Archives du Réseau for Apr17-98

Le dimahcne 19 avril
dimanche: manif contre les expulsion et la repression au mexique

Vous etes inviteEs a participer et a diffuser par tous les moyens a votre
disposition cet appel a une

MANIFESTATION A MONTREAL LE DIMANCHE 19 AVRIL A 13H00, DEVANT LE COMPLEXE
GUY FAVREAU

Suite aux evenements de la fin de semaine passee qui ont connu
l'arrestation de neuf autochtones du Chiapas et de 19 observateurs-trices
des droits humains au Chiapas et parmi eux l'expulsion du Mexique de 12
etrangers dont deux Quebecoises, nous entendons manifester notre desaccord
avec l'attitude de conciliation que montre le gouvernement canadien a l'egard
du Mexique.

Les expulsions continuent puisque 3 norvegien-NE-s ont été arreteEs dans la
communaute 10 de Abril le 15 de mois et conduits manu-militari à Mexico.

Les ressortissantEs mexicains arretes en meme temps que les observateurs-
trices etrangers a Taniperla sont toujours incarceres.

La communaute de la Realidad, bastion Zapatiste, est sur le qui-vive en raison
du renforcement des effectifs militaires dans la zone.

UNE ASSISTANCE TRéS NOMBREUSE A LA MANIFESTATION DE DIMANCHE EST TRES
IMPORTANTE.

Nous comptons sur vous et sur la publicite que vous ferez a cet evenement.

Merci d'avance

le Comite des Droits Humains pour le Mexique
le Reseau de Solidarite avec le Mexique
le Comite Chretien pour les Droits Humains en Amerique Latine
le Social Justice Committee
le Comité de Solidarite directe avec les Zapatistes

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 08:22:36 -0400
From: perez@total.net
Subject: [Fwd: ONLY FOR WOMEN: letter to President]

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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 22:50:33 -0600 (CST)
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To: paznews-e@amelapaz.org
From: AME LA PAZ
Subject: ONLY FOR WOMEN: letter to President
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(AME LA PAZ-News Service 16/IV/98 005-e) (Please translate and forwarding=
- -Por
favor traduzcase y reenviese Cc amelapaz@amelapaz.org)

Dear Brothers/Sisters of Mexico and The World:

We, a group of women from a variety of backgrounds, have prepared the
following letter to the Mexican President. It is written in response to t=
he
escalating violence occurring in Mexico. We will present it to him next
Saturday (11:00 April 18, 1998). We invite you to sign it and return it t=
o
us via e-mail.

We invite the support of those women living outside of Mexico and request
that you distribute it through the internet. For those who do sign this
letter, please make sure to include you full name, your country and the n=
ame
of your organization as the case may be. We would greatly appreciate your
expediency if possible. However we will plan to set a second date to
present of the letter with the signatures obtained outside Mexico.

We have selected this approach since most of the Mexican Government publi=
c
e-mails are discarded and not read.

Tel/Fax: (5) 5 74 72 34
Email: mujerprd@mujerprd.org.mx and mujer@amelapaz.org (choose one)
=20
Dr. Ernesto Zedillo
President

Doctor Ernesto Zedillo:

We are deeply concerned with the lack of political solutions for a peacef=
ul
resolution to the present Chiapas crisis. We are also very disturbed at t=
he
injustices and precarious situations the indigenous populations are
presently enduring in this and other areas of the Republic.

We are aware of the existing proposed solutions signed in the San Miguel =
and
San Andres Accords. We are greatly alarmed by the unilateral initiatives
presented by the House of Senators. These initiatives could lead to armed
confrontation resulting in indigenous genocide.

We respectfully request, in your capacity as Head of State but above all =
as
a Mexican well aware of the bloody social struggles of those populations =
in
search of freedom and survival, that you withdraw the Presidential
Initiative: Law of Human Rights and Indigenous Culture and put all your
efforts to creating the minimum conditions required to resume the dialogu=
e
between the opposing parties. That is:

Withdrawal of the army from the indigenous communities
Disarmament of paramilitary groups
Release of indigenous political prisoners
Punishment of those responsible for the Acteal Massacre

These would be the first steps to decrease tensions and facilitate the
implementation of the San Andres Larrainzar Accords. Negotiations concern=
ing
peace and development could then resume.=20

All Mexican women agreeing with the above point of view are invited to jo=
in
with us at 11:00 AM Saturday, April 18, 1998 at the President's Official
Pinos Residence to present this letter.

Signed,

Amalia Solorzano Vda. de Cardenas, Ifigenia Martinez, Elena Poniatowska,
Margarita Nolasco,
Mariclaire Acosta, Amalia Garcia, Rosa Albina Garabito, Carlota Botey, Pa=
z
Carmona, Dolores
Padierna, Layda Sanzores, Ana Esther Cecena, Patria Jimenez, Lucero Marqu=
ez,
Eugenia
Gutierrez, Adriana Luna Parra, Laura Itzel Castillo, Gloria Careaga, Ana
Lilia Cepeda, Maria
Rosa Marquez, Teresa Ulloa, Cecilia Loria y Rocio Duque.

#########################################################################=
#######

Start the English News List, to subscribe send a E mail to
majordomo@amelapaz.org with:
subscribe paznews-e
in the body of the menssage

AME LA PAZ =3D LOVE PEACE

To unsubscribe from PazNews send an e-mail to majordomo@amelapaz.org stat=
ing
"unsubsribe paznews" and your address

Daily listserve of human rights, the only one and the best one, directly
from your editors to you, send an e-mail to sididh-pro@amelapaz.org (in
spanish only)
THE ONLY ONE IN MEXICO

VISIT OUR WEBSITE=20
www.amelapaz.org www.amelapaz.org www.amelapaz.org www.amelapaz.o=
rg

Food, Medicine and Equipment for Peace is a social action international
civil organization (Mexico, USA and Canada) dedicated to the tasks of
managing aid for peace in Mexico. For further information send an e-mail =
to
info@amelapaz.org to receive an immediate response. for general informati=
on
at info@amelapaz.org and personal contact at webmaster@amelapaz.org

=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=
=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7..................=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=
=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7=B7

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 08:22:53 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: Tour du Lac St-Jean pour le Burkina Faso

Tour du Lac pour le Burkina Faso

Cette randonnee cycliste de 220 km aura lieu les 12, 13 et 14 juin 1998 et
servira a soutenir des initiatives locales pour le developpement au
Burkina Faso.

Pour plus d'information, veuillez communiquer avec le Centre de solidarite
inetrnationale Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean au
Tel : (418) 668-5211 ou 1-888-668-5211
Fax: (418) 668-5638
E-mail: centreso@alma.digicom.qc.ca
Amelie Bordeleau
Chargee de programme
EUMC - WUSC

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 08:25:04 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: ler mai du collectif des revoltes

PREMIER MAI,
JOURNEE INTERNATIONALE DES TRAVAILLEUSES ET DES TRAVAILLEURS:
VIVE LA REVOLUTION SOCIALE!

