Chiapas Update: July 3-17, 1999
July 25th, 1999
in:
CPTnet
Chiapas Update
July 3-17, 1999
Saturday, July 3:
Christian Peacemaker Team members returned to the Abejas (Bees) refugee
community of X'oyep to present a photo album CPTers compiled from photos
taken at the June 29 festival of San Pedro, the patron saint of Chenalho
municipality. While there, they learned that the community was short on
water because a water pipe to their village had been broken by a vehicle
driving over it. One community member reported that a military vehicle
broke the pipe.
Sunday, July 4:
The team left X'oyep and traveled to the Zapatista autonomous community of
Polho, comprised mostly of displaced people. While there, CPTers visited a
Presbyterian church which is part of the community. The existence of this
church as a part of a Zapatista community runs counter to the stereotype
that the conflict is a religious one between Catholics and Protestants (see
press release: "Chiapas: This Time, 'Divide and Conquer' Failed").
Monday, July 5:
CPTers traveled to Acteal, site of the December 1997 massacre of 45
members of Las Abejas. Most of the team visited people who'd been
displaced from the village of Canolal. Team members helped build some
homes for this group of displaced people in March 1999.
Tuesday, July 6:
To raise some concerns they heard from members of different communities,
CPTers met with Brigadier General Mejia and later visited an indigenous
community that supports the military presence in Chiapas to hear a
different viewpoint from what they have heard in displaced communities (see
articles "A Visit to 'The Other Side'" and "A Meeting with the General").
Wednesday, July 7:
The team returned to San Cristobal de las Casas.
Thursday, July 8:
CPTers Kryss Chupp, Pierre Shantz, and Lisette Sanabria met with an
immigration officer with whom CPT has communicated regularly. Mexican
immigration authorities are encouraging the team to apply for "Religious
Associate" visas. The team continues to discuss this option with their
legal and other advisors in Chiapas.
Friday, July 9:
Kryss and Kori Chupp, Lisa Martens and Lisette Sanabria departed from the
Chiapas project.
Saturday, July 10:
CPTers Wendy Lehman, Frank Moore and Pierre Shantz returned to Acteal.
Las Abejas (The Bees) performed a ceremony for "retiring" legal advisors in
the community to transfer their "cargo," or responsibility, to the new
advisors. The ceremony included Catholic and indigenous traditions.
Representatives from Fray Bartolome de las Casas humans rights center of
the Diocese were present.
In the evening, Las Abejas held a dance. Wendy and Pierre danced next to
a man and his young daughter -- she was approximately three or four years
old. Pierre told Wendy that this man lost his mother, his wife and two
children in the December 1997 massacre of 45 Abejas.
Sunday, July 11:
In the morning, team members attended a morning service and took
communion. Later in the day, three SIPAZ volunteers came to Acteal as did
a woman from Witness for Peace Guatemala.
Monday, July 12:
In the evening, a team member from SIPAZ, the Witness for Peace worker,
and CPT team members sang "We Are Marching in the Light of God" with Las
Abejas women from the community. They sang the song in English, Spanish
and Tzotzil, as the young Abejas women seem very interesting in learning
the song well.
Wednesday, July 14:
Pierre Shantz joined four Abejas men -- all brothers -- in building a house.
Two of the brothers lost their wives in the 1997 massacre. One of the two
also lost two children and the whole family lost their mother. Pierre
observed fifteen to twenty military vehicles a day while working on the
house, on the road above Acteal.
CPTer Anne Herman joined the team in San Cristobal.
Thursday, July 15:
CPT workers Matt Guynn and Esther Ho joined the project.
Saturday, July 17:
CPTers Wendy Lehman and Pierre Shantz left Acteal to return to San
Cristobal.
Chiapas Update
July 3-17, 1999
Saturday, July 3:
Christian Peacemaker Team members returned to the Abejas (Bees) refugee
community of X'oyep to present a photo album CPTers compiled from photos
taken at the June 29 festival of San Pedro, the patron saint of Chenalho
municipality. While there, they learned that the community was short on
water because a water pipe to their village had been broken by a vehicle
driving over it. One community member reported that a military vehicle
broke the pipe.
Sunday, July 4:
The team left X'oyep and traveled to the Zapatista autonomous community of
Polho, comprised mostly of displaced people. While there, CPTers visited a
Presbyterian church which is part of the community. The existence of this
church as a part of a Zapatista community runs counter to the stereotype
that the conflict is a religious one between Catholics and Protestants (see
press release: "Chiapas: This Time, 'Divide and Conquer' Failed").
Monday, July 5:
CPTers traveled to Acteal, site of the December 1997 massacre of 45
members of Las Abejas. Most of the team visited people who'd been
displaced from the village of Canolal. Team members helped build some
homes for this group of displaced people in March 1999.
Tuesday, July 6:
To raise some concerns they heard from members of different communities,
CPTers met with Brigadier General Mejia and later visited an indigenous
community that supports the military presence in Chiapas to hear a
different viewpoint from what they have heard in displaced communities (see
articles "A Visit to 'The Other Side'" and "A Meeting with the General").
Wednesday, July 7:
The team returned to San Cristobal de las Casas.
Thursday, July 8:
CPTers Kryss Chupp, Pierre Shantz, and Lisette Sanabria met with an
immigration officer with whom CPT has communicated regularly. Mexican
immigration authorities are encouraging the team to apply for "Religious
Associate" visas. The team continues to discuss this option with their
legal and other advisors in Chiapas.
Friday, July 9:
Kryss and Kori Chupp, Lisa Martens and Lisette Sanabria departed from the
Chiapas project.
Saturday, July 10:
CPTers Wendy Lehman, Frank Moore and Pierre Shantz returned to Acteal.
Las Abejas (The Bees) performed a ceremony for "retiring" legal advisors in
the community to transfer their "cargo," or responsibility, to the new
advisors. The ceremony included Catholic and indigenous traditions.
Representatives from Fray Bartolome de las Casas humans rights center of
the Diocese were present.
In the evening, Las Abejas held a dance. Wendy and Pierre danced next to
a man and his young daughter -- she was approximately three or four years
old. Pierre told Wendy that this man lost his mother, his wife and two
children in the December 1997 massacre of 45 Abejas.
Sunday, July 11:
In the morning, team members attended a morning service and took
communion. Later in the day, three SIPAZ volunteers came to Acteal as did
a woman from Witness for Peace Guatemala.
Monday, July 12:
In the evening, a team member from SIPAZ, the Witness for Peace worker,
and CPT team members sang "We Are Marching in the Light of God" with Las
Abejas women from the community. They sang the song in English, Spanish
and Tzotzil, as the young Abejas women seem very interesting in learning
the song well.
Wednesday, July 14:
Pierre Shantz joined four Abejas men -- all brothers -- in building a house.
Two of the brothers lost their wives in the 1997 massacre. One of the two
also lost two children and the whole family lost their mother. Pierre
observed fifteen to twenty military vehicles a day while working on the
house, on the road above Acteal.
CPTer Anne Herman joined the team in San Cristobal.
Thursday, July 15:
CPT workers Matt Guynn and Esther Ho joined the project.
Saturday, July 17:
CPTers Wendy Lehman and Pierre Shantz left Acteal to return to San
Cristobal.
