Originally posted in IGC member conference: pn.announcements  
Date: January 5, 1998  
Posted by: p4p@igc.org  

/* Written 6:18 PM  Jan  5, 1998 by p4p@igc.org in pn.announcements */ 
/* ---------- "Urgent Chiapas Action Alert" ---------- */ 

the interreligious foundation for community organization, inc. 
IFCO/ Pastors for Peace 
National Office   402 W. 145th Street  New York, NY 10031  
phone: 212/926-5757  fax: 212/926-5842  ifco@igc.apc.org    
 

January 5, 1998         Urgent Action Alert 

Indigenous community leaders have recently confirmed that the Mexican 
Federal Army has committed serious acts of aggression against the 
civilian 
indigenous populations of La Realidad and Morelia, Chiapas.  The Mexican 
army is using US military aid such as Blackhawk helicopters to carry out 
these acts of intimidation.  These actions come quickly after the brutal 
massacre of 45 indigenous people in Acteal on December 22, and 
illustrate 
the increasing violence facing indigenous men, women and children in 
Chiapas.  The immediate action and support of the international 
community is 
necessary to avoid the deaths of more innocent people in Chiapas.   
  
In response to the Acteal massacre and the recent acts of the Mexican 
army, 
we urge you to take the following actions: 

1) Plan a vigil at the Mexican consulate in your community on January 9. 
During the vigil, meet with the Consul General and demand:  
a) that s/he contact the Governor of Chiapas and demand that the names 
of 
those involved in the paramilitary group responsible for the Acteal 
murders 
be released.  
b) an explanation why the state security police did not act to prevent 
this 
atrocity nor apprehend the perpetrators. 
c) that President  Ernesto Zedillo explain what actions he will take to 
capture and bring to justice those responsible for the massacre.  
d).the complete disbanding of all paramilitary groups in Chiapas and in 
Mexico.  
e) that President Zedillo honor the Agreements of San Andres signed 
during 
the peace talks 
f) that President Zedillo stop the militarization of indigenous 
communities 
in Chiapas 

IFCO/Pastors for Peace is planning vigils at the Mexican Consulates in 
New 
York City and Chicago for January 9th and supporters in two dozen cities 
throughout the US are planning similar activities.  Let us know your 
plans 
so that we can share them with others. 

2) Jam the fax and email addresses of President Zedillo and the other 
Mexican government officials and organizations listed below with the 
above 
requests. A sample letter to President Zedillo, which can also be 
forwarded 
to the listed organizations, is enclosed. 

3) Contact your senators and congressional representatives and invite 
them 
to join you at the vigil in your community.  Ask them to contact the 
Department of State and the White House and demand an official 
investigation 
of the violence against civilian indigenous communities by the Mexican 
army-violence which is supported by US military aid. 

Congressional switchboard (202) 225-3121 

4) Send a fax to Mac McLarty, special advisor to President Clinton on 
Latin 
America, demanding an investigation into the use of US military aid by 
the 
Mexican army in violent acts against indigenous communities.   

Mac McLarty, White House advisor on Latin America   fax (202) 456-2464  

We hope this outline of information will be useful in your organizing 
efforts.  
 

Communiqué from the Revolutionary Clandestine Committee--General Command 
of 
the Zapatista Army for National Liberation 

January 3, 1998 

To the People of Mexico 
To the People and Governments of the World 
To the National and International Press 

Brothers and Sisters: 

The EZLN denounces the latest grave incidents: 

FIRST: 
On the first of January 1998, the Mexican Government broke the dialogue 
with the EZLN and violated the Law of Dialogue of March 1995 [passed after 
invasion of the Federal Army in February 1995] by reinitiating the 
persecution of the Zapatistas.  This began on January 1, 1998 when they 
attacked the community of YALEHIBTK [spelling?] where they planted arms 
to justify their aggression.  These arms did not belong to the EZLN.  In the 
early morning hours of today (Jan. 3) we received a communiqué that the 
Federal Army was threatening [maniobrando]  to take  the community of La 
Realidad.  The last communication that we received was that special armed 
forces of the Federal Army disembarked from a motorcade of armed vehicles 
and began to advance upon La Realidad, combing the surrounding area and 
detaining and torturing indigenous campesinos that they met in their 
wake. 
To those that were grabbed and tortured they asked:  Where is Marcos?  
We have orders from the President to take him dead or alive.  At midday 
communication was cut and now we don't know what the situation is in the 
community of La Realidad, or how our companieros are. 