Le 1er mai a ete retenu comme date de la celebration de notre insoumission,
en memoire de la lutte pour la journee de huit heures menee par les martyrs
de Chicago. 112 ans plus tard, 30 ans apres Mai 68, le vase continue a
deborder. Revoltons-nous contre le partenariat et la collaboration avec un
systeme qui ne cree que de l'injustice et de la misere ici et partout dans
le monde. Cette economie totalitaire et mondialisee ne nous laisse d'autre
choix que la revolution sociale!

On prend la rue! On va se faire voir et entendre! Affichez vos couleurs, on
va passer a l'action!

Rendez-vous vendredi le 1er mai derriere la banniere de solidarite et
d'unite "Vive la revolution sociale!", au Parc Prefontaine, métro
Prefontaine (a Montreal), des 18h00.

Une initiative d'un collectif de revolteEs, infos: (514) 596-7094

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 08:28:33 -0400
From: perez@total.net
Subject: [Fwd: Call for Solidarity Activists in Chiapas]

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Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 00:56:26 -0500
To: homefree@burn.ucsd.edu
Subject: Call for Solidarity Activists in Chiapas
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Call to Action - They ain't called the mal gobierno for nothing!

http://burn.ucsd.edu/~homefree
=20
We are calling for international action in response to the Mexican
government's recent attack on the Autonomous Municipality of Ricardo Flores
Mag=F3n, in Taniperla, Chiapas, the false arrests of 17 Mexican citizens, th=
e
deportation of 15 foreigners and other massive military operations. The
Mexican government wants us to believe that they are doing nothing more
than enforcing the law. However, Luciano, a spokesperson from the community
of Polh=F3, voicing the belief of Zapatista base communities, said that the
government's real goal is to remove all the foreigners "so that we are left
abandoned, and so that they can make another Acteal right here." The
government has also shown that it is willing to silence Mexican observers
through imprisonment and charges of serious crimes.
=20
It is urgent that the international community reacts and sends its support
to Chiapas. We are urging a three-part response to the illegal arrests of
Mexican citizens and the xenophobic campaign of expelling foreigners.=20
=20
First, we ask that you call, fax, e-mail or go in person to condemn the
arrests and demand the immediate liberation of the following unjustly
imprisoned Mexicans: Tomas S=E1nchez G=F3mez, Luis Men=E9ndez Medina, Nicol=
=E1s
L=F3pez V=E1squez, Justino S=E1nchez L=F3pez, Sebasti=E1n Chulin Gonz=E1lez,=
Antonio
L=F3pez V=E1squez, Mateo Gonz=E1lez L=F3pez, Nicol=E1s Mazariego P=E9rez,=
Sergio Vald=E9s
Ruvalcalba, Tomas S=E1nchez L=F3pez, Miguel Hern=E1ndez P=E9rez, Antonio Rod=
r=EDguez
Jim=E9nez, Fidelino Cruz Mendoza, Manuel Hern=E1ndez P=E9rez, Andr=E9s Guti=
=E9rrez
Hern=E1ndez, C=E9sar Rodrigo Nu=F1ez, y Jos=E9 Alfredo L=F3pez M=E9ndez.=
(See Attached
Sample Letter)
=20
As a second response, we are initiating the "Free Flight Home Campaign"
http://burn.ucsd.edu/~homefree to resist the Mexican government's attempts
to remove all witnesses of the escalating repression. Our proposal is that
for every foreigner expelled, human rights organizations and solidarity
groups in each country commit to sending 10 new international volunteers to
Chiapas to observe in the EZLN autonomous municipalities. These volunteers
should be willing to be deported and not leave until they have their "free
flight home." This campaign has a two-fold objective: 1) to provide a
constant presence of international observers in the threatened autonomous
communities 2) to show the government that their tactics do not scare us
and will not impede the necessary role of international observers in this
conflict. In fact, we will take advantage of their generosity in paying the
airfare of our return flight!
=20
Finally, the Mexican government has publicly stated that international
observers can easily obtain a visa and that they are welcome to visit
Chiapas. Let's put it to a test! We're calling for an organized campaign to
flood embassies and consular offices with applications for observer visas
(FM-3) and an organized documentation of the responses. Contrary to their
rhetoric, many FM-3 applications have been denied or indefinitely delayed.=
=20
=20
The Mexican government's goal is to conceal their dirty war against the
people of Chiapas. We must expose and condemn this repression on an
international level.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ----------------

Sample Letter

Dear_______________:

I am writing to express my concern and outrage over the campaign of
increasing government-sponsored violence against the autonomous indigenous
municipalities in Chiapas. The number of people detained by the Mexican
government has risen to 32 in the past four days - 17 Mexican citizens and
15 international observers. This number does not even take into account
the 59 political prisoners organized into the Voz de Cerro Hueco. Action
must be taken now to stop this wave of repression and to obtain the release
of all political prisoners in Chiapas.

On April 11, 1998, following the inauguration of the Autonomous
Municipality of Ricardo Flores Magon, members of the Mexican Army, Public
Security police, immigration, and state and federal judicial police
attacked the community of Taniperla, Chiapas. Nine Mexican citizens were
arbitrarily detained and charged with damage of private property,
usurpation of authority, unlawful association and robbery. The commander of
the police forces beat one person. The detainees were held incommunicado
for a number of hours before their transfer to San Crist=F3bal de las Casas.
They are currently being held in Cerro Hueco, the state prison in Tuxtla
Gutierrez.

The following day in Taniperla, the Mexican Army and Public Security police
fired shots and threw tear gas grenades into a campesino demonstration.
The campesinos of the region were demanding the immediate withdrawal of the
soldiers and police. This attack resulted in two injuries. Three
community members and four human rights workers were also detained.

The human rights organizations Fray Pedro de la Nada and Fray Bartolome de
Las Casas denounce the illegal apprehension of the detainees. I am joining
their call in demanding: =20

1. The guarantee of the physical integrity and security of the people
detained.
2. The immediate liberation of the prisoners: Tomas S=E1nchez G=F3mez, Luis
Men=E9ndez Medina, Nicol=E1s L=F3pez V=E1squez, Justino S=E1nchez L=F3pez, S=
ebasti=E1n
Chulin Gonz=E1lez, Antonio L=F3pez V=E1squez, Mateo Gonz=E1lez L=F3pez, Nico=
l=E1s
Mazariego P=E9rez, Sergio Vald=E9s Ruvalcalba, Tomas S=E1nchez L=F3pez, Migu=
el
Hern=E1ndez P=E9rez, Antonio Rodr=EDguez Jim=E9nez, Fidelino Cruz Mendoza, M=
anuel
Hern=E1ndez P=E9rez, Andr=E9s Guti=E9rrez Hern=E1ndez, C=E9sar Rodrigo=
Nu=F1ez, y Jos=E9
Alfredo L=F3pez M=E9ndez. =20
3. An investigation into the arbitrary detention of the aforementioned
people and the sanctioning of those responsible.
4. An end to the political, military and police offensive against the 38
existing and all future autonomous municipalities in the state of Chiapas.

