Melel News Synthesis: 6/1 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Originally published in Spanish by Melel Xojobal Translated by irlandesa Press Synthesis Tuesday, June 1, 1999. ************************************** RELIGION ************************************** El Universal. GOVERNMENT DENIES EXPELLING PRIESTS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS. In response to statements made a few days ago by the Bishops of San Cristobal, Samuel Ruiz and Raul Vera, regarding the expulsion of foreign priests working in the diocese, the Department of Government stated that the deportation of those people was due to violation of immigration laws, and not for religious reasons. ************************************* CHIAPANECO CONFLICT ************************************* Cuarto Poder. UNDER SECRETARY ASKS FOR RESPECT FOR EZLN. The Under Secretary for Regional Operations in the state, Romeo Suarez Culebro, asked that there be more respect for the EZLN, and for them not to be accused of being responsible every violent incident that occurs in the conflict zone. He said there are groups in Chiapas that carry out illegal activites and then attribute them to this armed group. ************************************* Diario de Chiapas. PURPORTED EZLN DESERTIONS ARE FALSE. The President of the State Council of Indigenous Professionals A.C., Geronimo Meza Hernandez, said that the purported desertions by EZLN support bases are false, since the real zapatistas are trying to continue with their struggle and to overcome the extreme poverty. He said that the purported deserters are persons who are taking advantage of the situation, in order to demonstrate their loyalty to the government, and who are turning in weapons that possibly belong to the authorities themselves. ************************************* RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS ************************************* Cuarto Poder. CATHOLICS FROM SAN CRISTOBAL DIOCESE BLAMED FOR CHAMULA CONFLICTS. The Secretary for Indigenous Peoples' Affairs, Gustavo Moscoso Zenteno, said that recent religious conflicts in the municipality of San Juan Chamula are due to the emergence of a new religious trend that, according to him, call themselves Samuelistas. Regarding the persons detained on Sunday in Bautista Chico, accused of attempted homicide and damages in front of the Municipal Judge of Chamula, he said that they could be released at any moment. He added that the plural reconsiliation committee for San Juan Chgamula would be reestablished this week. This committee was in operation in 1994 and 1997, in order to resolve problems between evangelicals and traditional Catholics. He also said that state and religious authorities would be represented in this committee. ************************************ Melel Xojobal. CDHFBC DENOUNCES VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN CHAMULA. In a press bulletin, the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights Center (CDHFBC) reported that three violent incidents had occurred in the municipality of San Juan Chamula, directed against parishioners of the Diocese of San Cristobal over the building of Catholic churches in that municipality. The first incident took place in the community of Tres Cruces, on May 27, when traditional Catholics beat up four diocesan Catholics, whom they had found building a new Catholic church. Two days later, 140 traditionalists, among whom was the replacement Justice of the Peace and Indigenous Conciliation, Jose Fidel Lopez, arrived in the same community and attacked 7 Catholics from the diocese. They were detained for one day, accused of carrying weapons. Lastly, last Sunday, in the community of Bautista Chico, traditional Catholics detained and delivered 5 persons to the Assistant Prosecutor for Indigenous Justice, accused of attempted homicide. They were released when no evidence was found of their guilt. In reponse to these incidents of violence, the CDHFBC demanded that the state government guarantee freedom of worship; a halt to attacks against the diocese; punishment for those responsible, and the dismissal of Fidel Lopez, for abuse of authority. They also asked the National Human Rights Commission to take precautionary measures in the communities of Tres Cruces, Bautista Chico and Makbilo, in response to threats from traditionalists. ************************************* El Universal. GOVERNMENT SAYS PROPOSALS FOR DEALING WITH RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS WERE MADE IN FEBRUARY. Regarding the religious conflicts that have been occurring in Chamula, the Department of Government announced that the Under Secretary for Religious Affairs proposed a program to the diocese in February for the normalization of worship in some churches that had not been functioning. They added that the bishops had not as yet made any response. *********************************** PARAMILITARIZATION *********************************** Cuarto Poder. MAYOR DENIES PARAMILITARIES ARE REORGANIZING IN CHENALHO. The municipal president of Chenalho, Antonio Perez Arias, denied reports by Las Abejas concerning the reorganizing of paramilitary groups in their municipality. He asked that organization to provide evidence of these accusations. ************************************* HUMAN RIGHTS ************************************* Cuarto Poder. POLICE BEGIN WORKSHOP ON HUMAN RIGHTS. The National Human Rights Commission reported they would be beginning a 20-hour workshop on human rights this Tuesday for 62 municipal police officers of Los Altos and Selva regions. They said that the purpose of this work was so that the officers could be aware of peoples' rights at the time they are carrying out their duties. ************************************ ELECTORAL ************************************ La Cronica. LABASTIDA PROMISES NEW ECONOMIC REFORM During a trip to the state of Sinaloa as a candidate for the PRI presidential nomination, the former Secretary of Government, Francisco Labastida Ochoa, said that, if he wins the Presidency of the Republic, he will not continue the government's current economic model. Instead, he would promote a great economic reform in order to improve the standard of living of Mexicans. He said that the current economic model serves to avoid crisis, but that it must be complemented with actions that allow this growth to improve the peoples' standard of living. ************************************ HARASSMENT ************************************ Cuarto Poder. COMITAN CATECHISTS DENOUNCE POLICE HARASSMENT. Female catechists from the Diocese of San Cristobal, from the municipality of Comitan, denounced that the Municipal Police there detained them in an arrogant manner, and interrogated them, because they were wearing t-shirts that read 'Jubilee Year.' Meanwhile, the director of that police force said he was only carrying out his duties, given the constance presence of undocumented persons in that region. ************************************* NATIONAL EVENTS ************************************* La Cronica. OAXACA TEACHERS ALLEGEDLY TIED TO EPR. The Attorney General's Office of the state of Oaxaca reported that there are arrest warrants out for teachers in that state, who are accused of having ties with the EPR. They explained that the teachers purportedly participated in the takeover of an airport in 1994, and in actions the guerrilla group carried out in 1996. The teachers said that these actions by the government are part of a strategy against the leaders of the teachers' movement. ************************************ AGRARIAN ************************************ Cuarto Poder. CARRANZA COMUNEROS THREATEN TO TAKE BACK THEIR LANDS. Comuneros from the municipality of Venustiano Carranza said that, due to the lack of a positive response from the government, they would try to recover their lands that are in the hands of Public Security and landowners in the region. They said the police are set up in the comuneros' predios in order to protect the landowners, and they held the authorities responsible for any violent events that might occur in that municipality. ================================================================= 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-06.02.99-07:05:44-10117