SECOND: 
With the persecution of Zapatistas, the Federal Government wants to 
cover up their responsibility in the killings [matanza] at Acteal; but we know  
they are principally responsible. 

THIRD: 
In the community of Morelia [another Zapatista Aguascalientes site used 
for national and international gatherings with civil society] this evening 
(Jan. 3) the Federal Army is entering and conducting house to house searches 
[cateando] and evictions [expulsando] of the inhabitants. 

FOURTH: 
We call upon National and International Civil Society to mobilize and 
demand that the Government cease the persecution of the Zapatistas, respect the 
Law of 11 March 1995, fulfill the Agreements of San Andres [peace talk 
agreements signed by government representatives but ignored by President 
Zedillo,that begin to recognize indigenous rights], and to stop the 
militarization of the state of Chiapas and other indigenous regions 
throughout the country. 

DEMOCRACY,  LIBERTY, and JUSTICE 

For the Revolutionary Indigenous Clandestine Committee-- 
General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation 

Commandante David 

3 January 1998. EZLN. 

SAMPLE LETTER TO PRESIDENT ERNESTO ZEDILLO 

Dear President Zedillo: 

I write to express my grave concern about recent events in Chiapas that 
involve brutal acts of aggression against indigenous men, women and 
children.  The escalating violence in Chiapas has had a profound 
international impact.   

On December 22, 1997, 45 people were brutally massacred in a church by a 
paramilitary group in the community of Acteal, located in the 
municipality 
of Chenalho.  Seventy members of this   paramilitary group, carrying 
AK-47s, 
stalked the 600 residents of Acteal and the 300 refugees who had sought 
protection there from violence in nearby towns. 

The murders in Acteal demonstrate the increasingly violent nature of 
paramilitary groups in Chiapas.  Your immediate action is needed to 
avoid 
the deaths of more indigenous people at the hands of members of 
paramilitary 
organizations.  As a member of the international community,  I ask you 
to: 

 1) make a public statement describing what will be done to ensure that 
those responsible for the massacre are brought to justice;  
2) assure the international community that the perpetrators of all 
atrocities in Chiapas will be apprehended; 
3) direct the Chiapas state security police to explain publicly why they 
did 
nothing to stop this massacre or apprehend the perpetrators. 

Human rights organizations and indigenous community leaders in Chiapas 
have 
also confirmed that on January 3, 1998, soldiers of  the Federal Army 
entered the community in a motorcade of armed vehicles and randomly 
detained 
and tortured campesinos.  It has also been confirmed that on the same 
day, 
soldiers of the Federal Army conducted house to house searches and 
evictions 
of indigenous families in Morelia. 

The actions of  the Federal army in the above-mentioned incidents are in 
clear violation of the Law of Dialogue (passed in March 1995), which 
defines 
the conditions in which the peace talks between representatives of the 
Federal government and the Zapatista National Liberation Army can take 
place.  The increasing militarization of indigenous communities in 
Chiapas 
and the violence that has ensued continues to undermine the possibility 
of a 
just peace for indigenous families.    

As a member of the international community and as a person of 
conscience, I 
urge you to act in the interest of peace by respecting the March 11, 
1995 
Law of Dialogue, fulfilling the Agreements of San Andres and ceasing the 
militarization of the state of Chiapas. 

Sincerely, 
 
 
 

List of organizations:  
President of Mexico  
Ernesto Zedillo 
Presidente de la Rep·blica 
Palacio Nacional 
06067 Mexico D.F.  
email: webadmon@op.presidencia.gob.mx 
fax: (52-5)-271 1764/515 4783 

Secretario de Gobernacion 
Emilio Chuayffet Chemor 
Bucareli 99, 1.piso 
Col. Juarez 
06699 Mexico D.F. 
fax: (52-5) 546 5350/ 546 7380 

Comision de Concordia y Pacificacion 
Paseo de la Reforma 10, piso 17 
M xico D.F. 
fax: (52-5) 535 2726 