Sincerely,
Faxes can be sent to the following numbers:

Presidente de la Republ=EDca Secretaria de Gobernaci=F3n
Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Le=F3n Lic. Francisco Labastida Ochoa
Fax: (52 5) 515 17 94 or (5 25) 277 23 76 Fax: (52 5) 546 53 50

Procuradur=EDa General de la Rep=FAblica Procuradur=EDa General de Justicia=
del
Estado
Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar Lic. Carlos Rodolfo Soto Monz=F3n
Fax: (52 5) 626 4419 or (52 5) 626 4147 Fax: (52 961) 65373 or (52 961)
65376

=20

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 09:02:49 -0400
From: perez@total.net
Subject: PERU: PRES@S POLITIC@S ASUMIRAN MEDIDA EXTREMA...

Subject:VR:COMUNICADO N 1
Date: 17 Apr 1998 09:54:00 +0100
From: voz_rebelde@cl-hh.comlink.de (Voz Rebelde )
To: perez@total.net

En el A„O DEL 50 ANIVERSARIO de la DECLARACION UNIVERSAL DE LOS
DERECHOS HUMANOS, el régimen de Alberto Fujimori continua con su
pol’tica de represión y de irrespeto a la condición de SERES HUMANOS de
la POBLACION y de los PRESOS POLITICOS, en Perœ.

Antecedentes 1. El Sr. Alberto Fujimori juramentó como presidente del
Perœ comprometiéndose a respetar la Constitución Pol’tica y la voluntad
del pueblo peruano que votó por él en rechazo a la pol’tica de Schock
neoliberal.
2. Fujimori no cumplió ninguna de sus promesas y el 8 de agosto de 1990
aplicó el Modelo rechazado por la población. Los sueldos y salarios se
igualaron a $19 dólares para obreros, profesionales y empleados.
Desatando la mas violenta represión contra quienes protestaron, en ese
marco de represión el 5 de abril de 1992 se dio un autogolpe de Estado
instaurando una dictadura C’vico-militar.
3. Violentada la Constitución Pol’tica y los más elementales derechos
económicos, sociales y culturales se instauro un gobierno de facto, que
cerró el Congreso y el Tribunal de Garant’as Constitucionales. El Poder
Judicial fue reorganizado a su antojo. Se generalizó los allanamientos
domiciliarios en las zonas mas empobrecidas y las detenciones
arbitrarias, producto del cual existieron más de 10000 detenidos
pol’ticos. Segœn la Coordinadora Nacional el total de presos sociales y
pol’ticos producto del hambre y la represión alcanza 24000 en una
población de 23 millones.
4. En este marco de absoluta arbitrariedad el régimen del Sr. Fujimori,
ya como poder omn’modo dictó una serie de Decretos Leyes, que violan la
Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos, la Convención
Americana de Derechos Humanos, la Convención de Ginebra y sus protocolos
adicionales, firmados y ratificados por el Perœ y que el gobierno del
Sr. Fujimori esta obligado a cumplir y respetar.
5. As’ por Decreto Ley se creó los Tribunales Civiles y Militares de
Jueces sin Rostro, Tribunales que no garantizan el debido proceso, ni el
Derecho a Defensa del procesado, mucho menos la independencia del poder
judicial, donde las caracter’sticas de los jueces militares sin rostro
son las de militares en actividad.
6. Se otorgó facultades extraordinarias a los "Servicios de Seguridad"
en desmedro del detenido. As’ la polic’a, pudo realizar : detenciones
arbitrarias y allanamientos sin mandato judicial, sin presencia de la
Fiscal’a y de un abogado defensor; secuestros por espacio de 15 o 30
d’as, sin notificar a los familiares o abogados de la detención. Al
no ser notificada oficialmente la detención el detenido pod’a darse por
desaparecido en el caso de no soportar los "interrogatorios", ya que
debido a la ausencia total del abogado y de la fiscal’a, el
detenido es brutalmente torturado para autoinculparse o inculpar a
otros. Finalmente las "pruebas" as’ obtenidas constitu’an el argumento
de la Fiscal’a para exigir la condena del detenido.
7. La llamada ley de arrepentimiento y las facultades extraordinarias
con que contó la polic’a constitu’an un claro abuso de poder, que
significó para miles de peruanos detenciones arbitrarias, torturas y
condenas de 20, 30 años y cadena perpetua. 8. El gobierno Legisló las
condiciones de prisión e instauro el llamado REGIMEN CERRADO, que
significó una condena adicional a la perdida de libertad del detenido.
El detenido es completamente aislado durante el primer año, sin derecho
a recibir visita o cualquier comunicación del mundo exterior. Los presos
pol’ticos, no tienen Derecho a material de información escrita, radial o
televisada, n carecen de adecuada alimentación, que cada vez disminuye y
atención médica es casi nula n Sólo pueden recibir la visita de sus
familiares directos una vez al mes y la de sus hijos una vez cada tres
meses, esto ha sido modificado, pero con los traslados las visitas se
han distanciado o desaparecido, deben permanecer en sus celdas de 2x3m
durante 23 horas diarias, son permanentemente hostilizados, torturados
f’sica y psicológicamente y recluidos en celdas de castigo por largos
periodos por faltas graves que sólo dependen de la arbitrariedad del
carcelero.
9. Todo esto evidencia que el régimen del Sr. Fujimori, viola todos los
derechos y los Convenios y Pactos internacionales que en materia de
Derechos Humanos que el Perœ ha suscrito, en todos sus aspectos.
10. Todas estas arbitrariedades y violaciones las conoce hoy el mundo
por la acción decidida del Comando Edgar Sánchez y podemos decir que
gracias a esa acción HOY LOS PRESOS SOCIALES YA NO TIENEN MAS EL REGIMEN
CERRADO, pero la venganza de la dictadura se ensaña hoy sobre
los presos pol’ticos tupacamaristas.
11. Considerando que toda persona que ha perdido la libertad no pierde
su condición de SER HUMANO, los presos Pol’ticos del Perœ, asumirán una
medida extrema como la HUELGA DE HAMBRE, para exigir el respeto que como
seres humanos se merecen, se ponga termino al inhumano sistema de
régimen cerrado, se ponga fin a los traslados arbitrarios de presos, se
incremente el presupuesto para alimentación y atención medica y se
realicen nuevos juicios, con garant’as procesales y derecho a la
defensa, pues ninguno de ellos pueden ser acusados de cr’menes que no
han cometido.

