CPTNet
February 18, 2000
CHIAPAS, MEXICO: Las Abejas -"No more deaths of innocents"
The following press statement was issued by Las Abejas on December 28, 1999
during their 1000-person Pilgrimage for the Renewal of our Hearts to
military bases throughout Chenalho county. Las Abejas (the Bees) are a
group of 4000 Mayan Christians commited to nonviolence. They are a primary
partner with whom CPT works in Chiapas.
According to a nun who works with the Abejas and spoke with the recent CPT
delegation to Chiapas, the December procession didn't simply send a message
to the soldiers; it shook their foundations. Following the press release
is a translation of the flier that the Abejas handed out to soldiers at each
of four military civic action camps along the route.
Pilgrimage for the Renewal of Our Hearts
God said to the people: Come, let us walk together in the light of the Lord
(Is. 2:5)
Holy Ground of the Martyrs of Acteal, Chenalho, Chiapas
December 28, 1999
Feast of the Holy Innocents
To the national and international press; To all the peoples of the world
--brothers and sisters, indigenous, peasants, workers, teachers,
professionals, homemakers, Mexican Army, elected officials, business people,
students, criminals, and even drug traffickers; To all Chiapans and other
Mexicans, from the poorest to the wealthiest:
We remember on this day the Feast of the Holy Innocents. From the moment
of Jesus birth during the reign of King Herod, he was persecuted. Herod
ordered the death of many children because he was thought that the Savior
Jesus would be among them (Mt. 2:13-16).
Today God speaks to us. This pilgrimage is for the renewal of our hearts,
so that there will be no more deaths of innocents. How many innocents have
died, how many displaced people have abandoned their belongings and suffered
throughout the last 2,000 years of history.
Our friends, today we look back over our lives and acknowledge our attitudes
and our actions. We remember that we are all children of the same God, that
we are brothers and sisters, and that each of us is but a sojourner living
on borrowed time in this world so that we may work for good and not evil.
We are called to work for peace (Mt. 5:9). Let us be builders of truth, not
violence, of peace, not of hostility.
We believe that peace is only possible through dialogue. We cannot talk of
peace and want war. We cannot seek reconciliation and provoke violence with
the presence of weapons. We cannot live in a land of justice while
militarization increases. If our hearts don't agree with our words, we walk
in darkness. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who call
darkness light and light darkness, who call bitter sweet and sweet into
bitter! (Is. 5:20) We want to plant and harvest the fruit of our mother
earth in peace, free from military camps.
Let each of us do what we ought to do. Let us renew our hearts; let us be
born again as Jesus said in John 3:3. It is time for us to correct each
other with respect in the presence of friends and colleagues regardless of
where we are from, our religion, our political party, our language, color,
people or culture.
By the Civil Society Organization Las Abejas
Jose Perez Vazquez
Antonio Gutierrez Perez
Flier Handed out to Soldiers at Four Military Bases
Mexican Soldier:
We ask you to join us in learning to walk in the way of life, of
justice, of right and of peace. Together let us create the pathway that
leads to the house of our Lord God. Our brothers and sisters, we have asked
for the demilitarization of the region but the government doesn't listen.
You shouldn't learn to think like them. That's why we re asking you now to
leave
this military camp. This is not the only way to make a living. There are
many kinds of work to achieve a just and pleasant life. The evil spirit,
the spirit of war, of injustice, of violence will be quite happy with us if
we don't do what is necessary for peace to come to our land. Think hard
about this. While we live we have the opportunity to build the Reign of
God.
You have walked through our region. You are familiar with our area.
You know that there is no peace while you walk around provoking fear with
your weapons. You have introduced weapons to the paramilitaries. With your
checkpoints you have harassed us and those who come to visit us. How does
your
heart feel?
Don't shed the blood of your brothers in the land because when you kill a
person, you are killing God.
Civil Society Las Abejas
_________________________________________________
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is an initiative among
Mennonite and Brethren congregations, and Friends meetings who support
violence reduction Teams around the world. Contact CPT at P.O. Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680 USA; Tel: 312-455-1199; Fax: 312-432-1213; e-mail:
CPT@igc.org To join CPTNET send an e-mail to admin@MennoLink.org and the
message: Group: menno.org.cpt.news
Visit us on the WEB: http://www.cpt.org
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Feb 28 2000 - 16:08:02 EST