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San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México 15th of April 2004 International Service for Peace (SIPAZ) is strongly concerned about the violent acts that took place on the 10th of April 2004 in the municipality of Zinacantán in Chiapas, Mexico. That day 4000 people, who are part of the Zapatista support base, were participating in a memorial of the death of Emiliano Zapata. They marched from the Caracol in Oventic to the community of Jechvó, Zinacantán, a municipality near by San Cristóbal de Las Casas, to help provide water to the Zapatistas in that community. Since several months ago the Zapatistas of that community were deprived of water services by people who live in the same community but who belong to the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (Democratic Revolutionary Party) who accused the Zapatistas of not completing their community responsibilities. The Zapatistas are in a process of building autonomy and resisting participation in government institutions. The issue of public services like water, electricity and public works provokes tensions in the whole state of Chiapas between people who pay for those services and the Zapatista autonomous communities. But in Zinacantan, over a month ago, the two groups had arrived at an agreement that the Zapatistas would cooperate with some community responsabilities. National and international observers who were present during the march declared that when the Zapatistas returned from the march, people of the PRD ambushed the Zapatistas near the community of Pasté (a community near Jechvó). They threw stones and sticks and fired guns at the Zapatistas. The result of these acts is that 29 people are injured, 5 are missing, and until now, there are 487 displaced people from Jechvó and other nearby communities who have left their communities in fear of further violent actions. In the community of Jechvó, members of the PRD damaged the homes and properties of the Zapatistas. We ask International civil society to send letters requesting that federal, state and municipal authorities:
Addresses: Presidencia de la República
Gobernador del Estado de Chiapas
Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de
Derechos Humanos.
For more information (in spanish):
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Avenida Chilón #8 Barrio El Cerrillo San Cristóbal de las Casas 29220 Chiapas, México Tel/Fax: (+52.967) 63-160-55 |
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