## CrossPoint v3.0 ##

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 09:26:46 -0400
From: cmn@aei.ca
Subject: Tax Day Waste

>>
>>
>>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>
>>===============================================
>>NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
>>2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
>>Washington DC 20037
>>===============================================
>>For release: April 14, 1998
>>===============================================
>>For additional information:
>>George Getz, Press Secretary
>>(202) 333-0008 Ext. 222
>>Internet: 76214.3676@CompuServe.com
>>===============================================
>>
>>
>>Here are the top 10 ways politicians will waste
>>your money in 1998, Libertarians tell taxpayers
>>
>> WASHINGTON, DC -- The only thing more painful than sending your
>>money to the IRS, Libertarians say, is thinking about all the ways
>>politicians will squander it.
>>
>> "April 15 is the time to remind taxpayers of how recklessly
>>politicians plan to spend their hard-earned money," said Ron
>>Crickenberger, national director of America's most ardently anti-tax
>>party, the Libertarians. "To get an idea of where your money will go
>>this year, take a look at the Top 10 Most Outrageous Things Politicians
>>Voted to Spend Your Money On This Year . . ."
>>
>> (1) Themselves. "Politicians gave themselves a pay raise to
>>$136,672 a year -- without even taking a formal vote," Crickenberger
>>said. "This $3,072 Congressional pay heist gives new meaning to the
>>term Capitol offense."
>>
>> (2) Their taxpayer-funded Cadillacs. At least 100 House
>>Republicans and Democrats are leasing luxury cars, some at a cost of
>>over $1,000 a month. "If your 1040 forms are driving you crazy, stop
>>and think about all those Congressmen driving around in luxury -- at
>>your expense," Crickenberger said.
>>
>> (3) The IRS. Three weeks before hearings at which Republicans
>>and Democrats claimed to be "outraged" at how this rogue agency
>>"terrorizes innocent Americans and ruins their lives," Congress voted
>>to increase the IRS budget by $600 million. "But when the television
>>cameras were turned off, those IRS bullies went back to work -- and
>>they're the same people collecting your check on April 15."
>>
>> (4) Pot smokers. The government paid $50,000 to study the
>>habits of "habitual marijuana smokers" in an experiment at the
>>Bowman-Gray Medical School in Winston-Salem, NC. "Cheech and Chong,
>>Uncle Sam wants you!" Crickenberger said. "Squandering money like this
>>is the ultimate form of reefer madness."
>>
>> (5) New York's Metropolitan Opera. "The National Endowment for
>>the Arts is using your tax money to subsidize $125 tickets for the
>>bejeweled patrons who attend the Met -- proving that NEA bureaucrats
>>have mastered the art of picking taxpayers' pockets," Crickenberger
>>said.
>>
>> (6) Haircuts for Senators. "Taxpayers will be charged $180,000
>>to subsidize a shop that pays barbers $62,000 a year and receptionists
>>$47,000 -- proving that politicians are more concerned about trimming
>>their hair than about trimming the cost of government," Crickenberger
>>said.
>>
>> (7) Lecturing teenagers not to have sex. As part of a program
>>to curb teen pregnancy, the GOP inserted $400 million into the Welfare
>>Reform Act to promote abstinence until marriage. "A Congress that can't
>>say no when it comes to wasting money thinks it can teach American
>>teenagers to say no when it comes to sex," Crickenberger said.
>>
>> (8) Paying medical schools not to train doctors. Concerned
>>about a doctor glut, Republicans rolled out a program last year that
>>could pay 1,025 medical schools billions not to train doctors. "No
>>wonder health care costs are going crazy," Crickenberger said. "How
>>about a subsidy for people who promise not to become politicians --
>>since there's a glut of them, and they're making taxpayers sick!"
>>
>> (9) Deploying troops in 100 nations. The U.S. military bragged
>>that it had stationed American forces in more than half the nations on
>>the globe -- costing taxpayers billions of dollars. "That isn't a
>>national defense, it's a national offense," Crickenberger said. "It's
>>an offense against U.S. taxpayers, who are paying for a global case of
>>military mission creep."
>>
>> (10) The only good news: A $4 billion IRS computer that
>>doesn't work. The IRS admitted last year that it spent 11 years and $4
>>billion developing a computer system that doesn't work, and an IRS
>>bureaucrat admitted that the agency lacks the "intellectual capacity to
>>do the job right."
>>
>> "In an odd way, this computer fiasco is good news -- it means
>>there's one less powerful, high-tech weapon for the IRS to use to
>>harass innocent Americans," Crickenberger said. "So it's harder for
>>politicians to get our money -- which they'll just waste on more silly
>>programs like these."
>>
>>
>>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>>Version: 2.6.2
>>
>>iQCVAwUBNTPIwNCSe1KnQG7RAQExVQP/dHXpREttnCjChKmO8t21a7Sa+WBwLS34
>>grdkXHxnFrk+KHzGT2fJUMNYceqK/lAVLgjKM1nYwQsxkp7WVG/MSrqVkSrcAruL
>>ZMr8bVAITNoDOUldh6WVVqZdwgTp+2hlQ2t56WBX2BpJyvTiVtdiL79JhM1uspjO
>>zl3Ud9MyeZc=
>>=uSya
>>-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>>
>>The Libertarian Party http://www.lp.org/
>>2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100 voice: 202-333-0008
>>Washington DC 20037 fax: 202-333-0072
>>
>>For subscription changes, please mail to with the
>>word "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line -- or use the WWW form.
>>
>>
>

Return to Contents

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 09:54:52 -0400
From: "holenweg"
Subject: 16.4 Bulletin de la CSSI

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
BULLETIN D'INFORMATION DE LA
COMMISSION SOCIALISTE DE SOLIDARITƒ INTERNATIONALE
Genève, le 16 avril 1998
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

1. MALAISIE : GRAVES ACCUSATIONS CONTRE LES AMBASSADES DE FRANCE, DE SUISSE
ET DU BRUNEI

2. TURQUIE : CAMPAGNE POUR LA LIBƒRATION D'UN MILITANT ITALIEN DE LA
SOLIDARITƒ AVEC LE PEUPLE KURDE

3. FRANCE : SOUTIEN AUX SANS-PAPIERS

4. MARCHE CONTRE LE TRAVAIL DES ENFANTS

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

1. MALAISIE : GRAVES ACCUSATIONS CONTRE LES AMBASSADES DE FRANCE, DE SUISSE
ET DU BRUNEI

>Date: 13 April, 1998
>From: hrwatchnyc@igc.org (Human Rights Watch)

