November 6th, 2003
Dear Friends:
We have received from the Bartólome Carrasco Briceño Human Rights Centre (BARCA) in the state of Oaxaca information regarding a very disturbing campaign of harassment against the president of the Diocesan Commission of Justice and Peace, Father Francisco Mayren Pelaez (known to many as Padre Uvi) and Armando Muñoz Jarquin, the parish priest of San Mateo Piñas.
According to BARCA, public servants at both the federal and state levels are responsible for the campaign of intimidation against the two priests. BARCA believes that this campaign constitutes an attack on the Church and particularly on those within the Church who are identified with the preferential option for the poor. After Padre Uvi appeared before the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaria de Gobernacion) to give information about his activities as president of the Diocesan Commission of Justice and Peace, the Oaxaca Human Rights Network (Red Oaxaqueña de Derechos Humanos) and the pastoral councils together called a press conference to denounce the persecution of the Church.
Padre Uvi is a widely respected human rights defender who is deeply committed to the nonviolent struggle against social injustice in the state of Oaxaca and to the peaceful resolution of social conflicts. Some years ago, as a parish priest in the Sierra Sur, he worked to help the communities in his parish to set up local human rights committees. This work led to the founding of the regional human rights committee – BARCA. Padre Uvi's efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution of a longstanding and bitter dispute over land between two communities in his parish led to his being himself the target of physical attacks.
With the approach of 2004, an electoral year in the state of Oaxaca, BARCA sees the interests of caciques (local political bosses) as being behind the present campaign against Padre Uvi. The caciques have in the past been displeased, and have expressed their displeasure, at his pastoral work related to the electoral rights and responsibilities of citizens.
BARCA has declared that local non–governmental organizations, priests and pastoral councils together hold the state and federal governments, and in particular the local PRI (the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which holds power at the state level as well as being a major opposition party at the federal level – after more than seventy years of governing Mexico) member of Congress, Lorenzo Hernandez Ahedo, responsible for any physical or psychological attack that might be suffered by Padre Uvi.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please write to the government of Mexico and to the Oaxaca State government to express your concern over the campaign of intimidation against Francisco Mayren Pelaez and Armando Mu–oz Jarquin. Please ask for immediate measures to be taken to end this harassment and to safeguard the physical and psychology of the two priests, politely reminding the Mexican government of its responsibility to protect and promote the rights of human rights defenders.
Please write to the Canadian government informing them of this very regrettable situation and pointing out that, despite the setting up of a human rights office within the Ministry of the Interior following the death of Digna Ochoa, violations of the rights of Mexican human rights defenders still continue to take place. Please ask the Canadian government to request the Mexican government to take immediate steps to safeguard the physical and psychological integrity of Francisco Mayren Pelaez and Armando Muñoz Jarquin.
ADDRESSES:
For Mexico:
Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11850,
MEXICO
FAX: 011 52 55 522 4117 or 516 9537 or 515 1794
radio@presidencia.gob.mx GOTOBUTTON BM_2_
presidencia@gob.mx
vicentefox@presidencia.gob.mx
Lic. José Murat Casab
Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, México
Fax: 011-52-951-516-3737 (If possible, please send your message by fax)
gobernador@oaxaca.gob.mx
Please send copies of your letters to:
Lic. Ricardo Sepúlveda Director General de Derechos Humanos
Secretaria de Gobernación (Ministry of the Interior)
Reforma 99, Colonia Tabacalera
CP 006030, Mexico D.F., MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 51 28 02 34
rsepulveda@segob.gob.mx
Dr. José Luis Soberanes Fernández
Presidente, Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Mexico D.F., Mexico
correo@cndh.org.mx
Lic. Sergio Segreste Rios
Presidente, Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos
Oaxaca, Mexico
cdoax@infosel.net.mx
Her Excellency María Teresa García
Ambassador for Mexico
45 O'Connor Street, suite 1500
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4
FAX: 613 235 9123
info@embamexcan.com
For Canada:
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
FAX: 613 996 9607 Graham.b@parl.gc.ca
Ms. Susan Gregson, Director
Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and International Women's Equality Division (AGH)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive, B4
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
FAX: 613 943 0606
susan.gregson.agh@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
If possible, please also send a copy of your letters to the Oaxaca Human Rights Network at
rodhmx@yahoo.com.mx
Campaign against human rights defenders in the state of Oaxaca; Priest Francisco Mayren Pelaez and Armando Munoz Jarquin subjected to harassment and intimidation by Government officials
Dear Friends:
We have received from the Bartólome Carrasco Briceño Human Rights Centre (BARCA) in the state of Oaxaca information regarding a very disturbing campaign of harassment against the president of the Diocesan Commission of Justice and Peace, Father Francisco Mayren Pelaez (known to many as Padre Uvi) and Armando Muñoz Jarquin, the parish priest of San Mateo Piñas.
