(en) South Mexico Paramilitary Violence in Oaxaca Fri, 4 Feb 2000 08:15:42 -0500 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - Hussein_McGaw This is an urgent message from Oaxaca/Southmexico which has been sent to me by the Consejo Indigena Popular "Ricardo Flores Magon", CIPO "RFM" (indigenous popular council "Ricardo Flores Magon") As I got some of your adresses from them, they asked me to send this letter to all friends, organisations and institutions that know about the situation and the happenings that take place in Oaxaca and Mexico against human right activists and their organisations. The latest news about the violations and persecutions against human and indigenous right-activist in Santiago Xanica, a small vilage in the sierra zapoteca in the state of Oaxaca/Southmexico culminate in the murder of Lucio Garci'a Garci'a, on 5th of january 2000, who was a elected member of the popular village council. In april 1998 an armed group of members who are linked to the ruling party in goverment "PRI" (party of the institutionalised revolution) appears in the village of Xanica for the first time. Since then several violant actions have taken place against the "Comite' de Defensa de Usos y Costumbres y Derecho Indi'gena" (defense-committee for usage and customs and indigenous right). Though this activist have been denounced to the public prosecutor they still enjoy absolut impunity and protection through police and military forces, that actually occupied the village of Xanica totally. This massive repression is part of the strategy of the state an federal goverment to militarize and intimidate the indiginous peoples and to occupy their territory. This type of permitted aggression by the above mentioned PRI-group gives the gouverment a pretext to oppress the people of Xanica, who have intensified their process of comunitary organisation an have made alliances with other indigenous villages to defend their rights of selfdetermination an their fundamental rights, proclamed in the mexican and oaxacanian declaration as well as in the declaration No. 169 of the International Labour Organisation. The repression encreased since the massive participation of the village in the "Consulta Nacional por el Reconocimiento de los Derechos Indi'genas y contra la Guerra de exterminio" (Nacional consultation for the recognition of the indigenous rights and against the war of extinction), that has been convoked by the EZLN, on march 21st 1999. The oppression has been anounced for a long time, as the intensive campain against members of this village and the capture and torture of the zapotec lawyer Alejandro Cruz Lo'pez in 1998 has shown. The only answer to the pacific work of the comunity of Xanica in cooperation with the Indigenous Popular Council "Ricardo Flores Magon" that has been given by the official institutions including the state gouvernour Jose' Murat Casab has been the increasing repression. The Indigenous Popular Council "RFM" together with the village of Xanica convokes a meeting of the indian peoples against the repression on 15th and 16th of february 2000 in the village of Santiago Xanica, motivated by the non-performance of the agreements of San Andres Larainzar since 4 years. subjects will be: 1) Violations of indigenous rights in the state of Oaxaca 2) The indigenous rights in Oaxaca: 4 years of non-performance of the agreements of San Andres Larainzar 3) Perspectives for the indigenous movement in the 21st century Their will be participants of the community of Santiago Xanica and other villages in the region, delegates of the indian peoples of Oaxaca and Mexico, represenatives of popular and indian organisations and obsevers from human rights organisations as well as many other people. In the name of the CIPO "RFM" i entreat you to protest against the repression of Xanica and other indigenous people in the state of Oaxaca and Mexico as well as to demand the gouverment of Mexico one more time to fullfill the agreements of San Andres Larainzar between the gouverment of Mexico and the zapatist armee of national liberation. I personally think that international observation and attention through statements to the goverments of Oaxaca and Mexico will protect the people of Xanica and ensure this important meeting that takes place. You will find the directions in the appendix. Please send this message and the appendix to other people. My name is Ebbi Raithelhuber, Germany thanks for your attention CONSEJO INDIGENA POPULAR DE OAXACA "RICARDO FLORES MAGON" E-Mail: { HYPERLINK mailto:cipofrm@yahoo.com }ciporfm99@yahoo.com Tel. Celular: (01) 95 47 66 25 ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytcamer-02.04.00-08:15:40-29971