>Subject: Rights Group Condemns Actions Of French, Swiss, Brunei Governments

>Rights Group Condemns Actions
>Of French, Swiss, Brunei Governments Toward Acehnese
>
>10 April, 1998
>
>Human Rights Watch today condemned the actions of three embassies in Kuala
>Lumpur _ the French, the Swiss, and the Bruneian _ for turning twenty-seven
>Acehnese asylum-seekers over to the Malaysian police for immediate deportation
>to Indonesia. At the same time, it urged the Malaysian government to halt
>plans for deportation and allow the men immediate access to officials of the
>United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) so that they can be
>interviewed in confidence to determine whether they have a valid claim to
>asylum. Eight Acehnese remain at the U.S. embassy compound.
>
>All are asylum-seekers from the special region of Aceh, on the northern tip
>of Sumatra in Indonesia, where an armed separatist movement called Aceh
>Merdeka (Free Aceh) has been sporadically active since 1976. The men escaped
>on March 26 from an immigration detention camp not far from Kuala Lumpur.
>
>"If these men get sent back to Indonesia, where there is a well-established
>pattern of arbitrarily detaining and ill-treating persons suspected of
>supporting Aceh Merdeka, they are likely to face serious human rights
>violations," said Sidney Jones, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "If they
>are deported before being interviewed by UNHCR, the Malaysian government could
>be responsible for violating the principle of non-refoulement _ not sending
>refugees back to a country where they may face persecution _ and the French,
>Swiss, and Bruneian governments would be complicit."
>
>On March 26, more than 500 Acehnese were deported from Malaysia despite
>violent protests by the deportees, resulting in the deaths of eight detainees
>and one policeman in one immigration detention center alone. The April 2, 1998
>edition of Waspada, a Medan (North Sumatra) newspaper, quoted the governor of
>Aceh as saying the 545 Acehnese deportees were undergoing a two-week
>"guidance" program before they were sent back to their homes. He said the
>"guidance" was necessary because these people had been living abroad so long
>they needed to understand how much progress Indonesia had made. All were
>deported to a military camp that used to be run by Kopassus, the army special
>forces, in Rancong, outside Lhokseumawe.
>
>Hundreds of Acehnese are believed to be detained without charge or trial in
>military camps in Aceh, but no outside agency has been allowed regular access
>to these camps. In March 1997, the Indonesian government suspended visits to
>prisons in Aceh by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
>
>Human Rights Watch is particularly concerned that the actions of the Swiss and
>French governments, both parties to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status
>of Refugees, amount to a violation of their obligations under this treaty.
>
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

2. TURQUIE : CAMPAGNE POUR LA LIBƒRATION D'UN MILITANT ITALIEN DE LA
SOLIDARITƒ AVEC LE PEUPLE KURDE

Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 14:19:37 +0200
From: Tactical Media Crew
Subject: (it) The Campaign for the liberation of Dino Frisullo

The Campaign for the liberation
of Dino Frisullo- Italian national
imprisoned in Turkey

We need you to affiliate to our campaign by signing the following appeal.
We especially need signatures from MPs or organisations
- - -----------------------------------------------------------

Fears are growing for the situation of Dino Frisullo, pacifist, antiracist
activist, arrested in Turkey and wrongly accused of inciting violence
during a peaceful demonstration for the rights of the Kurdish peoples.
Despite numerous protests in Italy and pressure from the Italian
government, the Turkish authorities have detained Dino Frisullo along with
the majority of those arrested during the same demonstration, mainly Kurds.
Two other Italians arrested have, however, been released.
The Turkish authorities have requested that Frisullo receive the maximum
sentence of 3 years imprisonment.
The anti-democratic Turkish regime, which has the gall to ask for admission
to the EU, is well known for its brutal treatment of prisoners and for the
systematic violation of human rights.
We aim to put pressure on the Italian government in order that it takes all
steps to ensure a positive outcome to the episode and we ask all
associations, parties and the press to contribute to the liberation of
Frisullo and of the Kurdish citizens in prison.

Our addresses are: email - chiama.africa@agora.stm.it
fax- 00396 5417425
Thanks so much for your help.

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3. FRANCE : NE NOUS RENDONS PAS COUPABLES D'INDIFFERENCE !
SOUTENONS LES SANS PAPIERS !

From: aris@ecn.org
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 17:52:36 +0100
Subject: Soutenons les sans-papiers !

NE NOUS RENDONS PAS COUPABLES D'INDIFFERENCE !
SOUTENONS LES SANS PAPIERS !

Le refus de régulariser les dizaines de milliers de sans-papiers qui en ont
fait la demande et manifesté ainsi leur confiance dans les intentions du
gouvernement risque d'aboutir à une aggravation de la chasse au faciès et à
la répétition des scènes insupportables qui se sont déroulées à plusieurs
reprises à l'aéroport de Roissy : des hommes et des femmes embarqués de
force dans des avions, menottés, baillonnés, Ç scotchés È à leurs sièges,
voire drogués.
Face à des méthodes aussi inhumaines, utilisées dans un pays qui se
revendique des Ç droits de l'homme È, la dignité élémentaire exige de
chacun d'entre nous de réagir et de tout mettre en oeuvre pour qu'il soit
mis fin à ces expulsions. Nous ne pouvons pas non plus accepter que ceux
qui s'opposent courageusement à ces méthodes indignes, militants ou
voyageurs, soient dénoncés, menacés, arrtés voire traînés en justice

Cette façon de traiter le problème de l'immigration clandestine ne peut que
favoriser les menées de l'extrme-droite qui trouvera dans cette situation
un encouragement pour ses odieuses campagnes racistes. Tenter de satisfaire
la partie de l'opinion contaminée par la xénophobie en lui jetant des
expulsions en p‰ture n'aboutit qu'à renforcer ses préjugés et l'influence
des politiciens qui en ont fait leur fonds de commerce.

En refusant la régularisation de ces sans-papiers, on créée une catégorie
de travailleurs clandestins taillables et corvéables à merci, contraints
d'accepter des salaires et des conditions de travail inférieures à celles
de leurs camarades, ce qui exerce une pression sur les salaires des plus
démunis et accroit les divisions, les rivalités, le racisme.

A l'heure de la mondialisation de l'économie, comment accepter que, d'un
côté, une poignée de décideurs puissent déplacer du jour au lendemain des
entreprises d'un pays à l'autre, jetant des milliers de personnes dans la
précarité et le chômage, alors que, de l'autre, des hommes qui tentent de
fuir leur misère seraient privés du droit de se déplacer ? De plus, nous
avons une dette envers ces femmes et ces hommes venus de pays qui ont servi
de réservoir de main d'oeuvre à bon marché pendant des dizaines d'années et
ont été pillés pendant près d'un siècle par le colonialisme français pour
certains d'entre eux.

