Melel Xojobal Report 6/3/99 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source - amanecer@aa.net Sat Jun 5 05:36:45 1999 Originally published in Spanish by Melel Xojobal Translated by irlandesa Press Synthesis Thursday, June 3, 1999. ***************************************** HARASSMENT ***************************************** La Jornada. SAN CRISTOBAL DIOCESE RELIGIOUS PERSONNEL DETAINED. The Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas reported that the priest, Jeronimo Hernandez and religious personnel, Manuel Perez Constantino, Jesus Hernandez and Florentino Perez Tovilla, were detained by PRI militants in the muncipality of Chilon. They added that, following the intervention of a government official, the PRI's decided to release Jeronimo Hernandez, while his companions were taken to the Public Ministry in Bachajon. They explained that the detention took place after the Federal Army had dispersed zapatista sympathizers who had set up a checkpoint in order to prevent PRI communities from continuing to loot wood from the Selva. ****************************************** Excelsior. DETAINED RELIGIOUS PERSONNEL TAKEN TO SAN CRISTOBAL. Religious personnel and members of the Xi'Nich organization, Manuel Perez Constantino and Jesus Hernandez Gutierrez were taken to San Cristobal in order to make statements at the Public Ministry. PRI's from Chilon accused the religious personnel of being the ones who had ordered zapatista sympathizers to establish checkpoints. These had been set up in order to prevent the continuation of trade in wood and the government's bringing in material for communities opposed to the EZLN. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Florentino Perez Tovilla, who was allegedly released in Bachajon, municipality of Chilon, are unknown. *************************************** AGRARIAN *************************************** El Universal. CARRANZA COMUNEROS RECOVER PREDIOS. Members of the Casa del Pueblo organization, of the municipality of Venustiano Carranza, reported that close to a thousand comuneros from that organization recovered some 1120 hectares of La Union, El Eden, El Carmelito and San Sebastian predios. They explained that, following these acitons, more than 800 judicial and public security police increased their patrols and reinforced their checkpoints in the area. Ejidal commissioner, Bartolome Martinez Vazquez, said that the recovery took place because they had become tired of negotiating for three years with the state government, without their having given them a positive response. He added that the problem arose with the construction of La Angostura dam, when the Federal Electricity Commission awarded a 4 million peso check as part of the indemnification. The state government, however, had not given the check to the comuneros. *********************************** OFFICIAL POLICIES *********************************** Diario de Yucatan. GOVERNMENT STUDIES POSSIBLE CREATION OF 7 MUNICIPALITIES. The President of the State Redistricting Council, Noe Castanon Leon, reported that the state government is studying the possibility of creating another 7 municipalities in the conflict zone. He added that he was not concerned about the political suit brought against him, and he said he would continue with the redistricting program. He stated that these new municipalities would be located in the communities of Rio Blanco, Rincon Chamula, Abasolo, El Eden, Los Moyos, Lacandonia and Valle de Santo Domingo. *********************************** AUTONOMIAS *********************************** El Universal. INI ASKS LEGISLATORS TO DISCUSS INDIGENOUS RIGHTS LAW. During the third session of the Regular General Assembly of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, the director of the National Indigenous Institute (INI), Melba Pria, called on the Congress of the Union to discuss the proposal on indigenous rights and participation during the next regular session. Pria added that there should be policies in place in Mexico that defined economic development, preservation of the cultures and indigenous justice. ********************************** CHIAPANECO CONFLICT ********************************** El Universal. DEPUTY SAYS COCOPA WAITING TO LEARN ABOUT RABASA'S NEW PROPOSAL. PRI Deputy and Cocopa member, Javier Guerrero, said that the coadvisory body is waiting to learn about the new strategy of Emilio Rabasa Gamboa, the coordinator of dialogue. The purpose of this will be reinitiating negotiations with the EZLN. He said they want to prevent the armed group from presenting more excuses for not reinitiating dialogue through this strategy. ********************************** HUMAN RIGHTS ********************************** Excelsior. ROCCATTI SAYS CNDH ON PAR WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. The President of the National Human Rights Commision (CNDH), Mireille Roccatti, said that, with the [recent] constitutional reforms, the organization over which she presides is on a par with international organizations. She added that the autonomy granted the CNDH will allow it to have more freedom to act in urgent cases, in addition to its being able to intervene in any cases of human rights violation. ********************************** RELIGION ********************************** Cuarto Poder. ESDRAS ALONSO RESIGNS FROM CONFRATERNICE. The state director of the National Confraternity of Evangelical Churches (Confraternice), Esdras Alonso, said that he has presented his resignation to that body, because its national leader, Arturo Farela Gutierrez, had acted out of personal interests and political grandstanding in the religious conflicts in Chiapas. He said that, in his statements to the media, Farela Gutierrez had caused a climate of resentment between Catholic and evangelical indigenous. ********************************** PARAMILITARIZATION ********************************** Cuarto Poder. FRAY BARTOLOME ALLIANCE DENIES DISLOCATIONS IN CARRANZA. The Fray Bartolome de los Llanos Alliance paramilitary group, of the municipality of Venustiano Carranza, rejected accusations by the OCEZ leader, to the effect that this group is dislocating Casa del Pueblo comuneros. He said that the Alliance is made up of campesinos who are involved in the productive working of the land. *********************************************************** NUEVO AMANECER PRESS-PRENSA NUEVO AMANECER-N.A.P. 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