Camara de Diputados 
Presidente de la Comision de Regimen Interno y Gobierno 
Carlos Medina Plascencia 
Palacio Legislativo de San Lazaro 
Edif.A, Col. El Parque 
15969 Mexico D.F. 
fax: (52-5) 522 8012/ 542 1001/ 542 7431 

Gobernador del Estado de Chiapas 
Licenciado Julio Cesar Ruiz Ferro 
Palacio de Gobierno   
Av. Central y Primero Ote, Col. Centro 
29009 Tuxla Gutierrez- Chiapas   
tel. and fax. (52-961) 20917 

Presidenta de la Comision Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Chiapas 
Lic. Yesmin Lima Adam  
Argentina 455 Col. El Retiro  
29040-Tuxla Gutierrez- Chiapas  
tel. (52-961) 40632/40674 

Presidenta de la Comision Nacional de Derechos Humanos - CNDH -  
Periferico Sur 3464 Col.San Jeronimo Lidice 
10200 Mexico DF.  
tel. (52-961) 631004  
Lada sin costo: 0180000869   
e-mail: cndh@laneta.apc.org 

Also contact the Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Commission to urge a 
full UN investigation 
Mary Robinson High Commissioner for Human Rights (Headquartered in 
Geneva, 
New York Office: 
United Nations - S2914, First Avenue, New York, NY 10017, 
tel:212/963-5930, 
fax:212/963-4097) 
PASTORS FOR PEACE 
P.O. Box 408130 
Chicago, IL 60640-8130 
(773) 271-4817 tel 
(773) 271-5269 fax 
p4p@igc.apc.org (email) 

"Let us not love in word, neither in tongue: but in deed and in truth."  
1 John 3:18

A letter from Chiapas, Mexico to an art list I am on. 

dear brad: 
unfortunatly the things in Chiapas doesnt have any relation with Ufos, and i 
say unfortunatly, because things are very hard here, i mean not in all the 
state, for example here in  Tuxtla (the capital) things are very pacefuly, 
but in other places the things are gonna pump very soon...the poor people 
are suffering  very much, the past month (on december), it was a very hard 
massacre in "chenalo" ( a small city here). a group of "unknown " people get 
into the city and with cold blood kill a hundred of  native people, the most 
women and children. it was very very disgusting, all we are trying to do 
something, the situation in that places are very delicated, and things will 
not last too much if we dont do anything... 
as you can see its a very hard and sad situation. this is not the first 
time, and this will not be the last one... untill the gorvement dont change 
it will be much more killings and disasters, the fucking politicians are 
playing with the live of many hundred people, and we are tired from that. do 
you remember that i told you i had to make a trip to "san cristobal", Ok, 
the trip was on saturday morning, and we made it just to rage against the 
native assasination and of course against people in the goverment.... 

i'm sorry if i bore you with all this letter, or if i dissapoint you, but i 
guess it was very important for me to tell you whats going on... i would 
like to send you more information about it, of course only if you want, but 
sometimes its dificult to write about politic or any kind of troubles in 
another lenguage (dont you think) so, i would like to create my complete 
letter of the situation (in spanish) and im going to translate it at english 
for you...   ( i would like to ask you a favor: would you mind correcting me 
always i made a mistake..?) 
Autumn 

 45 perons: one baby, 14 children, 21 women and 9 men has been killed 

 i would like to apollogize me again, i cant keep myself writing, its very  
 dificult to me talk about all this thinks, so, please, i tried to give as  
 more as i can, but i always finish with my eyes fill of tears, please  
 forgive me...  
 but i was investigating, and i found that the only reliable newspaper in  
 mexico "la jornada" have a special version of the news in english, so you  
 can find there ALL  information avaible about this and a lot of more things,  
 besides this is the only newspaper  that doesnt censure the information, so  
 you will find there everything, even pictures, i send you now  some of them,  
and i hope the information i give you were at least enough for you, please  
 fell fre to ask me evrything you want, i will do my best to answer  
 everything you want to know ( as long as i know or could investigate...)...  
 please dont keep any doubt in your mind, read this letter and take your time  
 to understand things, and if you have a doubt about you know: names, places,  
 persons, institucions or whatever...please let me know it!!!  
  
