MEXICO URGENT ACTION
1 August 2002
Dear Friends:
We have received the following message from the Mexican Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights concerning the continued harassment of the organization Ce–Acatl.
Juan Anzaldo Meneses, the editor of Ce-Acatl's magazine, which is also called Ce–Acatl has been the object of a series of telephoned threats, robberies, and other acts of harassment. The latest such incident took place at midnight on June 12th 2002 when Sr. Anzaldo was assaulted by persons who at first claimed to be, and later denied being, Mexico state police (policemen employed by the state of Mexico). After being driven about for approximately an hour and subjected to intense questioning regarding his activities, he was released. His attackers stole his vehicle and some of his money. This attack was reported to the authorities and assigned file #LR/111/2035/2002. It is the third incident that Ce Acatl has had to report in recent months.
Since the founding of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) in 1996, Juan Anzaldo has been very much involved in the civic struggle for the defence and promotion of indigenous rights. He was one of the political advisors to the Zapatistas during the negotiations with the Mexican government that led to the signing of the San Andres Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture. His organization Ce-Acatl has served as a central communication point, helping the different Mexican indigenous organizations to work together. In early 2001, Juan Anzaldo and Ce–Acatl took an active part in the March from Chiapas to Mexico City. The March was organized by the Zapatistas and the CNI. Its purpose was to persuade the Mexican Congress to pass the so–called COCOPA bill embodying the constitutional reforms that would have given legal expression to the San Andres Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture. Very recently, Sr. Anzaldo and Ce–Acatl have participated in presenting to the Mexican Supreme Court a series of constitutional challenges with regard to the law on indigenous rights that was finally passed by the Congress a law that is a travesty of the San Andres Accords and of the original COCOPA bill, and which fails to respect major provisions of ILO Covenant 169 (which Mexico has signed and ratified). These legal challenges are based on what the indigenous municipalities and organizations concerned consider to be the unconstitutionality of the process by which this law was passed by the Mexican Congress and approved by a majority of Mexico's state legislatures. From June 12th June 14th, there were major demonstrations before the Mexican Supreme Court to demand the striking down of the law. Especially in view of the timing of the incident describe in this urgent action, it is important to note that Sr. Anzaldo and Ce'Acatl played an important role in the logistics of these mobilizations.
The organization Ce–Acatl was founded in 1990, simultaneously with the publication of the first issue of the magazine of the same name. From early 1991 until the end of 1993, the organization was a member of the Mexican Council 500 Years of Indigenous, Black and Popular Resistance. In 1996, Ce–Acatl was a founding member of the CNI and it continues to be responsible for maintaining the CNI's website.
Ce–Acatl defines its mission as follows: Together with the peoples, communities, and organizations of the national indigenous movement, participate in actions directed at obtaining political, social, legal, and cultural recognition of indigenous rights in the construction of a newly inclusive and participatory society. Among Ce–Acatl's objectives is that of functioning as a medium of communication, information, and debate on proposals for the construction of a new political culture based on respect, the recognition of plurality, trust, the building of concensus, and compliance with agreements.
Please write to the Mexican government to ask that all necessary measures be taken to safeguard the physical integrity of Juan Anzaldo Meneses and the members of Ce Acatl and their respective families. Please request a complete investigations of the attacks and incidents of harassment to which members of Ce Acatl have been subjected and for those found to be responsible for planning or perpetrating these criminal acts to be brought to justice.
Please remind the Mexican government of its obligation, in accordance with the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders that was adopted on December 9th, 1998, to protect the right of all persons, either individually or collectively, to defend and promote human rights.
Please write to the Canadian government informing them of this latest incident directed against the organization Ce Acatl and its members and requesting them to express their concern to the Mexican government regarding the latter's failure to provide proper protection to human rights defenders.
For Mexico
Lic. Santiago Creel
Secretario de Gobernación
Bucareli 99, primer piso, Col Juarez, Mexico D.F. CP 06699, MEXICO
FAX: O11 52 55 546 5350 or 546 7388 segob@rtn.net.mx
:Lic. Arturo Montiel
Gobernador del Estado de México
FAX: 011 52 721 441 72
Please send copies to:
Lic. Mariclaire Acosta, Subsecretaria de Derechos Humanos y Democracia
FAX: 011 52 55 117 4334 or 327 3195 afranco@sre.gob.mx
Her Exellency Maria Teresa Garcia Segovia
Ambassador for Mexico
45 O'Connor St, suite 1500, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1A4
Fax 613 235 9123 info@embamexcan.com
For Canada:
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FAX: 613 996 9607 Graham.b@parl.gc.ca
1 August 2002
CONTINUED HARASSMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATION CE-ACATL AND OF ITS LEADER JUAN ANZALDO MENESES
Dear Friends:
We have received the following message from the Mexican Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights concerning the continued harassment of the organization Ce–Acatl.
