(Fwd) Evil happenings in Mexico - attn TU/Civil rights activis

[Jon Beasley-Murray]

Here's an example of a more recent report from Chiapas.  Clearly the 
situation is serious, but it does worry me that it is the one post 
suggesting a "massacre" that has garnered all the attention.

In many ways, after all, what has been occuring in Chiapas are phenomena
reflecting *systemic* inequalities in Mexico, common to many other
countries, albeit that in Mexico Zapatista intervention among other events
have now pushed this particular political and economic system towards the
brink.  This is all much more worrying to me, and can't quite be effaced
by only the occasional liberal disquiet over a reported massacre.  Such 
abuses are terrible, but they aren't the origin of the problem.

Take care

Jon

Jon Beasley-Murray
Literature Program
Duke University
jpb8@acpub.duke.edu
http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/~spoons
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From hmcleave@mundo.eco.utexas.eduTue Feb 28 17:53:36 1995
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 16:40:10 CST
From: "Harry M. Cleaver" <hmcleave@mundo.eco.utexas.edu>
Subject: Jornada summary, 2/26 (English)

This posting has been forwarded to you as a service of the Austin Comite
de Solidaridad con Chiapas y Mexico.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 15:46:21 -0600 (CST)
From: Leopoldo Rodriguez <leopoldo@tobin>
To: Harry Cleaver <hmcleave@mundo.eco.utexas.edu>
Subject: Jornada summary, 2/26 (fwd)

Reporters on a two day visit to villages in the municipality of Las 
Margaritas report that a severe shortage of food and medicine is taking 
place due to the military cordon in the area.  Hunger, dhyarrea, 
disentery, chicken-pox and respiratory tract illnesses have become 
widespread.

Villagers demand that the army leaves the region and respond to the 10 
points demanded by the EZLN on Jan. 1, 1994.  Some communities openly 
admit to being zapatista, while the others agree with their demands.  
They all ask not to be identified fearing reprisal in the hands of the 
army. 

Those villagers that have stayed in the villages do not come out of their 
houses to collect their beans and coffee for fear of being accused of 
being a member of the EZLN.One of them stated: "The army should not 
persecute the leaders of the EZLN, we do not persecute the heads of the PRI."