[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Dec. 22 Chiapas demonstration
The Ottawa Committee for Solidarity with Chiapas asks you to join us to:
* REMEMBER ACTEAL 1997 *
(NUNCA MAS!...NEVER AGAIN!...JAMAIS ENCORE! )
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
DECEMBER 22, 1998 -
DEMONSTRATION TO CONMEMORATE THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ACTEAL MASSACRE
World Exchange Plaza @ 12:00noon
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
BACKGROUND:
December 22, 1998 will mark the one year anniversary of the infamous
massacre when, in the village of Acteal, Chiapas, 45 Totzil Mayans (21
women, 14 children, one infant, and 9 men) were cut down with bullets and
machetes by paramilitaries while they prayed in a temple. The bloodbath
lasted five hours, during which time the Public Security police stood
by--some no more than 200 meters away--and refused to intervene.
The attackers were armed with AK-47 and M-16 rifles, as well as
expanding
hollow-tip bullets--weapons which they could only have obtained from
military or police sources. They opened fire on the village as many of its
inhabitants where attending church services and praying for peace and
reconciliation in the municipality. The slaughter continued as hundreds of
people ran toward a nearby river in a vain effort to escape.
This massacre was directly related to the Mexican government
strategy of
creating paramilitary "self-defense" forces in Chiapas to undermine the
civilian support bases for the Zapatista rebels.
Outraged citizens of Mexico and world cried out for the paramilitary
groups to be disarmed and disbanded, for the increased militarization of
Chiapas by federal troops to cease. One year later, neither has happened
and paramilitary groups continue to assasinate suspected Zapatista
supporters.
*For more information, please contact Pablo Leal @ 747-9930 or thru
pleal@cyberus.ca
-
This is the OPIRG-events@ox.org list. Announcement only please.
To unsubscribe, send email to opirg-events-request@ox.org, and put
"unsubscribe" in the body.