REPORTS FROM  CHENALO, CHIAPAS about the december 22 murders of 45 mayans

Heart of the Message - A Journal of Trans-Ethnic Spirituality - click to return to main page

A JOURNAL OF TRANS-ETHNIC SPIRITUALITY

VOL.3, ISSUE 3

Reports from Chiapas (1) 
Reports from Chiapas (2) 
Cyber Sit-In Planned (3) 
CHIAPAS MEDIA PROJECT 
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 - 

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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   
 


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     Listed under date of January 21st, 1998 at  
    http://www.peak.org/~joshua/fzln/com1998.html 
    Letter from Marcos regarding 
    the global protests on January 12th 
    (attempted translation by PC93 from spanish) 
    ref: PC93 - http://www.infekt.com/c73/index.htm 
    mirror: - http://www.irdg.com/pc93/index.htm 

    Zapatista Army of National Liberation 

    January of 1998 

    Planet Earth. 

    Brothers and sisters: 

    With a bit of delay, but until here arrived the news concerning 
    your mobilizations in Mexico and in the world. Without a recount of 
    what made us come here, of the 22nd of December of 1997 to the 13th 
    of January of 1998, there were mobilizations in 130 cities of 27 
    countries of the 5 continents. Especially, the 12th of January of 
    this year, many acts of different sizes were realized in this 
    country and in different parts of the world, with an identical 
    reclaim: halt the war of extermination, punishment of those 
    responsible for the killing in Acteal, and implementation of the 
    Accords of San Andres. 

    If this letter of response gets to you with something of a little 
    lateness, it did not happen that way with our attitude. That same 
    day 12 of January, to weigh the pain that we received with the news 
    of the assassination of our companion Guadalupe Lopez Mendez, there 
    arrived the strong echo of your mobilizations in the capital of 
    Mexico, in different cities of the country, and in the 5 
    continents, and this confirmed for us that we did good in bearing, 
    in resisting and in avoiding the provocations that to-day, like 
    yesterday, have the olive green uniform. 

    I am told that in the mobilizations there was of all, and not only 
    do I refer to that there were men, women, children and old persons, 
    but that there were dances, songs, poetries, marches, paintings, 
    shouts and much indignation. As well I say that there was of all 
    because there were indigenous, women, youths, householders, 
    students, feminists, homosexuals, syndics, farmers, letter 
    carriers, committees of solidarity, intellectuals, artists, without 
    papers, etc, etc that include all. People then, people with and 
    without name. People of that which say. Ya Basta! and write the 
    history that has value and counts. People that talk to us, people 
    of that who listen to us, people of that which we now write. People 
    like you, like us. 

    Far arrived your shouts, far and strong they listened, without the 
    Will it would not have arrived. Over there above they only listen 
    to the sound of money and of your assessors that, veiled or openly, 
    call for our extermination. 

    But yes we do listen. For that we are refraining the vocation of 
    bullfighters and here we are, capoteando artillery helicopters, 
    bomber airplanes, tanks of war and dogs of hunting (trained, they 
    say, to detect the aroma of tobacco of vanilla; that is why I am 
    entering now the maple). 

    Our interlocutor is not the Mexican government. That, like we said, 
    no longer listen to. Our interlocutors are you all, the thousands 
    and thousands of persons that in Mexico and in the world want and 
    look for the end of a system of oppression that is nothing less 
    than a war against humanity. 

    The thousands and thousands who, opposing the war in Chiapas, 
    oppose the deaths in Mexico and in the rest of the world; that 
    demand the fulfillment of the accords of San Andres because they 
    require a new inclusive politic and directed to the more poor; 
    those that require the demilitarization and demand justice in place 
    of bullets and soldiers. 

    Respective of you, our hope grows and makes us better because we 
    knew to listen. And, said the Old Antonio, he who knows to listen 
    is made big and gets that which his walking follows across the 
    times, that far away comes, that multiplies in many and other ways. 

    On the top of the mountains, mounted like we are, one is able to 
    see very far. Over there, for example, we are able to see that a 
    flag waves like it was the morning. The flag looks very tall and 
    many are those that sustain it. "It is democracy", says one to me. 
    "It is liberty", ventures another. "It is Justice", affirms a 
    third. May be, I think. May be, the three things. 

    Or may be it is the dignity, the obstinate form of living and 
    walking that in you and us converts into an addiction. 

    Over here things are each time more difficult. It is evident that 
    the new "coordinator for the dialogue", Mr. Emilio Rabasa, returns 
    to fulfill the work of sleep that yesterday Esteban Moctezuma B. 
    (alias "Guajardo") carried out in 1995. In the meantime he talks of 
    "solution of the conflict" (have you noted that in the government 
    still no one talks of "peaceful solution of the conflict"), the 
    soldiers refine details of operations, complete information, detail 
    maps and distribution of effects. 

