Right Alert, Mexico: Arbitrary Detention Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source - amanecer@aa.net Sat Jun 5 05:33:50 1999 Originally published in Spanish by Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights Center Translated by irlandesa Urgent Action: Arbitrary Detention ********************************************* June 3, 1999 Urgent Action The Indigenous Rights Center A.C. (Bachajon), the Defense Committee for Indigenous Liberty (Palenque) and the "Fray Bartolome de Las Casas" Human Rights Center A.C. (San Cristobal de Las Casas) are making an urgent call to all Non-Governmental Human Rights Organizations to support us in this urgent action, the incidents of which we related in our bulletin of yesterday, and which we are repeating for your information. Around 2:00 PM, on June 1 of this year, the public transportation bus in which Manuel Perez Constantino was traveling was stopped at the Crucero Pinal by a group of approximately 200 Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) militants, opposed to the checkpoint that Zapatista Army of National Liberation sympathizers had established there the previous day. Manuel Perez Constantino, coordinator of the Xi'nich' indigenous organization, was recognized and made to get out by two rural police from San Jeronimo Tulija. Once he was out of the bus, two police beat him and took him over to the crowd, who interrogated him and accused him of having organized the previous day's checkpoint. An hour later, the Jesuit priest and advisor to the Xi'Nich', Jeronimo Hernandez Lopez, who was traveling in his car, was detained at the same checkpoint. Some of the PRI's recognized him and began verbally attacking him, accusing him of being a zapatista. While one more aggressive group was trying to get him out of his car, another group was trying to calm the situation down. Finally, Padre Hernandez Lopez was taken to a house where he was interrogated, and he realized that the Public Security Police (PSP), the Bachajon Public Ministry, the Yajalon Public Ministry, municipal authorities and a person who presented himself as a Department of Government representative were present. A few hours later, the PSP offered to accompany Perez Constantino and Padre Hernandez out of the community. Manuel Perez Constantino got into Padre Hernandez' car. The crowd, however, insisted that Manuel Perez Constantino had to travel in the Public Security vehicle. They forced him with blows out of the car, and they put him in the other vehicle, where there were State Judicial Police (PJE) officers, in addition to PSP ones. When Padre Hernandez Lopez asked why Manuel Perez could not travel in his car, a Public Ministry member answered that he had not been arrested, but he was to make a statement. In addition to Manuel Perez Constantino, the detainee Jesus Hernandez Gutierrez was also in the Public Security vehicle. When they reached the Palenque crossroads, Padre Hernandez was released, while the two who had been detained in the PSP vehicle were taken to Yajalon. During the transfer to Yajalon, a PJE officer hit Manuel Perez Constantino and threatened him with death and mistreatment for almost the entire trip, which took several hours. At the time this urgent action was being prepared, the two are still detained. In response to these incidents, we express our indignation and concern for the violence that continues to grow worse in this State, and we express our concern for these arbitrary detentions and the physical and verbal mistreatment. Due to the above, we are asking you to express your comments on the matter, sending letters, faxes or telephone calls, requesting the following: 1. That the authorities prove the detainees' probably responsibility for the possible crimes that have been imputed to them, or that they be immediately and unconditionally released. 2. That administrative proceedings concerning responsibility, and/or legal proceedings, be begun against the public servants involved in these incidents of deprivation of liberty, arbitrary detention, mistreatment and humiliation. The request should be sent to the following officials: Government: President of the Rep=FAblic Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Le=F3n Palacio de la Rep=FAblica M=E9xico, D. F. Fax: (52 5) 515 17 94 Email: webadmon@op.presidencia.gob.mx Secretary of Government Lic. Di=F3doro Carrasco Altamirano Fax: (52 5) 588 75 07 Attorney General of the Republic Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar Av. Reforma, esquina Violeta M=E9xico, D.F.C.P. 06300 Telephone: (52 5) 626 41 47 Fax: (52 5) 627 44 19 National Human Rights Commission Dra. Mireille Rocatti Perif=E9rico Sur 3469001 Col. San Jer=F3nimo, Deleg. Magdalena Contreras M=E9xico, D. F. C. P. 10200 Fax: (52 5) 681 81 25 Email: correo@cndh.org.mx Governor of Chiapas Lic. Roberto Albores Guill=E9n Av.Central y 1=AA Oriente Tuxtla Guti=E9rrez, Chiapas. C. P. 29009 Fax: (52 961) 2 09 17 Attorney General of the State of Chiapas Lic. Eduardo Montoya Li=E9vano Libramiento Norte s/n Infonavit El Rosario Tuxtla Guti=E9rrez, Chiapas Fax: (52 961) 6 57 23 =F3 6 53 14 Assistant Prosecutor for Indigenous Affairs Lic. Francisco Demeza Hern=E1ndez Av. Cresencio Rosas San Crist=F3bal de las Casas, Chiapas. Telephone and Fax (52 967) 8 53 55 ************************************************** Fray Bartolom=E9 de las Casas Human Rights Center Francisco Le=F3n 5 Barrio de Santa Luc=EDa San Crist=F3bal de las Casas Chiapas C.P. 29250 M=E9xico Telephone: (967) 8 35 48 Fax: (967) 8 35 51 Email: cdhbcasas@laneta.apc.org http://www.laneta.apc.org/cdhbcasas/ ********************************************************** 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-06.06.99-03:04:19-7375