[BigBlether] Brutal repression in Mexico

[Mike]

apologies cross-posting

18TH JUNE 2006

  Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group denounces the escalation of oppression that the Mexican government is inflicting on its own citizens.

  On the 4th May 2006 3000+  state and federal police violently attacked the town of San Salvador Atenco in the State of Mexico. During the raid the police violently and arbitrarily arrested more than 270 civilians including women, elderly people and children. Most of the detainees suffered serious injuries as a result of severe beatings prior to arrest and once in police custody. Most of the female detainees were sexually abused and at least seven were raped by police officers. An unarmed fourteen year old boy, Javier Cortes, was shot dead at point blank range and a twenty year old student, Alexis Benhumea has since died as a result of injuries inflicted by a tear gas canister fired at his head. Three foreign nationals, one Chilean and two Spanish women, were arrested, beaten and sexually abused before being expelled from the country. Once in prison, detainees were denied access to doctors despite some having suffered serious internal injuries as a result of police beatings. 
  Twenty eight people remain in prison awaiting trial on serious charges that we fear are politically motivated as many belong to grass roots political organisations that are in opposition to the government.
  At least 50 police officers have testified that they received orders from Mexico State Police Chief Rogelio Cortez Cruz and his assistant police chief Remedos Estrada Colin to brutalise the local population and conduct unwarranted searches.

  Also on the 4th May the treasurer of the Autonomous Council of San Blas Atempa in the state of Oaxaca, Faustino Acevedo Bailon, was assassinated by unidentified persons. He had been involved in a popular struggle against the local government and was on his way to the 4th National Indigenous Congress when he was murdered.

  Now,  more human rights abuses are taking place in Oaxaca City. A huge occupation of the city centre by striking teachers and other local people was violently attacked by police on Wednesday 14th June. Police fired large amounts of tear gas indiscriminately into the crowd, including from police helicopters.  Reports state that 92 people were injured by the police assault.  A pregnant woman  suffered a miscarriage as a result of the police violence. Although the local citizens have re-occupied the city's central square there have been unconfirmed reports of one or more people being killed by the police, with many others injured, arrested or 'disappeared'. We are extremely concerned for the safety of those still involved in the protests and those who have been detained or are missing. 

  All this is taking place ahead of the forthcoming Mexican elections in July and all three main political parties - President Fox's PAN, the PRI and Lopez Obrador's PRD have been involved in carrying out the abuses. 



  Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group calls on the Mexican Government to;

  - Release the remaining 28 Atenco prisoners.

  - Drop all remaining charges against those arrested in Atenco.

  - Ensure the resignation or removal and prosecution of all government or police officials and police officers involved in the Atenco abuses.

  - Immediately withdraw all state and federal police from the City of Oaxaca.

  - Release without charge all those arrested in Oaxaca.

  - Put an end to all acts of repression against the people of Mexico. 


  We call on the British press to not ignore what is going on in Mexico but to investigate these terrible human rights abuses and report them so that people in this country can see the reality of what is happening. 

  We call on human rights organisations to investigate the abuses and act to stop the Mexican Government perpetrating violence against its people. 

  We call on the British Government to persue whatever avenues of diplomacy it has at its disposal to protect the victims of this oppression . 

  And finally we call on all UK citizens, political parties and organisations, trade unions, NGOs, charities and autonomous groups to protest the repression and echo the above demands by spreading information, making public statements, writing letters to the Mexican Government and Ambassador to Britain and taking part in any demonstrations that are organised here in the UK. 

  For further information contact edinchiapas at yahoo.co.uk or go to www.edinchiapas.org.uk. 

  Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group.

Please write to the following denouncing the ongoing repression in Mexico:Mexican Ambassador to UK:Juan José Bremer de Martino16 St. George St, MayfairLondonW1S 1LXE-mail: mexuk at easynet.co.ukPresident Vicente Fox Quesada. E-mail:vicente.fox.quesada at presidencia.gob.mxradio@presidencia.gob.mxwebadmon at appresidencia.gob.mxOaxaca State Governor: Ulises Ruiz Ortizgobernador at oaxaca.gob.mxa.. Lic. Enrique Peña Nieto, Constitutional Governor of the State of Mexico. E-mail:
  gob at gem.gob.mx
  gob at gubernatura.gem.gob.mx
  mreyescomunicacionsocial at hotmail.com

  a.. Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in Geneva. E-mail: mission.mexico at ties.itu.int 
  a.. Attorney General of the Republic, E-mail: ofproc at pgr.gob.mx 
  a.. Dr. José Luis Soberanes Fernández, President of the CNDH. E-mail: correo at fmdh.cndh.org.mx 
  a.. Lic. Carlos Maria Abascal Carranza, Secretary of Government. E-mail: ghuerta at segob.gob.mx 
  a.. Lic. Abel Villicaña Estrada, Attorney General of the State of Mexico. E-mail: gemcpgj at mail.edomex.gob.mx 
  a.. Viceadmiral Wilfrido Robledo Madrid, Commissioner of the State Security Agency. E-mail: robledo.m.w at mail.edomex.gob.mx 
  a.. General Judiciary Council of the State of Mexico. E-mail: acs at mail.pjedomex.gob.mx 

  Prisoner Solidarity
  Paypal account to help support prisoner solidarity efforts (set up by the Centro de Medios Libres): 
  http://www.vientos.info/presosdonaciones/ 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/bigblether/attachments/20060618/e2fa6495/attachment.html