    On the part of the government we only await a new attack. "The 
    definitive solution", say the court clerks of Power. 

    On the part of you we await that of always: an opportunity of life 
    and the struggle to be better. 

    Now, in the middle of these hours of uncertainty and anguish, we 
    are more sure that we will triumph, of that the pueblo Indians 
    would be known and included respecting your difference, of that the 
    democracy, the liberty and the justice would be for all. May be 
    then we do not have the best of the worlds possible, but we would 
    have the opportunity to construct it. 

    For here come histories and images of Zocalo of the City of Mexico 
    the day 12 of January of 1988. Ones and others speak to us of the 
    rage and indignation of all requiring justice, of the incredulity 
    in front of the versions of the PGR concerning the massacre of 
    Acteal, of the unprestigiousness of Mr. Zedillo. It was, without a 
    doubt, one of the biggest and moving marches of the history of our 
    country. Big was your motivation: the peace with justice and 
    dignity. And big are as well the courage and the inconformity of 
    all, big the wants of not staying unmoved before the unjust deaths. 

    With respect to the mobilizations in the other 27 countries of the 
    world, the Mexican government and that criminal organization named 
    PRI, were greatly bothered with the "internationalization" of the 
    conflict that those manifestations imply. It seems to be that, what 
    they called scornfully "a war of Internet", has provoked headaches 
    in embassies and consulates. Outlets, manifestations in plazas and 
    streets, and thousands of letters requiring justice and peace, 
    unveiled to the Mexican government and, inexplicably, provoking 
    them to outbursts suddenly of "nationalism" and the rejection of 
    all "foreign interference" that are not, of course, that of the big 
    financial capital. The mobilizations that, exacting peace, 
    democracy, liberty and justice, that are given in those 5 
    continents are not for the government of Mexico no more than 
    "isolated and small intents of intervention in the internal matters 
    of the country". Why for the government of Mexico, is the 
    extermination of indigenous that were carried through an "internal 
    matter"? Did they think the same after the condemnation of European 
    Parliament? 

    But we are of accord with you in that the struggle for the peace 
    and for the humanity, is intercontinental. Because, how was said 
    that great and uncomprehended internationalist that was the Old 
    Antonio: The life without the others that are different is vain and 
    is condemned to immobility. What does this have to do with the 
    intercontinental struggle for the humanity and against the 
    neo-liberalism? Good, to explain to you good I have to tell you... 

    Of the early morning again, beneath the threatening airplane the 
    sea intent on reading a book of poetry with the bitter help of a 
    the end of a candle. I scrawled a letter for someone that I do not 
    know in person, that perhaps speaks another language, has another 
    culture, probably is from another country, is of another color and, 
    is certain, has another history. The plane passes and I am delayed, 
    a little to listen and much to give time to resolve the problem of 
    writing a letter to others different. In that moment, entering the 
    fog of the high mountain and unnoticed from the ocean, comes the 
    Old Antonio to my side and, giving me some little knocks on the 
    back, lights his cigarette and... 

    THE HISTORY OF THE OTHERS 

    "Told the oldest of the old ones that populated these lands that 
    the bigger gods, those that birthed the world, they did not think 
    to pair all. Or it was that they did not have the same thought, but 
    that each one had their own thought and among them they respected 
    them and listened to them. The oldest of the old ones say that is 
    the way it was, because if it had not happened that way, the world 
    would never have been born because in pure fighting the first gods 
    would have passed the time, because distinct were their thoughts 
    which they felt. Say the oldest of the old ones that for that the 
    world came out with many colors and forms, much like the thoughts 
    that were in the bigger gods, the first ones. Seven were the bigger 
    gods, and seven the thoughts that each one had, and seven times 
    seven are the forms and colors with those which visited the world. 
    The Old Antonio tells me that he asked the oldest ones that how the 
    first gods made it so that they were in agreement and talk if it 
    was that their thoughts were so different which they felt. The 
    older ones responded, says to me the Old Antonio, that there was an 
    assembly of the seven gods together each with their seven different 
    thoughts, and that in that assembly they came to agreement. 

    The Old Antonio says that the oldest of the old ones said that that 
    assembly of the first gods, those which birthed the world, happened 
    a long time before yesterday, that what they saw happened in the 
    time in which there was no time. And they said in that assembly 
    each one of the first gods said their word and all said: "My 
    thought that I feel is different from that of the others". And so 
    the gods kept quiet because they realized, when each one said "the 
    others", they were talking of "others" different. After being quiet 
    for a time, the first gods realized that they already had a first 
    agreement and it was that there were "others" and that those 
    "others" were different from that which one was. That is how the 
    first agreement went in which the first gods came to know the 
    difference and accept the existence of the other. And what remedy 
    was left but that they were all gods, all first, and they had to 
    accept that because there was not one who was more or less the same 
    as the others, but that they were different and like that they had 
    to walk. 

