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"Punish the paramilitaries." Cross and caskets memorialize the 45 victims of the Acteal Massacre of December 22, 1997. |
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"El gobierno preparó la masacre de Acteal." "The government arranged the Acteal massacre." |
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This page updated August 24, 2000 12:49 PM
CHIAPAS:
August 10, 2000
Bees march, take demands to governor on
International Day of Indigenous Peoples
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"Punish the paramilitaries." Cross and caskets memorialize the 45 victims of the Acteal Massacre of December 22, 1997. |
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"El gobierno preparó la masacre de Acteal." "The government arranged the Acteal massacre." |
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"Se ve, se siente, Las Abejas están presentes" "We are seen, we are heard. The Bees are here." |
"Abejas unidas jamás serán vencidas." "The Bees united will never be defeated." |
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Thursday, August 10, 2000, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, approximately 1,500 members of the pacifist organization The Bees marched through the City of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas. At the same time, a copy of the group's demands was sent to the Governor's office in the State Capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez.
The next step, says Sebastian Gutierrez Perez, a member of the Bees directing council, is to await a response from the state government. "We're waiting to see if the government will keep its word, if it will pay the indemnity right away. If there is no answer this month, we will think of a different way to bring our public denunciation to the government." The approaching gubernatorial elections slated for August 20 offer hope that a change in state government might improve the situation of the Bees.
The Bees demands include disarmament of paramilitaries, demilitarization of the State, honoring of the San Andres accords, a justice that holds government officials accountable for the crimes that led to and culminated in the Acteal massacre, and above all, the immediate payment by the State of Chiapas of indemnities already remitted by the federal authorities to the State government regarding damages for which the Mexican government has already been found responsible.
The Bees have requested support in bringing their demands to
the Chiapas State government. If you would like to support the
Bees in this effort click here.
Members of the Christian Peacemaker Team based in Chiapas were
present for the march and will continue to update this site in
coming days with photographs and other items of interest.
Statement
of the Bees
Palabra de Las Abejas (en Español)
Write Chiapas Governor Roberto Albores Guillen
Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation photos and stories, July 2000