Pour toutes ces raisons, nous affirmons notre solidarité aux sans-papiers
menacés d'expulsion et aux associations et militants qui les soutiennent.
Premiers signataires :
Gilles Perrault (écrivain)
François Salvaing (écrivain)
Jean-François Vilar (écrivain)
Jean Vautrin (écrivain)
Frédéric Fajardie (écrivain)
Gérard Delteil (écrivain)
Maité Pinéro (écrivain)
Raymond Jean (écrivain)
Guy Konopniki (écrivain)
Patrick Raynal (écrivain)
Thierry Jonquet (écrivain)
Serge Quadruppani (écrivain)
Anne-Marie Métailié (éditeur)
Wladimir (écrivain)
Maurice Rajfus (écrivain)
Hervé Le Tellier (écrivain)
Roger Martin (écrivain)
Michel Boujut (écrivain)
Alain Bellet (écrivain)
Nicole Fontan (écrivain)
Jacques Lesage de la Haye (écrivain-psychologue)
Yves Frémion (Ecrivain - Conseiller général Ile de France Vert)
Yves Pinguilly (Ecrivain)
Philippe Cousin (écrivain)
Anne Cohen (écrivain)
Dominique Lemaire (écrivain)
Ricardo Monserrat (écrivain)
Jack Chabou (écrivain)
Pascal Garnier (écrivain)
Serge Livrozet (écrivain)
Jean-Pierre Bastid (écrivain)
Michèle Lèbre (écrivain)
Claude Clement (écrivain)
Hervé Maestran (écrivain)
Alain Absire (écrivain)
Jean-Gérard Imbar (écrivain)
Olivier Thiébaud (écrivain)
Alfred Eibel (éditeur)
Dan Frank (écrivain)
Aris Papathéodorou (graphiste)
Pierre Péronnet (graphiste)

Faxez votre signature à 01 40 34 39 66
ou E-mail : 193919411940@msn.com

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

4. MARCHE CONTRE LE TRAVAIL DES ENFANTS

Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 21:55:42 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: Global march against child Labor

Signs of Hope -Global March vs Child Labour **

Dear MAI-nots:
Check out this issue devoted to the topic of Child Labour in the Cross
Border Links (CBL) electronic bulletin-- produced by the Interhemispheric
Resource Center (IRC). It presents a thought provoking analysis of this
horrendous issue, , yet another disconnect of global economic policies from the
realities of the majority of people's lives and some insights into emerging
attempts to bring this issue to broad awarenss and to empower the victims of
child labour. . Excellent resource lists at end of article as well as up coming
conferences related to globalizationa issues.

"By default civil society has assumed the imposing responsibility of
confronting the exploitation of child labor. A lot of creativity and
imagination is necessary to break the bastion of structural violence
imposed by the "free market" in a world globalized in favor of
transnational capital." ---

"The Global March is another important event in a growing movement of
international solidarity to address the child labor problem from different
perspectives."

- ------------------------Table of Contents--------------------------
I. Forging Links
** Marching to Stop Child Labor
II. In Profile
**Child Labor Coalition
** South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude
III. Resources
IV. Upcoming Events
- -----------------------------------------------------------
I. Forging Links
Marching to Stop Child Labor
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 250
million children across the globe are at work instead of attending school or
other educational centers. The overwhelming majority of these children
are working in the global South. Asia is the largest employer of children,
with 80 million children in the workplace, but India tasks 55 million,
Africa employs 8 million, and there are 17.5 million children in Latin
America's work force.

The exploitation of child labor is also evident in the developed countries
in the global North. According to a report by the Associated Press, the use
of children in the workplace in the United States has reached 230,000_with
the majority of them under the age of 14. In the United States, many of
these children are working in the agricultural sector, for example, in
fields picking chilies in New Mexico, oranges and beans in Florida, and
grapes in California, but many are also working in sweatshops all around
the country.

The use and exploitation of child labor is not new, but it has only
recently attracted the attention of governments and politicians. In part,
recent attention to child labor is in response to its growth. "The rise in
the number of child laborers is not due to a transformation of the
socioeconomic environment from an agricultural society to an
industrializing society. The phenomenon we are seeing in the growth of kids
in the workplace is largely due to the shift towards capitalism and the
corresponding exploitation of children" declared Ahmad Sofian, executive
secretary of the Center of Study and Child Protection (PKPA), analyzing the
situation of street kids in Medan, Indonesia.

The reasons that compel children to work are many, but as Norwegian prime
minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik noted during a conference on child labor in
Oslo last October: "There is no doubt that the most important cause of
child labor is the persistence of poverty. Poverty is the greatest threat
to the child's right to survival and development. Poverty is the root cause
of lack of schooling, insufficient nutrition, and inadequate health care.
Poverty leads to the exploitation of children as laborers and to sexual
exploitation. Therefore, the struggle against the exploitation of children,
and the fight for children's rights, is part of the overall fight against
poverty.... Thus poverty not only lies at the root of child labor, but
child labor contributes to and perpetuates it. In this sense, poverty is
both the cause and the consequence of child labor."

* The Government's Line
Many national governments try to justify the use of child labor on the
grounds of poverty and underdevelopment. They reason that if countries
eliminate child labor, then wages will rise due to the decrease of laborers in
the market, which will, in turn, drive valuable jobs away, further
impoverishing the nation. Another argument heard is that since Northern
countries utilized child labor during their development, Southern countries
should be afforded the same opportunity. Both of these arguments are
flawed. First, educated children will be far more valuable to national
economies in the long run than as low wage sweatshop workers. Secondly,
there are better solutions than to exploit children for develoment.
Finally, these arguments fall prey to the notion that only an export led
economy, based on cheap labor will lead to development. Clearly other, more
balanced approaches exist and should be adopted.

The obligation to develop and implement laws and other programs to
eliminate child labor rests with international bodies and national
governments. Unfortunately, practice shows that one of the causes for the
perpetuation of child labor is the absence of governmental political will.
Instead of enforcing existing international conventions and national laws
that protect children, governments ignore these laws creating an atmosphere
of de facto support for child employers. Perhaps the real obstacles to
eradicating the poverty and misery that force children to work are neither
economic nor technical, but moral and ethical.

In many cases, national government complicity with child labor is so evident
that it endangers anti-child-labor activists. A grim picture is painted by
Kailash Satyarthi, chair of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude
(SACCS): "We went to the authorities and gave details [of factories employing
child laborers] and put in the proper reports and paperwork urging them to
rescue the children. Because information was often leaked by the authorities to
the exploiter, children were beaten and tortured."