According to BARCA, public servants at both the federal and state levels are responsible for the campaign of intimidation against the two priests. BARCA believes that this campaign constitutes an attack on the Church and particularly on those within the Church who are identified with the preferential option for the poor. After Padre Uvi appeared before the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaria de Gobernacion) to give information about his activities as president of the Diocesan Commission of Justice and Peace, the Oaxaca Human Rights Network (Red Oaxaqueña de Derechos Humanos) and the pastoral councils together called a press conference to denounce the persecution of the Church.
Padre Uvi is a widely respected human rights defender who is deeply committed to the nonviolent struggle against social injustice in the state of Oaxaca and to the peaceful resolution of social conflicts. Some years ago, as a parish priest in the Sierra Sur, he worked to help the communities in his parish to set up local human rights committees. This work led to the founding of the regional human rights committee – BARCA. Padre Uvi's efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution of a longstanding and bitter dispute over land between two communities in his parish led to his being himself the target of physical attacks.
With the approach of 2004, an electoral year in the state of Oaxaca, BARCA sees the interests of caciques (local political bosses) as being behind the present campaign against Padre Uvi. The caciques have in the past been displeased, and have expressed their displeasure, at his pastoral work related to the electoral rights and responsibilities of citizens.
BARCA has declared that local non–governmental organizations, priests and pastoral councils together hold the state and federal governments, and in particular the local PRI (the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which holds power at the state level as well as being a major opposition party at the federal level – after more than seventy years of governing Mexico) member of Congress, Lorenzo Hernandez Ahedo, responsible for any physical or psychological attack that might be suffered by Padre Uvi.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please write to the government of Mexico and to the Oaxaca State government to express your concern over the campaign of intimidation against Francisco Mayren Pelaez and Armando Mu–oz Jarquin. Please ask for immediate measures to be taken to end this harassment and to safeguard the physical and psychology of the two priests, politely reminding the Mexican government of its responsibility to protect and promote the rights of human rights defenders.
Please write to the Canadian government informing them of this very regrettable situation and pointing out that, despite the setting up of a human rights office within the Ministry of the Interior following the death of Digna Ochoa, violations of the rights of Mexican human rights defenders still continue to take place. Please ask the Canadian government to request the Mexican government to take immediate steps to safeguard the physical and psychological integrity of Francisco Mayren Pelaez and Armando Muñoz Jarquin.
ADDRESSES:
For Mexico:
Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11850,
MEXICO
FAX: 011 52 55 522 4117 or 516 9537 or 515 1794
radio@presidencia.gob.mx GOTOBUTTON BM_2_
presidencia@gob.mx
vicentefox@presidencia.gob.mx
Lic. José Murat Casab
Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, México
Fax: 011-52-951-516-3737 (If possible, please send your message by fax)
gobernador@oaxaca.gob.mx
Please send copies of your letters to:
Lic. Ricardo Sepúlveda Director General de Derechos Humanos
Secretaria de Gobernación (Ministry of the Interior)
Reforma 99, Colonia Tabacalera
CP 006030, Mexico D.F., MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 51 28 02 34
rsepulveda@segob.gob.mx
Dr. José Luis Soberanes Fernández
Presidente, Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Mexico D.F., Mexico
correo@cndh.org.mx
Lic. Sergio Segreste Rios
Presidente, Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos
Oaxaca, Mexico
cdoax@infosel.net.mx
Her Excellency María Teresa García
Ambassador for Mexico
45 O'Connor Street, suite 1500
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4
FAX: 613 235 9123
info@embamexcan.com
For Canada:
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
FAX: 613 996 9607 Graham.b@parl.gc.ca
Ms. Susan Gregson, Director
Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and International Women's Equality Division (AGH)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive, B4
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
FAX: 613 943 0606
susan.gregson.agh@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
If possible, please also send a copy of your letters to the Oaxaca Human Rights Network at
rodhmx@yahoo.com.mx