Saturday February 16th, 12 noon
Federation Square
Melbourne
:
RESPECT FOR INDIGENOUS AUTONOMY AND A HALT TO THE REPRESSION IN CHIAPAS
We call on all fellow adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon
Jungle and those struggling and resisting from below and to the left to join
us on February 15th, 2008, for an international day of action against the
repression in Chiapas and for the respect of indigenous autonomy.
In recent months, aggressions against the Zapatista communities have
drastically worsened. The low intensity war has acquired a dimension not
seen since the Acteal massacre ten years ago. At the same time, media
coverage remains low. We believe that it is crucial that we make it clear to
public opinion in Europe that we have not forgotten the conflict and
resistance in Chiapas. We will show the Mexican government that here in
Europe we are closely watching the worrying situation in Chiapas. For this
reason, we are calling for an international day of action on February 15th
in front of Mexican Embassies and Consulates. The date coincides with the
12th anniversary of the San Andrés Accords. (The anniversary is actually on
February 16th, but this is a Saturday, so embassies will be closed on the
day).
The San Andrés Accords negotiated between the EZLN and the Mexican
government had as their objective to guarantee indigenous autonomy. Amongst
other things, they included indigenous autonomy and self-management of
natural resources by the indigenous inhabitants of the area. However, the
EZLN broke off the negotiations due to the fact that the government neither
fulfilled nor respected the Accords. We are in solidarity with the
realization of indigenous autonomy.
The situation of the indigenous communities in resistance has worsened since
the implementation of Plan Puebla Panama and other neoliberal mega projects,
which require access to Chiapas' biosphere reserves for infrastructure and
tourist purposes.
In August 2007, four communities were violently displaced in the biosphere
reserve of Montes Azules in the Lacandon Jungle. Over the last year, the
number and intensity of paramilitary attacks carried out by OPDDIC
(Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Peasant Rights) against
Zapatista communities has increased in the area of Agua Azul, the most
visited and well-known waterfalls in México.
Since September 2007, OPDDIC has issued several threats and carried out
attacks against the Zapatista settlement Bolom Ajaw due to the fact that the
people are located in the road to some waterfalls, which are currently still
inaccessible to tourists. In cahoots with the state government OPDDIC is
planning a new tourist project for which it intends to displace the
community. Now that the community has refused voluntary resettlement, it has
suffered numerous attacks and death threats, as well as threats of rape, at
the hands of OPDDIC. Furthermore, some houses were burnt down in Bolom Ajaw.
The perpetrators of these deeds were inhabitants of the ejido Agua Azul,
nearly all of who belonged to OPDDIC. For this reason, both local and
international organizations are calling for a tourism boycott until the
aggressions against Zapatista communities cease.
In the community of Vetel Yo'chib, near to Agua Azul, on December 29th,
2007, on the road to his milpa [plot of land], compañero Pablo Silvano
Jiménez received a bullet in the leg from two policemen and a member of
OPDDIC. From then on, he has had to go into hiding and can no longer work to
feed his family. In the last week of January an international observation
brigade that was in Vetel received death threats and also threats of rape.
On February 1, 2008 members of OPDDIC and the police shot at compañero
Eliseo Silvano Jiménez and his son. Afterwards they were arrested in an
OPDDIC truck. In prison they were tortured and forced to have photos taken
of them holding arms. Currently they are still in prison in Palenque and
there is no media attention.
WE DEMAND:
1. The suspension of all forms of aggression against the Zapatistas and
other communities in resistance.
2. The suspension of the counter-insurgency war against the indigenous and
zapatista communities and the withdrawal of the military bases from the
indigenous region of Chiapas.
3. The release of Eliseo Silvano Jiménez and Eliseo Silvano Espinoza as well
as all other political prisoners.
4. A total halt to the violent evictions in the indigenous territory of
Chiapas.
5. The end of cooperation between paramilitary organizations such as OPDDIC
and the federal army and police, as well as the legal recognition of the
crimes that this organization has committed.
6. Respect for Indigenous Autonomy.
RESPECT FOR INDIGENOUS AUTONOMY AND A HALT TO THE REPRESSION IN CHIAPAS
We call on all fellow adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon
Jungle and those struggling and resisting from below and to the left to join
us on February 15th, 2008, for an international day of action against the
repression in Chiapas and for the respect of indigenous autonomy.