* Civil Society Responds
By default civil society has assumed the imposing responsibility of
confronting the exploitation of child labor. A lot of creativity and
imagination is necessary to break the bastion of structural violence
imposed by the "free market" in a world globalized in favor of
transnational capital. Civil society is grappling with difficult questions:
How can a social problem (child labor) be transformed into a political
issue so that it is addressed by governments and other entities powerful
enough to make an impact? How can the market relationships that marginalize
children be changed? How can groups from the North and South work together
as partners in reforming the structures that encourage child labor?

Many different approaches are being taken by groups in both the global
North and the global South to combat child labor. One group of
organizations gathered at The Hague in February 1997 to discuss the
problems of child labor and to explore possible solutions. These groups
decided to organize the Global March Against Child Labor to raise awareness
in both civil society and national governments of solutions to child labor.
The March aims at mobilizing worldwide efforts to eradicate child labor;
increasing social awareness on the issue; promoting children's rights to
free education; and pressing to guarantee the right of children to be free
from exploitation that damages their physical, mental, spiritual or social
development.

In less than a year the organizations involved in the Hague meeting
initiated the march. The Global March Against Child Labor commenced from
several points on the globe in 1998. In Asia, the March began on January
17, from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. In Africa, the first steps
were taken from Capetown on March 21, with the assistance of Nelson
Mandela, president of South Africa. In Latin America, the marchers left Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 25 and will arrive in Mexico City for
International Workers Day (May 1). The marchers will arrive in the United
States on May 2 in Los Angeles, California and will cross the country
stopping in several cities, including: Yuma (AZ); San Antonio, St. Louis,
Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and New York, and finally it will
arrive into Washington, DC, on May 26. The Global March will then head to
Geneva, Switzerland, where representatives from governments, businesses,
and labor unions will meet in June to draft a new ILO convention on child
labor.

"It would be unrealistic to think that from one day to the next we are
going to achieve all the objectives of the global march. The march is
precisely the beginning of a whole process that is striving towards the
accomplishment of these objectives, of this dream that no child will be
forced to work to be able to eat or survive. The march is not an end in
itself, it is a catalyst that is trying to involve more that 2,500
organizations--together with the governments where the march is passing--to
look for changes and solutions to the problem," expressed Bruce Harris,
executive director of Casa Alianza_an independent, nonprofit organization
working on the rehabilitation and defense of street children in Guatemala,
Honduras, and Mexico_and coordinator for the march in Central America.

The Global March is another important event in a growing movement of
international solidarity to address the child labor problem from different
perspectives. It is early to asses the impact of the Global March.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Pascal Holenweg, Genève (holenweg@vtx.ch)
"Ce qui vient au monde pour ne rien troubler ne mérite ni égards, ni
patience"
(René Char)

COMMISSION SOCIALISTE DE SOLIDARITƒ INTERNATIONALE
CP 343 CH-1211 Genève 4 Tel./Fax (22) 735.88.27
www.mygale.org/06/troubles www.home.ch/~spaw1265
www.citeweb.net/Troubles
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Return to Contents

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 12:11:31 -0400
From: "occupation"
Subject: Petite chronique de l'occupation du collectif sans nom

Petite chronique du début de l’occupation du b‰timent situé au 2-4 avenue de
la Porte de Hal, 1060 Bruxelles par le Collectif sans Nom

Préparatifs

Après l’expulsion des occupants de l’ancien siège des Mutualités Socialistes
rue Philippe de Champagne et leur manif le lendemain, avortée par Polbru, la
volonté reste néanmoins ferme chez le Collectif Sans Nom : on va bientôt
réoccuper.

Le mois de février et le mois de mars sont remplis de réunions de
préparation de l’action, de séances de réflexion sur notre pratique
(notamment avec Miguel Benasayag du Collectif Malgré Tout...). Nous avons
également regroupé photos, dessins, textes croqués sur le vif de l’
occupation des Mutualités Socialistes, bulletins d’humeur et pamphlets
théoriques, poésies et chansons dans un journal: Paroles Nomades

La maison duement choisie et visitée, c’est au tour des stratégies, et au
fond de notre cave/centre nerveux, le projet se profile enfin. Le premier
week-end se doit d’tre festif et dépourvu de temps morts. Tout le programme
que ces messieurs de la flicaille et leurs commanditaires ont écrasé de
leurs bottes à Philippe de Champagne se doit d’tre là dans ce nouveau
b‰timent réapproprié.

Okupa! Resista!

Vendredi 10/04:

A 17 heures, une centaine de personnes entrent dans l’ancien hôtel de maître
qui se trouve en face de la Porte de Hal. Les calicots disent " Cette maison
est vide depuis trop longtemps - Centre Social Ici et Maintenant, notre
action est pleine de sens! " Après le première Assemblée à 19 heures,
commence la fte qui dure jusque très taaard!

Samedi 11/04

Matinée de nettoyage et journée culturelle. Le Collectif Ici et Maintenant
Photo) expose ses oeuvres dans diverses pièces du b‰timent. Anouk et
Florian exposent leurs gravures, Bernard L. et Jean Yves T. exposent leurs
toiles. Les gens visites. Vers 16h30, le Centre Social a droit, pour la
première fois à la visite de la police de Saint-Gilles qui se montre
malpolie, voire agressive. Pourtant se poursuit la journée culturelle.
Représentation de la Pièce " Escurial " de Michel de Ghelderode par la
Compagnie de Loin, concert de guitare du groupe flamand " Brake " suivi d’un
concert de RaggaMuffin’. Se tient également l’Assemblée quotidienne. Plus
tard, sont progetés des films et une soirée Afro-Ra•-Rap-Reggae assure l’
ambiance. Cette journée chargée aura attiré environ 250 personnes.

Dimanche 12/04

A 4h30 vers la fin des festivités, une vingtaine de policiers veulent
pénétrer dans les lieux sous prétexte d’un incendie. Seraient-ce les flammes
des bougies qui nous eclairent qui les inquiètent? L’accès leur est
naturellement refusé. Réponse de la police: coups de pieds et de matraques
dans les vitres des portes d’entrée, injures et gaz lacrymo’ répandu dans
tout le rez-de-chaussée. L’accrochage durera un quart d’heure après quoi la
police, qui n’a pas réussi à rentrer dans le b‰timent quitte les lieux.
Première vague d’attaque héro•quement repoussée.

L’après-midi présente heureusement une ambiance diamétralement opposée. La
bonne humeur accompagne les activités pour enfants et le goûter pour le
quartier. Ceux-ci sont suivis d’une lecture des poésies de Tom, et un
concert de Christiane Stéfanski. La police réapparaît brièvement au bas de
la porte pour soupçonner les occupants de forer un trou dans le mur en vue
de piller la banque adjacente. Bonne idée, merci.

