Title: Mexican Army presence increasing in communities preparing for
a meeting with the civil society: CCRI
La Jornada, December 23 1995
*Tension in La Realidad because of a helicopter and a patrol
that took photos*
*SOLDIERS IN LOS ALTOS, SIGN OF WAR: EZLN*
*Their presence is increasing in the zone where the meeting
with the civil society is being prepared for: CCRI*
Jose Gil Olmos, reporter, part 1, Los Altos, Chiapas, December 21
The Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee (CCRI) of this zone
stated that the intensification of the military patrols--with tanks equipped
with cannons, artillery jeeps, planes and helicopters--in los Altos, the
north and the Lacandon jungle are not a "sign" of peace from the federal
government, but rather a sign of "war". They asked that the National
Commission of Mediation (CONAI) and that of the Harmony and Pacification
(COCOPA) talk with President Ernesto Zedillo and that he explain to them the
intention behind the increased troop movements during the past four days.
In an interview with La Jornada, six comandantes of the CCRI expressed their
concern and disgust as a result of the military patrols, which today were
rejected by yells and some stones by the indigenous working to construct a
"cultural meeting" center for the indigenous communities of Chiapas and the
national civil society in Oventic, a collective farm located in San Andres
Larrainzar.
According to reports, at the same time the presence of land troops, planes
and helicopters had intensified in the area of the collective farm of La
Garrucha, in the canyon of Patiwitz, in the municipality of Ocosingo, and in
the community of La Realidad, in the municipality of Las Margaritas.
"The EZLN has no intention of provoking anything; rather our desire is to
want to construct something good for our communities, something that serves
our brothers and sisters. We are always trying to construct and in no way
to destroy. For this reason this is not any type of provocation by the
EZLN", stated one of the indigenous comandantes--who preferred to remain
anonymous--while explaining the idea of constructing a building in this
site, which because of its size and nearness to the site of the dialogue
between the Zapatistas and the federal government it has attracted
attention.
Another indigenous commander affirmed that the EZLN has demonstrated a will
and disposition to seek a peaceful solution to the armed conflict in order
to achieve a just and dignified peace, "for this reason we reject these
movements which President Ernesto Zedillo has made, as he is the head of the
Army".
The interview was collective; the discussion jumped from one theme to
another in the middle of the woods. "We want to ask CONAI to talk with
COCOPA and that they tell President Ernesto Zedillo that he should explain
the reasons for there being so much constant presence of the Army, day and
night, in los Altos, the north, and the Lacandon jungle".
"While we are willing to work tranquilly and make the best possible effort
to advance the dialogue, the federal government is making new strong
threats. For this reason we ask CONAI and COCOPA to tell us the truth once
and for all, what is it that they want: peace or war".
The rebel leader warned that each time it is more difficult to control the
demonstrations of disgust amongst the indigenous, who today protested by
throwing stones at the passage of the soldiers in tanks with cannons and
jeeps with machine guns at the attack position.
"We try to continue to control our people so that there is no provocation,
so that what happened in January 1994 does not happen again, but if they
continue threatening, provoking, the moment will come in which we can not
control our people. For this reason we want President Zedillo to tell us
the truth, whether he will keep his word or what is it that he wants".
Another commander explained the basic idea behind the construction of the
center in the Oventic collective farm with resources from the indigenous of
the region.
"The work that is being carried out here is for the creation of a cultural
meeting center; it is being constructed by people from different villages.
This center is very important to us. It is to serve as a place where
everyone can participate in different activities: cultural, artistic,
social, where everyone feels like it is their home. This place will be a
meeting place for many people from different places, all of the civil
society, where they can participate freely, where they can express their
desires, their dreams; this is the thinking behind this place, " explained
the member of the CCRI.
" In addition, in order to construct something good for our people, we do
not need to seek permission from the government or from anyone, because we
are in our own village, in our home, on our mother earth, so we don't have
to ask permission of the government or the Army in order to construct
something good for ourselves and which we didn't have before. We are
indigenous people, and we are in our home. The government could also
construct something in its home, in its territory, without asking our
permission; we can do the same", added another of the indigenous
comandantes.
The members of the CCRI from los Altos stated that the construction in
Oventic is a "sign of peace", of the will to "continue forward in looking
for just solutions to our problems".
"What we are constructing or trying to construct is something good for many
people, for our people, and the government is now threatening it. For us,
the constant presence of the Army with its tanks, planes and helicopters,
day and night, and the presence of soldiers, is a clear provocation on the
part of the government, it is a threat. What the government is doing is to
try to provoke us; it knows where our territory is, it knows it very well;
it knows where the communities which sympathize with the EZLN are, and
that's where it is entering. This is to provoke and threaten".
"We are not asking the government to give us aid. We are not asking
anything of the government to construct this event center; it is with the
will of all of the communities who sympathize with the Zapatista struggle,
and who know that in these places they can share their ideas and everything
about their lives as indigenous people without anyone impeding them, because
we do not have any place where we can express ourselves freely with our
brothers and sisters and with other peoples", states one of the comandantes
of the CCRI.
During the interview they stated that since December 19 military patrols
began to increase in the north, the jungle and the Altos of Chiapas.
For them it is a "sign of bad faith". For this reason one of the two
comandantes present in the interview insisted that President Zedillo explain
what is happening.
"We are dialoguing with the government, and yet they make these movements.
We reject this because it is a provocation, and we do not understand the
reason for it. For this reason we want them to tell us the truth, that they
tell us, well, what the government really wants".
The members of the CCRI demanded that the military movements in the regions
where the EZLN has a presence be suspended. "We are trying to do our work
in our territory, and we ask that the government show signs of peace by
lessening the military presence and continuing with the dialogue at San
Andres. We do not want war, we want peace with justice and dignity. This
is what we want".
" We, the Zapatistas, have the political will to seek a solution by peaceful
means; we are fulfilling what the people have asked of us: that the EZLN
dialogue with the federal government. We are willing to continue the
dialogue to find liberty, peace and justice with dignity for the Mexican
people.
"But the government, to the contrary, says that it wants peace and it's not
true. We see clearly that the government does not want peace, or that it
wants it with blood, and for this reason, there are the planes and the
patrols in order to threaten the people in the Zapatista territory. With
this it is shown that the government does not want a solution, it wants to
provoke a war".
Their interpretation of the military presence in the regions considered
Zapatistas just 20 days before the initiation again of the dialogue in San
Andres Larrainzar is that "the government wants the Zapatistas to give up,
and we are never going to surrender".
An indigenous comandante affirmed that the EZLN continues to be willing to
dialogue is the government truly wants peace. "It should think about it
hard; all of us like all Mexicans are looking for peace, democracy, justice
and dignity through a political means. We have complied, and the government
hasn't, although it says that it has. For this reason there are so many
patrols by soldiers with tanks, planes. These are not signs of peace from
the government, they are a provocation for war for us."
(Translated by Cindy Arnold, National Center for Democracy, Liberty and
Justice)