In recent months, aggressions against the Zapatista communities have
drastically worsened. The low intensity war has acquired a dimension not
seen since the Acteal massacre ten years ago. At the same time, media
coverage remains low. We believe that it is crucial that we make it clear to
public opinion in Europe that we have not forgotten the conflict and
resistance in Chiapas. We will show the Mexican government that here in
Europe we are closely watching the worrying situation in Chiapas. For this
reason, we are calling for an international day of action on February 15th
in front of Mexican Embassies and Consulates. The date coincides with the
12th anniversary of the San Andrés Accords. (The anniversary is actually on
February 16th, but this is a Saturday, so embassies will be closed on the
day).
The San Andrés Accords negotiated between the EZLN and the Mexican
government had as their objective to guarantee indigenous autonomy. Amongst
other things, they included indigenous autonomy and self-management of
natural resources by the indigenous inhabitants of the area. However, the
EZLN broke off the negotiations due to the fact that the government neither
fulfilled nor respected the Accords. We are in solidarity with the
realization of indigenous autonomy.
The situation of the indigenous communities in resistance has worsened since
the implementation of Plan Puebla Panama and other neoliberal mega projects,
which require access to Chiapas' biosphere reserves for infrastructure and
tourist purposes.
In August 2007, four communities were violently displaced in the biosphere
reserve of Montes Azules in the Lacandon Jungle. Over the last year, the
number and intensity of paramilitary attacks carried out by OPDDIC
(Organization for the Defense of Indigenous and Peasant Rights) against
Zapatista communities has increased in the area of Agua Azul, the most
visited and well-known waterfalls in México.
Since September 2007, OPDDIC has issued several threats and carried out
attacks against the Zapatista settlement Bolom Ajaw due to the fact that the
people are located in the road to some waterfalls, which are currently still
inaccessible to tourists. In cahoots with the state government OPDDIC is
planning a new tourist project for which it intends to displace the
community. Now that the community has refused voluntary resettlement, it has
suffered numerous attacks and death threats, as well as threats of rape, at
the hands of OPDDIC. Furthermore, some houses were burnt down in Bolom Ajaw.
The perpetrators of these deeds were inhabitants of the ejido Agua Azul,
nearly all of who belonged to OPDDIC. For this reason, both local and
international organizations are calling for a tourism boycott until the
aggressions against Zapatista communities cease.
In the community of Vetel Yo'chib, near to Agua Azul, on December 29th,
2007, on the road to his milpa [plot of land], compañero Pablo Silvano
Jiménez received a bullet in the leg from two policemen and a member of
OPDDIC. From then on, he has had to go into hiding and can no longer work to
feed his family. In the last week of January an international observation
brigade that was in Vetel received death threats and also threats of rape.
On February 1, 2008 members of OPDDIC and the police shot at compañero
Eliseo Silvano Jiménez and his son. Afterwards they were arrested in an
OPDDIC truck. In prison they were tortured and forced to have photos taken
of them holding arms. Currently they are still in prison in Palenque and
there is no media attention.
WE DEMAND:
1. The suspension of all forms of aggression against the Zapatistas and
other communities in resistance.
2. The suspension of the counter-insurgency war against the indigenous and
zapatista communities and the withdrawal of the military bases from the
indigenous region of Chiapas.
3. The release of Eliseo Silvano Jiménez and Eliseo Silvano Espinoza as well
as all other political prisoners.
4. A total halt to the violent evictions in the indigenous territory of
Chiapas.
5. The end of cooperation between paramilitary organizations such as OPDDIC
and the federal army and police, as well as the legal recognition of the
crimes that this organization has committed.
6. Respect for Indigenous Autonomy.
Saturday February 16th, 12 noon
Federation Square
Melbourne - Australia
More Info:
Tristan: 0448 575 108, epstein@riseup.net
Lucho: 0400 914 944, lucho@latinlasnet.org
Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET), www.latinlasnet.org
6th declaration of Lacandona Jungle:
Mexico-Australia Solidarity Network (MASN), www.masn.org.au
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