 and once again: forgive my mistakes!!! and of course forgive me if you could  
 not understand something, i told you that its very dificult for me to talk  
 of politic in another lenguage, i used to do a lot of articles for some  
 newspapers here, but is not the same write in your own lenguage!!!    but i  
 did my best...  
  
 remember this:  you have me whatever you want...  
  
 i hope to hear of you in the night or tomorrow....ill be waiting your point  
 the facts:  
  
 on december 22th of 1997 the christmas eve has been full of tears and pain,  
 what usually should be a holliday, instantly turns into a blood  
 river...today, hundred of native people cant stop crying, they cry for her  
 children, they cry for his women, they cry for the souls of all the killed  
 children...and what are we doing?  
 45 perons: one baby, 14 children, 21 women and 9 men has been killed  
 brutally by the hand of 60 persons strong armed, the cause was aparently  
 unknown, but, almost everybody knows it,  Ruiz Ferro (the governorof  
 chiapas) is one of the principal cause, he has arrenged and designed all the  
 murder (some thinks...) but we all will never know the real cause, we just  
 know the facts, and the fact is that a lot of inocent people died...  
 the things happen in the "chenalo" city, into a place created to "protect"  
 people who has escaped from the old  massacre ocurred the last month, when  
 people of the PRI ( a politic asociation) send the mexican army to destroy  
 the city, they burn up with fire all houses, and they rape the women and  
 steal the few things they have...  Isn´t it ironic, they supposed to help,  
 and they same were the killers...  
  
 december 22th, monday:  at about 10 am, while people was praying in the  
 surroundings of Chenalo, the armed people atack surprisly, they shoot  
 against native people without remorse, and with cold blood, natives run  
 trying to scape, but everything will be against they, the plan was very well  
 planed, they surround the native people and killed violently, some of them  
 with guns, others with machetes... but all of them very cruely. the  
 testimony of some survivors was totaly amazing, while they cry they try to  
 explain with his words (they dont speak spanish pretty well) that all the  
 things they love are buried now. if you could see the face of this persons  
 you could understand that they just cant be lying... and still now, the  
 goverment people swear that all  troubles they have are they fault, and they  
 saids "there are just native fights" "we have nothing to do..."  
 the police arrived almost ten hours late,  ten hours in wich people could be  
 saved, ten hours of pain, ten hours of impotence and tragedy, and if that  
 will be not enough,  some "unknown" persons obstruct the way of the  
 ambulances and just dont let get into the city untill is too late...DONT YOU  
 THINK THIS GUYS ARE CRAZY? and the governor keep saying: " there is nothing,  
 they just kill five persons..."  
 so, judge by yourself... what do you think...  
  
 i would like to apollogize me again, i cant keep myself writing, its very  
 dificult to me talk about all this thinks, so, please, i tried to give as  
 more as i can, but i always finish with my eyes fill of tears, please  
 forgive me...  
but i was investigating, and i found that the only reliable newspaper in  
 mexico "la jornada" have a special version of the news in english, so you  
 can find there ALL  information avaible about this and a lot of more things,  
 besides this is the only newspaper  that doesnt censure the information, so  
 you will find there everything, even pictures, i send you now  some of them,  
and i hope the information i give you were at least enough for you, please  
 fell fre to ask me evrything you want, i will do my best to answer  
 everything you want to know ( as long as i know or could investigate...)...  
 please dont keep any doubt in your mind, read this letter and take your time  
 to understand things, and if you have a doubt about you know: names, places,  
 persons, institucions or whatever...please let me know it!!!  
  
and once again: forgive my mistakes!!! and of course forgive me if you could  
 not understand something, i told you that its very dificult for me to talk  
 of politic in another lenguage, i used to do a lot of articles for some  
 newspapers here, but is not the same write in your own lenguage!!!    but i  
 did my best...  
  
 remember this:  you have me whatever you want...  
  
 i hope to hear of you in the night or tomorrow....ill be waiting your point  
 of view....  
  
  
 oh!! i almost forget to tell you: i will send you later ( at night) the URL  
 adress of "la jornada in english"...  
  
 love forever..  
==============================================  

 oh!! i almost forget to tell you: i will send you later ( at night) the URL  
 adress of "la jornada in english"...  
  
 love forever..