Brothers and Sisters,
We, the Zapatista the Suppor t Bases and members of ARIC Independiente y Democrática of Taniperlas, are presently refugees in the mountains. We wish to state that:
On April 11th we had to leave our community because of threats that hung over us.
The government says that it is not provoking a confrontation, but that is a lie because before the Army and the State Police entered our community, the PRIistas received training and were manipulated into provoking confrontations among people in the community.
For some days, armed members of the army and the State Police have shown up not only with the community but also in the surrounding areas of the community --at least 200 meters from this house.
On April 20th, aproximately 100 members of the army advanced toward the community of Laguna Ocotal and entered it. While there, they interrogated and beat a women. They told them that they had to abandon the community and threateded to come back and burn the houses of anyone who didn't want to go.
On the road, they stopped Fernando Sánchez gómez, a 16 year-old boy that was going to work. They detained him and since then he has been in the Taniperlas jail in the hands of the PRIistas.
Daily, the PRIistas go to his mother and other women in Taniperlas and pressure them to sign a document where they pledge allegiance to the PRI.
Other are warned that if the Zapatistas don't surrender they are going to persecute them for 10 years.
They say that they are ready to find them dead or alive and if the regugees don't come down from the mountain to sign a document that demands that they ask for forgiveness, they will continue to persecute them.
Under the weight of much fear, the women have not given in to these pressures.
We have information that the army and the State Police, together with the PRI-MIRA will not let the women go out to gather wood, water or to look for food. Also, the military has said that if the men do not return, they are going to take their lands. However, we want to clarify that to soldiers do not have a right to take away our lands.
We want to state that our biggest worry in the face of this situation is the suffering of our families. We want to state that we do not want to confront the military. Because of this we have fled to the mountains. We are suffering from hunger and cold in the mountains, the displaced Zapatista support bases and members of ARIC Independiente y Democrática want a peaceful and dignified resolution. The first steps to achieve that are the removal of the Army and the State Police from our community and the end of all harassment towards us and our families on the part of the PRIistas.
ENLACE CIVIL A.C. Calle Ignacio Allende 4 29200 San Cristóbal de Las Casas CHIAPAS-MEXICO Tel y fax: (52) 967-82104 e-mail: enlacecivil@laneta.apc.org CONSULTA NUESTRA PAGINA ELECTRONICA CON INFORMACION NUEVA CADA 15 DIAS http://www.laneta.apc.org/enlacecivil