Juan Anzaldo Meneses, the editor of Ce-Acatl's magazine, which is also called Ce–Acatl has been the object of a series of telephoned threats, robberies, and other acts of harassment. The latest such incident took place at midnight on June 12th 2002 when Sr. Anzaldo was assaulted by persons who at first claimed to be, and later denied being, Mexico state police (policemen employed by the state of Mexico). After being driven about for approximately an hour and subjected to intense questioning regarding his activities, he was released. His attackers stole his vehicle and some of his money. This attack was reported to the authorities and assigned file #LR/111/2035/2002. It is the third incident that Ce Acatl has had to report in recent months.
BACKGROUND:
Since the founding of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) in 1996, Juan Anzaldo has been very much involved in the civic struggle for the defence and promotion of indigenous rights. He was one of the political advisors to the Zapatistas during the negotiations with the Mexican government that led to the signing of the San Andres Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture. His organization Ce-Acatl has served as a central communication point, helping the different Mexican indigenous organizations to work together. In early 2001, Juan Anzaldo and Ce–Acatl took an active part in the March from Chiapas to Mexico City. The March was organized by the Zapatistas and the CNI. Its purpose was to persuade the Mexican Congress to pass the so–called COCOPA bill embodying the constitutional reforms that would have given legal expression to the San Andres Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture. Very recently, Sr. Anzaldo and Ce–Acatl have participated in presenting to the Mexican Supreme Court a series of constitutional challenges with regard to the law on indigenous rights that was finally passed by the Congress a law that is a travesty of the San Andres Accords and of the original COCOPA bill, and which fails to respect major provisions of ILO Covenant 169 (which Mexico has signed and ratified). These legal challenges are based on what the indigenous municipalities and organizations concerned consider to be the unconstitutionality of the process by which this law was passed by the Mexican Congress and approved by a majority of Mexico's state legislatures. From June 12th June 14th, there were major demonstrations before the Mexican Supreme Court to demand the striking down of the law. Especially in view of the timing of the incident describe in this urgent action, it is important to note that Sr. Anzaldo and Ce'Acatl played an important role in the logistics of these mobilizations.
The organization Ce–Acatl was founded in 1990, simultaneously with the publication of the first issue of the magazine of the same name. From early 1991 until the end of 1993, the organization was a member of the Mexican Council 500 Years of Indigenous, Black and Popular Resistance. In 1996, Ce–Acatl was a founding member of the CNI and it continues to be responsible for maintaining the CNI's website.
Ce–Acatl defines its mission as follows: Together with the peoples, communities, and organizations of the national indigenous movement, participate in actions directed at obtaining political, social, legal, and cultural recognition of indigenous rights in the construction of a newly inclusive and participatory society. Among Ce–Acatl's objectives is that of functioning as a medium of communication, information, and debate on proposals for the construction of a new political culture based on respect, the recognition of plurality, trust, the building of concensus, and compliance with agreements.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please write to the Mexican government to ask that all necessary measures be taken to safeguard the physical integrity of Juan Anzaldo Meneses and the members of Ce Acatl and their respective families. Please request a complete investigations of the attacks and incidents of harassment to which members of Ce Acatl have been subjected and for those found to be responsible for planning or perpetrating these criminal acts to be brought to justice.
Please remind the Mexican government of its obligation, in accordance with the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders that was adopted on December 9th, 1998, to protect the right of all persons, either individually or collectively, to defend and promote human rights.
Please write to the Canadian government informing them of this latest incident directed against the organization Ce Acatl and its members and requesting them to express their concern to the Mexican government regarding the latter's failure to provide proper protection to human rights defenders.
ADDRESSES:
For Mexico
Lic. Santiago Creel
Secretario de Gobernación
Bucareli 99, primer piso, Col Juarez, Mexico D.F. CP 06699, MEXICO
FAX: O11 52 55 546 5350 or 546 7388 segob@rtn.net.mx
:Lic. Arturo Montiel
Gobernador del Estado de México
FAX: 011 52 721 441 72
Please send copies to:
Lic. Mariclaire Acosta, Subsecretaria de Derechos Humanos y Democracia
FAX: 011 52 55 117 4334 or 327 3195 afranco@sre.gob.mx
Her Exellency Maria Teresa Garcia Segovia
Ambassador for Mexico
45 O'Connor St, suite 1500, Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1A4
Fax 613 235 9123 info@embamexcan.com
For Canada:
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
FAX: 613 996 9607 Graham.b@parl.gc.ca