Mexican Harassment of human rights observers Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source - Cencos 26 May 1999 Dear Colleagues and Friends, We are writing to ask for your support in publicizing a new report 'Foreigners of Conscience' a new report by 4 leading human rights organizations on the Mexican Government's campaign of harassment The report, launched 18 May at a press conference organized by CENCOS in Mexico City, finds that at least 144 international human rights observers were expelled by the Mexican Government in 1998 alon The report was the work of the US-based non-governmental organization Global Exchange and three Mexican organizations, the Miguel Agust=EDn Pro Ju=E1rez Human Rights Center (PRODH), the Mexican Commissio Global Exchange, which has maintained a presence of human rights observers in Mexico since 1994, presented its findings in the US Congress on 18 May. A summary of the report in English is included below. The full report is available in English on http://www.globalexchange.org and in English or Spanish from Global Exchange, 2017 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA Foreigners of Conscience The Mexican Government's Campaign Against International Human Rights Observers In Chiapas Executive Summary In the early months of 1998, foreigners' participation in human rights observation in Mexico's most troubled region became a highly controversial issue in Mexico. Several high profile expulsions from During the last five years, foreign participation in human rights monitoring has often generated controversy and resulted in the occasional expulsion of human rights, humanitarian and religious worke Prominent voices in Mexico's human rights and civic community have challenged the governmental interpretation of the Mexican Constitution, which grants the President exclusive rights to expel anyone Since the Chiapas uprising at the beginning of 1994, there has been a tremendous growth in civil society activity in Mexico. Such civic action has been an important support to peacemaking and human r In Chiapas, the participation of both Mexican and foreign human rights observers in support of Mexican organizations and communities in remote and troubled parts of that state has been an important f This two-part report reviews and analyzes the humanitarian and legal issues raised by the Mexican government's expulsion campaign. It is based on in-depth research and interviews by Global Exchange s Part one is a general overview of the government's campaign against human rights workers in Chiapas. This section provides a detailed description and analysis of several of the most dramatic and wide Part two of the report, which has been prepared by Mexican legal scholars, is an extensive legal analysis of the government's public justifications for the expulsions. Part two demonstrates that the The report also finds that the government's expulsion campaign contravenes international treaties and laws ratified by the Mexican Senate. In conclusion, part two notes that the government's campaign Finally, this report offers recommendations to Mexican politicians, immigration authorities and other government agents on how to avoid further abuses and violations. ================================================================= 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-05.26.99-20:35:53-29975