the political trial
carried out against the ex official, who only denied silently the
accusations made against his behaviour in his public and private
affairs.
The resolution of the incident was widely commented, and for
some sectors a "heroization of the victim" occurred. Some
information networks contributed to this situation which was
accentuated by general Castellanos' presence at the celebration of
the eighty first anniversary of the Mexican Army. Once more in this
occasion, both the Republic's President and the Secretary of
National Defense, ratified that the armed institution had
participated in the conflict in accordance with the state of law
while fulfilling their mission to safeguard national peace and
security.
The other relevant event was the final materialization of the
dialogue process. Towards the end of the week bishop Samuel Ruiz
announced that the talks would be held at the cathedral in San
Crist"bal de las Casas, one of the main stages for the initial
upraising. After careful and prolonged secret negotiations an a
agreement regarding the location of the talks was finally reached
(with the previous approval of both sides). On Sunday twentieth a
careful maneuver was organized to pick up, in different sites of
the conflict zones, the EZLN delegates designated by all their
internal political and military structures. A logistical apparatus
was established for the transportation composed of the
commissioners, the International Red Cross and members of the
Federal Highway Police. Within the city a triple security belt was
established, with unarmed military police, members of non
governmental organizations, and volunteers from the Mexican Red
Cross.
On Monday 21th the talks were formally initiated behind close
doors. After the first work session had been finished the
participants offered a press conference where they indicated that
this session was dedicated to introductions and the establishment
of rules which will structure the meetings. When both sides
considered it appropriate, they will call on the media to
communicate the pertinent information. One of the most important
conclusions from this first day was expressed by the Commissioner
for Peace and Reconciliation. He stated that we have gone from the
stage of arm confrontation to that of political negotiations, from
the language of arms to that of words.
In the meantime, other actors which had been convened (such as
the political parties) have not seem to find and appropriate
participation formula. Part of their inability stems from the
dilemma of appearing as "political opportunists", as some of them
have explicitly stated. Others have strongly objected to
participating arguing that they would not debate with an
organization that does not put down its arms and its members
maintain anonymity. Others have assisted even though their
participation does not have the same significance, since they are
not the main contenders. Not withstanding, the EZLN included
everyone on equal terms on its invitation, considering that because
of their participation in the electoral process they should be
concern with the dialogue's course.
Due to all these, the main protagonists of the week that
begins will be the participants in the dialogue. The battle for
information which has not lost intensity, but has shown diverse
modalities and expressions, has given a turn in search for
headlines. The emphasis was put on revealing the conditions under
which the dialogue was to take place. The national and
international press have continue to look for information regarding
the EZLN, and in particular about the figure of subcommander
Marcos, who gave another interview. Besides the details and
anecdotes, the relevance of these interviews and the communicates
(which have continue to be an important communication medium among
the zapatistas and diverse sectors) is that they constitute a
channel for expressing the organization's political positions and
statements.
Rodolfo Casillas R.
SPECIAL BULLETIN CONFLICT IN CHIAPAS
Number 6, February 15th-21st, 1994.
LAST PART
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NGO News
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Samuel Ruiz, candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
On Friday, February 18 in the presence of over two hundred
representatives of civil and ecclesiastical organizations
congregated at the University Cultural Centre, the official request
that bishop Samuel Ruiz be enroled as a candidate for the 1994
Nobel Peace Prize, was made public.
The text was sent to Oslo, Norway, by the Argentine Adolfo
P rez Esquivel, Nobel Prize 1980, in representation of a
provisional national commission and a group organized in the city
of Toluca, in the state of Mexico. It states that Mr. Samuel Ruiz
"is a key figure who has acted as a mediator to achieve a solution
to the existing problems in Chiapas".
During the presentation of this official request members of
the initially formed Mexican Committee Pro Nobel Prize for Samuel
Ruiz, spoke. Doctor Pablo Latap!, distinguished education analyst,
highlighted the spirit of reconciliation which inspires the bishop
and informed of the repeated components of his preaching: justice
and fraternity, which make him look for the change and salvation of
the oppressors.
Pablo Gonz lez Casanova, the National University's ex
president and a renown social scientist, considered that Samuel
Ruiz has reached the highest level of contemporary humanism, which
has been able to link politics and morality. He said that Ruiz
looks for a solution to the problems of those who suffer injustice
and emphasised the bishop's Latinamerican dimension.
The anthropologist Alicia Puente de Guzm n, indicated that
Samuel Ruiz during his 34 years as a bishop has demonstrated that
he can contribute in the recognition of the oppressed's dignity and
help them fight for themselves for better conditions.
On the other hand, Miguel Concha affirmed that the bishop of San
Crist"bal has followed on the footsteps of Bartolom de las Casas
and Francisco de Victoria, two great fighters in the XVI century.
He highlighted the ecumenical attitude practised by "Tatic" Samuel,
a man who has known how to practice and profess tolerance and
pluralism.
