A JOURNAL OF TRANS-ETHNIC SPIRITUALITY (01-11-98)
VOL.3, ISSUE 3
Reports from
Chiapas (1)
Reports from Chiapas (2)
Cyber Sit-In Planned (3)
CHIAPAS MEDIA PROJECT
Letter from Marcos regarding
the global protests on January 12th
Letters to the Editor
BROTHERHOOD
by Hazrat Inayat Khan and a message about the new Sufi
Federation
LINKS FOR THIS ISSUE
Rev. Hamid Touchon - P.O.Box 4897 - Pagosa Springs,
CO 81157-4897 -
Heart of the Message, copyright 97 is produced for the Church
of All and of all churches at Pagosa Springs by Post-Dogmatist
Publications, Rev. Hamid Cecil Touchon; Editor-in-Chief. All materials
in the Heart of the Message are copyrighted
MORE
ABOUT THE CHURCH OF ALL AND OF ALL
CHURCHES
THE UNIVERSAL WORSHIP SERVICE
THE PRAYERS
FROM the PEACENET website
things you can do now
Urgent Chiapas Action Alert
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 |
REPORTS FROM CHENALO, CHIAPAS
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
ANOTHER LETTER FROM CHIAPAS
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
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..
Please visit the Gallery
at Cecil Touchon Contemporary Art who
supplies the space for this page.
produced
by Post-Dogmatist Publications
copyright 1997
|