Melel News Synthesis: 5/6 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by Melel Xojobal ________________________ Translated by irlandesa Press Synthesis Thursday, May 6, 1999. ************************************* ATTACKS ON THE DIOCESE ************************************* Excelsior. ALBORES SAYS CONDITIONS ARE NOT IN PLACE IN OXCHUC FOR CELEBRATION OF DON SAMUEL'S RETIREMENT. Governor Roberto Albores Guillen sent a letter to Bishop Samuel Ruiz, warning him that conditions are not suitable for the celebration of his retirement, which is to be held in the municipal seat of Oxchuc, planned for this Thursday. According to Albores, the majority of the communities in that municipality were opposed to that activity being held. Because of this, he asked Don Samuel to consider the problems that could be caused by the celebration and to think about holding it in another place. Nonethless, Albores noted that, if the activity were to be held, the government would take all measures necessary in order to prevent any problems. ********************************** CHIAPAS CONFLICT ********************************** Diario de Yucatan/El Universal. RABASA SAYS HE IS LOOKING TO RESOLVE CHIAPAS CONFLICT PRIOR TO 2000. During a conference in Washington on the situation in Chiapas - part of a series of conferences being held in the United States by the Mexican government - Emilio Rabasa, the government coordinator for dialogue, said that a strategy is being put in place for the resolution of the conflict prior to the presidential elections in 2000. He added that the Chiapas conflict is on its way to being resolved, through the utilization of dialogue and attention to the causes which gave rise to it. As for the encuentro which is to be held this weekend, between the EZLN and the civil brigades that carried out the National Consulta on indigenous rights, Rabasa said the conflict will only be resolved when the zapatistas decide to dialogue with the government, and not just with civil society. He said, however, that the Mexican government hopes the EZLN has changed its intransigent attitude and will respond positively in order to renew negotiations. ******************************** El Universal. CONGRESS OF THE UNION ASKED TO RE-OPEN AND APPROVE SAN ANDRES LARRAINZAR ACCORDS. Opposition political parties and parliamentary wings asked the Congress of the Union to re-open discussion and to approve the San Andres Larrainzar Accords. This is in response to the chiapaneco government's attempt to invalidate the comminities' demands, through the approval of the state proposal on indigenous rights and culture. They explained that PRI and Civic Front state legislators had approved six state constitutional articles concerned with traditions and culture of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas. They are also beginning forums of citizen consultation on the state program for indigenous rights and culture. The opposition legislators said that the constitutional changes made by the PRI's are illegal. They noted that the state government is trying to translate the San Andres Accords, from an official, unilateral and exclusionary viewpoint. Lastly, they said the PRI's attitude is related to the strategy ofGovernor Roberto Albores Guillen, who is trying to impose his will in an authoritarian manner and is excluding the indigenous peoples. ********************************** Diario de Yucatan. STATE CONSULTA ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS BEGINS. The state Congress announced that it had begun a consultation process concerning the state Law on Indigenous Rights and Culture, in order to learn the thoughts of the 12 ethnic groups and enrich the propsal being presented by Governor Roberto Albores Guillen. They noted that the first informational meeting was held in San Juan Chamula, where they reported on the proposal's scope to representatives of the communities, ejidos and locales of 15 municipalities in Los Altos zone. An equal number of mayors were present. Meanwhile, the Secretary for Indigenous Peoples Services (Seapi), Gustavo Moscoso Zenteno, said that the proposal being made by the state executive is a progressive one, utilizing concepts from the proposal presented by President Zedillo to the Congress of the Union, the San Andres Larrainzar Accords and other laws from neighboring states. ********************************** COUNTERINSURGENCY ********************************** La Jornada. ZAPATISTAS DENY HAVING AMBUSHED PRIs. Representatives from the San Juan de la Libertad Autonomous Municipality, located in El Bosque, denied having participated in an alleged ambush of PRIs in Los Platanos, in which one person was wounded. They added that it is the PRI's and police living in Los Platanos who are harassing the zapatista bases. ******************************** PARAMILITARIZATION ******************************** Diario de Yucatan. DENUNCIATION THAT THE PRESENCE OF PARAMILITARIES IN CHIAPAS IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OBVIOUS. The President of the Mexican Front for Human Rights, Benjamin Luna, said that the presence of paramilitaries in the state is more and more obvious. He noted that these forces are coordinated, financed, trained and recruited by the substitute governor, Roberto Albores Guillen. He said that the chiefs of these death squads are federal and local deputies, some of whom also function as municipal presidents. Luna said that, despite the arbitrary expulsions of foreigners - in order to prevent their learning about and publicizing what is happening in Mexico - several observers from other countries have already presented in Switzerland statements concerning human rights violations in Chiapas, and they have already revealed the war crimes in Chiapas. Lastly, Benjamin Luna recommended that the Mexican Senate ratify the International Convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of paramilitaries, so that it can be converted into the law of the land. ********************************** JUATICE ********************************** La Jornada. 13 PRISONERS FROM EL BOSQUE RELEASED. The State Attorney General's Office reported that 13 of the 24 campesinos imprisoned during the dismantling of the San Juan de la Libertad Autonomous Municipality, located in El Bosque, have been released. This release occurred because the Attorney General's Office itself dropped the charges against them of rebellion, usurpation of duties, homicide and injuries, among others. The 11 remaining still face charges of the illegal carrying of firearms, but it is expected that they too may be released in the next few days. ********************************** Diairo de Yucatan. PRISONERS WHO ESCAPED FROM SAN CRISTOBAL JAIL BEING SOUGHT. Sources in the State Attorney general's Office reported that a wide area of Chiapas is being combed by hundreds of police fficers, in search of the 77 prisoners who escaped this Tuesday from the jail in san Cristobal de Las casas. The Attorney General, Eduardo Montoya, said that five of the prisoners have already been recaptured, and he confirmed that another of the escapees was killed during a confrontaiton with police. Authorities have offerred a reward for the prisoners' detention. Sixteen of the escapees are considered to be highly dangerous, including killers, kidnappers and drug traffickers. ___________________________________________________ NUEVO AMANECER PRESS-N.A.P.To know about us visit: http://www.nap.cuhm.mx/nap0.htm (spanish) ================================================================= 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-05.12.99-08:31:50-11991