    After that first agreement followed the discussion, why one thing 
    is known that there are others different and why another very 
    different is to be respected. Like that they spent a good time 
    talking and discussing how each one was different from the others, 
    and it was not of import to them that they were delayed in this 
    discussion because it was that there was no time yet. Afterwards 
    all became quiet and each one spoke of his difference and each 
    other of the gods that listened realized that, listening and 
    getting to know the differences of the other, more and better he 
    knew of his own self in what he had that was different. So all 
    became very happy and gave themselves to dancing and delayed much 
    but it was of no import because in that time there was yet no time. 
    After the dance they had thrown the gods came to the agreement that 
    it is good that there are others who are different and that it is 
    that we must listen to them to know our own selves. And soon after 
    this agreement they went to sleep because they were very tired from 
    having danced so much. Of talking they were not tired because for 
    that these gods, those who birthed the world, were very good for 
    the talking, and that they were just now starting learning to 
    listen". 

    I did not realize at what time the Old Antonio left. The sea sleeps 
    already and of the end of the candle there is only left a deformed 
    stain of paraffin. Up above the sky starts to dilute its black in 
    the light of the morning... 

    That was the history which the Old Antonio told me when I was 
    trying to write you this letter. And I believe that the most 
    important that we have to tell you is that, that we listen to each 
    other, that we get to know each other, that we respect each other. 

    It can seem little at a distance, but we already see that he who 
    gets to know the other, he who respects him and he who listens to 
    him, produces things so tremendously transcendental like a dance. 

    So that, to know each other, respect each other and listen to each 
    other is that, in place of the display of 12 of January of 1998 
    where we are invited to visit Europe to talk and listen to the 
    world, we say that, as soon we will stop bullfighting enemies (that 
    is not more than a form of some complicated dance), we will study 
    the possibility of that one or various of the companeros or 
    companeras travel to Europe, and where is, to get to know, to 
    respect and to listen. 

    For to that which is referred is that a Commission of Observation 
    of the Civil Society of the World travel to the mountains of the 
    Mexican southeast on proximate dates, to observe the violations of 
    the human rights, we say that the indigenous communities in 
    disobedience greet the initiative of the Commission of Observation 
    and will compromise to respect their job. We take advantage of the 
    occasion to greet with respect the job of the independent Mexican 
    bodies, defenders of the Human Rights, that have not spared effort 
    nor dedication in attending to the indigenous communities, in 
    weight of the governmental contempt, to the degree of harassment, 
    that they have received in no few cases. 

    And now that we are talking of the actions in Mexico, the Zocalo 
    capitalino not only dazzled us, as well it brought us certainty and 
    a hope: the certainty of that in this country the people are 
    infinitely better than those who say they govern it, and the hope 
    of that all those people win that which until now has been denied, 
    that is to say, the right to live with democracy, liberty and 
    justice. This complete would be to live in peace. 

    Good, that is all for now. Know always that it is an honor to see 
    you grow and become many. And this is something that as well makes 
    us grow and widen. 

    Vale. Health and, after the promised flower, comes the promised 
    dance (I hope). 

    >From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast. 

    For the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee 
    Zapatista Army of National Liberation 
    Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos 
    Mexico, January of 1998 
     

    P.S. INVITATION TO CONTINUE DANCING. - It appears that  the 
    manifestations of the day 12 were not enough. The Power has covered 
    its ears with thick packs of money and arrogance, and follows ahead 
    with its war. It is necessary to walk more, shout more, move more. 
    For the rest, according to what is said the next 24 of January you 
    will repeat your YA BASTA. Health for that and for that which 
    follows. 

    P.S. WHAT SUPPORTS THE CONTEMPT WHICH PASSES - See how the 
    government gives shows of understanding that which happens: for the 
    secretary of Interior Chiapas is, again, a problem of 4 
    municipalities; and for the PGR the massacre of Acteal is, now, a 
    product of the perverse vengeance of a resentful and diabolical old 
    man that had the form, the time and the way to arm 60 
    paramilitaries with AK-47 and R-15, he trained them in techniques 
    of command and planning, with tactical precision an operative that, 
    it is certain, learned from his lectures about the war of 
    extermination in Guatemala? Vietnam? Kurdistan? 

    P.S. WHAT TO ASSUME - It could be that the Procurator General of 
    the Republic (PGR) is not deceiving everyone and that, when he says 
    that one of the motives of the massacre of Acteal was personal 
    vengeance, he refers to Mr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon and his 
    resentment against the rebelling indigenous communities of Chiapas. 
    I say, it is a suppository. 
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    produced by Post-Dogmatist Publications copyright 1997