Adolfo P rez Esquivel also sent a letter to the Mexican
president, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, in which he informs the
mandatary of bishop's Ruiz nomination. He also states that the
conflict in Chiapas urgently needs the implementation of profound
economic, social and political structural reforms that might attend
the causes for the uprising, "because we also believe that there
can be no peace without social justice and democracy".
Civil Space for Peace.
73 non governmental organizations from 24 of the country's
states congregated at San Crist"bal de las Casas decided to form a
Civil Space for Peace (ESPAZ), "as a peculiar contribution from
civil society towards the establishment of the conditions necessary
to safeguard, along with those who share our same motivations, the
development of a dialogue which may conduce to peace with dignity,
justice and democracy".
These organizations which represent diverse citizen networks
of women, childhood assistance, struggle against poverty, for the
freedom of information, among others, have indicated that the
constitution of this space cames in response to the Ej rcito
Zapatista de Liberaci"n Nacional's request. The EZLN's petition to
the NGOs ask for the establishment of a security belt which might
guarantee the development of the talks with the government. They
inform in a communicate that the participation of ESPAZ in this
process is based on three fundamental elements: neutrality, peace
and dialogue.
In relation to the first element they consider the neutrality
to be in their commission and the space where the dialogue will
take place. With respect to peace, they say that it should impede
the creation of war conditions, hence, it has to be an expression
of justice, equality and democracy. Regarding the dialogue, they
indicate that it is not only a matter of listening, but of
understanding the other's reasons. They urge those who will take
part in the dialogue to take this into consideration.
Hospital San Carlos asks for security.
On Sunday, February 20th, afternoon a crowd instigated by
ranchers, landowners, municipal authorities and members of the PRI
(Institutional Revolutionary Party) once more harassed and verbally
assaulted the staff at San Carlos hospital, located at Altamirano,
Chiapas.
This hospital is administer by the congregation of Compa$!a de
las Hijas de la Caridad de San Viciente de Paul, and its personnel
has received various aggressions "because it has maintained a
neutral and humanitarian attitude with all the people who have
required their services, independently of their affiliation with
one of the sides in the conflict", informed the Coordination of
NGOs for Peace of San Crist"bal de las Casas (CONPAZ).
CONPAZ has asked that telegrams be sent to the Republic's
president and to the governor of Chiapas so that they guarantee the
integrity of the personnel at the Hospital San Carlos, and that the
necessary measures be taken to allow them to continue their
valuable humanitarian work.
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DIRECTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS
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Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fray Bartolom de las Casas" (CDHFBC)
5 de Febrero No. 6
Apdo. Postal 178
29200 San Crist"bal de las Casas, Chis.
Tel: (967) 835-48
Fax: (967) 835-51
E-Mail: Internet: cdh-bcasas@laneta.apc.org
CHILTAK, A.C.
Flavio A. Paniagua No. 20 B.
Barrio del Cerrillo
Apdo. Postal 179.
29220 San Crist"bal de las Casas, Chis.
Tel y Fax: (967) 838-68
E-Mail: Internet: chiltak@laneta.apc.org
Centro de Derechos Humanos "Fray Francisco de Vitoria, O.P.", A.C.
(CDHFV)
Odontolog!a No. 35. Col. Copilco Universidad.
04360 M xico, D.F.
Tel: 659-67-97
Fax: 659-38-23
E-Mail: Internet: cdh-fvitoria@laneta.apc.org
Centro Nacional de Comunicaci"n Social, A.C. (CENCOS)
Medell!n 33, Col. Roma
06700 M xico, D.F.
Tels: 533-6475 y 76. Fax: 208-2062
E-Mail: Internet: cencos@laneta.apc.org
Comisi"n Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Perif rico Sur 3469
Col. San Jer"nimo L!dice.
10200 M xico, D.F.
Tel: 681-8125. Fax: 669-4076
Espacio para la Paz, A.C. (ESPAZ)
Tel: 584-3895, 277-4851 y 208-7547
Servicios Informativos Procesados, A.C. (SIPRO)
Prosperidad No. 31
Col. Escand"n
11800 M xico, D.F.
Tel y Fax: 277-47-91
E-Mail: Internet: sipro@laneta.apc.org
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DIRECTORY
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Communications Program Coordinator of the AMDH: Ma. Yolanda
Arguello. Special Bulletin Coordinator: Rodolfo Casillas R.;
Editorial Staff: Ana Laura Correa, Laura de Cisneros and Le"n
T llez. Traslation: Marcela R!os. E-Mail: Miguel Acosta V.
If you wish to recieve the following numbers of our Special
Bulletin, please write or phone:
Academia Mexicana de Derechos Humanos, A.C.
Filosof!a y Letras # 88. Col. Copilco Universidad.
04360 M xico D.F.
Tels. 659-87-64 y 659-49-80. Fax 658-72-79.
E-mail: AMDH (internet: amdh@laneta.apc.org)
Note: This Bulletin and the previous ones are located in E-mail:
Internet (Peacnet) CARNET.MEXNEWS
amdh (internet: amdh@laneta.apc.org)
* Origin: Acad Mex Derechos Humanos, AC (3:970/4.193)