FZLN: Urgent Call for Action! Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by the International Committee of the FZLN and Translated by irlandesa Grave Situation in Chiapas Communities ************************************************* FZLN Zapatista Front of National Liberation International Committee Telephone: 5515 8525 Fax: 5515 2726 Email: mariano@spin.com.mx floresu@compuserve.com Post Office Box 18-996 Col. Escandon Mexico, DF CP 11800 Mexico To international public opinion: To international soldarity: Since the beginning of this month, the indigenous communities in resistance of Chiapas, zapatista support bases, have been the victims of the police-military offensives launched by the government of Ernesto Zedillo. As human rights defense organizations located in Chiapas - and the news media - have reported, a group of people in the community of Nazaret were met with 10 shots on June 3, when they were questioning the soldiers as to the reason for their presence. This action caused some families to flee their homes, abandon their belongings and go to the Nuevo Paraiso community. On the morning of June 4, some 70 government army vehicles began entering the community, with about 700 soldiers, along with Public Security and Department of Justice of the Republic (PGR) police, setting themselves up in the patio of the community's school. At 3 PM, three tear gas grenades were launched at women who were demonstrating their protest over the military presence. This caused the departure of more families. On these same days, in the communities of Saclum, Atzamilo and Santa Martha, close to 200 soldiers and police officers carried out incursions, and, a day later, Mexican army troops, as well as members of Public Security and state Judicial police forces, gathered on the outskirts of La Garrucha. On June 7, a report of incursions was received from the town of Pavorreal, and today, June 10, from the town of La Realidad. In this way, a general mobilization of the government's army troops, and of their police forces, has been unfolding since the beginning of the month, throughout the entire zone of Las Canadas, leaving in its wake hundreds of families displaced to the mountains, out of fear of being detained or murdered. In addition, more than a dozen companeros have been detained, by accusations without any basis. At the same time, harassment by paramilitary groups has become widespread, as well as provocatory actions against the families and communities who are zapatista. Nothing can justify such an intensification of the Mexican government's warlike attitude, which contrasts with the attitude maintained by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, who, through their actions and peace initiatives, continue to confirm their support for a process of organization and mobilization of civil society, for the resolution of the indigenous' demands, and, more broadly, for the demands for justice, democracy and peace by wide sectors of Mexicans. Everything indicates that it is this increase in zapatismo's political activity throughout the country, to which the government is once more responding with a police and military offensive. It would appear that they are trying to break the process of forming new networks of solidarity and communication - with their war policies - that are growing between zapatismo and social movements, such as the students on strike for the defense of public and free education, as well as the electrical workers' movement, who are struggling against the government's privatization plans. It is thus confirmed that, with each new step that the zapatistas take on the path to peace, the government sinks more deeply into its path of war. The irrationality of power can have no limits. We saw this proven with the Acteal killing, with the killings in El Bosque, with the attacks against the Autonomous Municipalities. This irrationality can only be stopped by the union of all those voices in Mexico. and in the world. that, together with the zapatistas, support a just and dignified peace, and a democratic transition for the political crisis of the Mexican system. >From the International Committee of the Zapatista Front of National Liberation, we call on the solidarity movement to multiply the protest actions against this new governmental offensive against the indigenous communities in resistance in Chiapas. Protest letters, demonstrations in front of Mexican embassies and consulates, information campaigns, and all those things that you know how to do better than anyone else, are, today, once again, imperative. We also call on the social movements and political organizations who, like us, are confronting neoliberalism and fighting for humanity, to demand an end to the Mexican government's repression of the zapatista communities. Fraternally, The International Committee of the FZLN *********************************************************** 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-06.12.99-22:55:34-22586