CDHFBC: June 10, First Anniv of Attack on El Bosque Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights Center Translated by irlandesa First Anniversery of Attack on El Bosque ************************************************* Press Bulletin June 9, 1999 The Other June 10 Will Not be Forgotten Either On June 10, 1971, a para-police group known as the Falcons carried out a killing of students in Mexico City, that is known as the killing of the Jueves de Corpus. As a late aftereffect of the killing of Tlatelolco, it has remained in the memory of the people, and especially of the students, with the phrase, 'June 10 shall not be forgotten.' With a rather special sense for anniversaries, federal and Chiapas state officials brought the anniversary of June 10 up to date with another killing, perpetrated exactly one year ago, in the communities of Union Progreso and Chavajeval, and with looting and harassment of the civil population in Alvaro Obregon and El Bosque (seat), of the municipality of El Bosque. In addition to the date, we find more than one parallel between the massacres of 1971 and 1998: the Jueves de Corpus killing of the students was a follow-up to the greater massacre of October 2, 1968 in Tlatelolco. The massacre at El Bosque was a follow-up to the greater massacre of Acteal of December 22, 1997. In both cases there were attempts by officials to distort the incidents: there were cover-ups, scapegoats...and impunity for the truly guilty ones. When the operations were carried out - in which Public Security and Mexican Army forces participated - officials argued that it was an execution of arrest warrants, or simply of re-establishing the rule of law. Evidence gathered by this Center, among others, as well as the CNDH's Recommendation 74/98, make it clear that, during the purported re-establishment of the rule of law, officials committed multiple violation and outrages. Nor is it possible, either, to forget the affront to the most basic feelings of humanity that the officials committed, by delivering the victims' bodies in a state of total decomposition. One year from these events - that demonstrate the small value that officials place on human life - the CDHFBC expresses their concern for the impunity that prevails in the state. Having opted for the path of negotiation in order to win the release of the prisoners of El Bosque, the following points remain unresolved, and this Center demands that they be given attention: 1. The responsibility of Army and Public Security forces who participated in the actions. 2. Fair indemnification, in accordance with criteria already established under international law, for the debts of the deceased. 3. Reparation of damages for those affected by acts of theft and destruction of property during the operations. 4. The carrying out of Recommendation 74/98 of the CNDH, without affecting other measures not contained in it (eg, indemnification). ******************************************* Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights Center Francisco Leon 5 Barrio de Santa Lucia San Cristobal de las Casas Chiapas, C.P. 29250 Mexico Telephone: (967) 8 35 48 Fax: (967) 8 35 51 Email: cdhbcasas@laneta.apc.org http://www.laneta.apc.org/cdhbcasas/ *********************************************************** NUEVO AMANECER PRESS-PRENSA NUEVO AMANECER-N.A.P. To know us visit our web page in Spanish in Mexico at: http://www.nap.cuhm.mx/nap0.htm E-mail: General Director: Roger Maldonado A Press in support of the work in defense of Human Rights ================================================================= 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-06.11.99-04:07:38-2990