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nw_arizona_granny found this article in Google Group: misc.activism.progressive

::NOTE FROM BELOW::

>>>>The declaration by the President of the Republic, who
refrains from referring to the reasons for the heightening of military bases and headquarters since 1994, doesnt explain, or consider, not to mention question the presence, threat, permanent hassling and guard of the military towards the EZLN and the civil population. Therefore, it denies the possibility of demilitarisation and lessening of tensions in Chiapas. Peace isnt built through military threat.<<<<

[SIPAZ]
Statement by the Chiapas Peace Network...

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SIPAZ WEBADMIN
Jan 22, 11:55 pm show options

Statement by the Chiapas Peace Network

Following the recent declarations by Vicente Fox
Quesada, President
of the Mexican Republic concerning the conflict in
Chiapas

14th of January 2005

As the Peace Network of Chiapas, we declare that in
Chiapas we are undergoing a situation of war and general conflict, and at present we are experiencing an acceleration and heightening of conflict.

The conflict in Chiapas will not be resolved by the
construction of factories of fried produce or through programs for development aimed solely at the supporters of the present Government. Neither will it be resolved through plans that exclusively benefit foreign investors and that fail to consider the damage to the environment, culture, society and human rights that this brings towards the indigenous communities and the poorest citizens of our society.

The recent speech by President Vicente Fox Quezada
on the EZLN states it as practically a thing of the past with everyone looking towards the future.

This radically affects any civil and political initiative
for resolving the conflict. It also clearly expresses the
posture from above that denies the existence of armed conflict in
Chiapas.

The far off possibility of returning to the negotiation
table and of dialog between the federal government and the
EZLN becomes impossible, at least during the present six-year period, because the holder of the executive denies validity of its speaker. Until when will the politicians who claim to work for the benefit of both parties maintain this irresponsible attitude?

The declaration by the President of the Republic, who
refrains from referring to the reasons for the heightening of military bases and headquarters since 1994, doesnt explain, or consider, not to mention question the presence, threat, permanent hassling and guard of the military towards the EZLN and the civil population. Therefore, it denies the possibility of demilitarisation and lessening of tensions in Chiapas. Peace isnt built through military threat.

The declarations by the President and the Governor
Pablo Salazar Mendiguchma clearly demonstrate that the policies towards the State of Chiapas fail to include any intention of transforming the conflict and war into proposals that can surpass the ancestral marginalisation of the indigenous communities, but maintain the military strategy of exhausting the EZLN and their support bases.

We are sorry that the Federal Government, instead of
generating conditions leading to a resolution of the conflict in Chiapas and reestablishment of the mechanisms of dialog destroyed by the six-year period under Zedillo, sustains a strategy of exhaustion. They are maintaining the inefficiency of the instances first created to aid the search for peace and reduce the ancestral conflict between the Nation and the Indigenous Communities, at present limited to a series of Economical Development Programs.

This strategy not only affects those who wish to put
an end to all this, but it affects the entire society: it accelerates the contradictions and conflicts between the different economical, political, religious and identity groups.

For the year 2005 we cant expect the confrontations
and divisions to lessen, on the contrary, they will continue.

The Mexican Government manifests, once more, an
inability to transform civil and political conflicts in a creative and encompassing manner, this is a sign of the accelerated crisis in which the Nation is submerged.

On the other hand, we trust that the availability and
conscience displayed in the Good Government Committees (JBG)
of the Caracoles will be maintained in order to peacefully and positively resolve the conflicts arising between its members and those of other organizations.

We also trust that the other indigenous, farming,
social and civil organisations in Chiapas may work for unity and reconciliation and advance towards the creation of alliances and economical, political and social alternatives for the benefit of all Mexicans.