Le soir, Assemblée, resto’populaire et projections.

Lundi 13/04

Dans l’après midi, se tient une rencontre " Carrefour des Luttes ".
Différents collectifs, individus, associations présentent leurs luttes
diverses. L’accent est mis sur les connections qui existent, ou qui sont à
creer entre le champ social, champ politique et culturel. Est également
abordée la nécéssitée de remplir les brèches qui existent ou doivent tre
introduite dans la société dominante.

Vers 17h30 reçoit la visite d’un échevin de la commune qui tente de couvrir
la bavure de ses policiers de la nuit de dimanche.

Vers 18h commence une soirée Hip-Hop avec les jeunes du quartiers. Vingt
minutes après, les Keufs sont de nouveau au bas de la porte pour prendre "
les identités des responsables " car les occupants auraient jeté des pots de
fleurs sur leur tte pendant la petite escarmouche. Bonne Idée. Cependant
les flics se montrent tellement agressifs qu’on est contraint d’interrompre
et d’annuler la soirée. Un des groupes jouera à cappella dans le bar.

Mardi 14/04

La presse visite le Centre Social. Un responsable de l’agence immobilière
qui gère le b‰timent passe également. La présence des occupants semble l’
amuser. Courte visite du service d’hygiène, qui n’entre pas, car il n’est
pas en possession d’un mandat. L’après midi appartient aux créateurs du
Collectif Sans Nom. Des dessins, des affiches, des textes et photos
naîssent.

Le soir, Assemblée, Resto populaire et projection de film. Une jounée
paisible. Un bar comme tous les soirs, amenant rencontres et discussions,
chaque jours des nouvelles ttes, remplies de projets. L’endroit mort revit,
tout est dans l’instant. Petite bulle de résistance perméable une étiquette
" éternité " plaquée dessus. Qui l’a collée...Ici et maintenant on le sait.
C’est nous...

Mercredi 15/04, Jeudi 16/04, Vendredi 17/04

Journées " Porte Ouverte " des Collectifs du Centre Social. Des individus et
des représentants d’assos’ passent, discutent... La production d’affiches,
de textes et de dessins continue. Deux nouveaux Collectifs se créent:
Ateliers BD et Thé‰tre action.

Assemblée et Projections...

Le temps passe, on craint une expulsion alors, on fait preuve d’imagination
débridée, stratagèmes de dissuasion " passive " au cas o... Un ‘collectif
chants révolutionnaires’ semble naître des cendres et des vapeurs du fonds
du bar.

Théatre-action en representation sur le parvis de Saint-Gilles vendredi
matin, pour raconter notre action en couleurs.

Ici s’achève la petite chronique puisqu’en ce jour nous en sommes là. Un
centre social est né et dès les premières heures, il était en pleine
ébullition. Un espace libéré, un havre de vie au beau milieu d’un système en
tièrement voué,au culte de la mort.

Evidemment, nous avons pris pour l’instant une optique de résistance vis à
vis des autorités qui pourraient comploter un délogement. Et on l’imagine, d
’une manière pas très courageuse, il leur suffit en effet d’un rapport d’
insalubrité. Quand on sait qu’une douche dans une cuisine en est un critère,
imaginons ce qu’on peut dire d’un immeuble vide depuis 1989. Cette attitude
de résistance bouffe énormément d’énergie. Mais on est là, on s’
accroche...créeons l’autrement! Multiplions les initiatives! Et au plaisir!

Adresse 2-4 avenue de la porte de Hal à 1060 Bruxelles.

tel 02/503.39.98.

Fax 02/779.59.00.

E-mail: occupation@infonie.be

Site: Http://perso.infonie.be/den11/

Return to Contents

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 12:33:59 -0400
From: perez@total.net
Subject: TANIPERLA 16 APRIL 1998 FIRT REPORT

http://burn.ucsd.edu/~homefree/engTaniperla%2016-4-98.html

Reports From Communities

16April, 1998: Below is a first-hand report from a Caravan to Taniperla.

The caravan was the first to enter since April 12. The Priistas and
paramilitaries are controlling the
community, refusing to let anyone in, including reporters and the
government's own National Human
Rights Commission. The women of the caravan were surrounded and
threatened and only after
assurances that they were not human rights observers or from the CONAI
(who according to them,
only come to give arms to the Zapatistas) were they allowed to enter
under guard of Seguridad
Publica for their own safety. After two days of unsuccesful attemps to
enter, they were finally able
to visit with women of the community and also with some of the men
hidden in the hills. There are
rumors that the army is training civilian Priistas in the army base in
nearby Monte Libano. Priistas are
currently burning the Zapatistas coffee field -- please spread this news
as the Priistas are planning to
release news that the Zapatistas (although hiding and in fear for their
lives) are burning their coffee
fields. This information is not being presented at all in the media
here. What follows is a brief
testimony and denouncement of recent events.

Ejido Taniperla, Chiapas
15 April, 1998

Official Complaint

Sisters and Brothers,

We, the women of the support base of the Zapatistas and the
ARIC-Independiente and
Democratica denounce the suffering and terror which under which we have
been living since the
11th of April. On that day, a large number of the Seguridad Publica
(Public Security police), Judicial
Police and Mexican Army entered to detain our sons and husbands and
surround our community.
They came to protect the damages and lies of the Priista faction, part
of the Revolutionary
Indigenous Anti-Zaptista Movement (MIRA).

Ever since the MIRA unjustly broke the order in our community, our sons
and husbands, as well as
some entire families have taken refuge in the mountains. Some have been
detained and the rest of
them are not being allowed to return to our community. They have neither
food nor blankets. They
are simply there, hidden in the woods. We have also suffered hunger and
fear. There is no one to
carry firewood or gather corn. There is no one to protect us and we are
afraid to leave homes. Our
children are getting sick, and the chickens and animals are dying.

Those who brought on this suffering, are not the majority of this
community. On the contrary, they
but a few families, a small minority, who belong to the PRI, the
organization the CNPI and, we fear,
the paramilitary group, the MIRA.

The Seguridad Publica, Judicial Police and the Army are lying when they
say that they are protecting
our community. We are afraid because they have been persecuting and
harassing us since their
arrival. They have only allowed the permitted the destruction of the
autonomous municipality and
unjustly detained our people. We don't want them, we didn't ask for them
and we don't need them.
The members of the MIRA invited them.

On the 11th of April, more than 40 Army and Seguridad Publica vehicles
entered Taniperla. Seven
people of community were detained. Today they stand accused of false
crimes in the jail, Cerro
Hueco, together with two Mexican human rights observers. On the 13th,
after another 25 vehicles
of judicial and federal police entered, another seven people of the
community and two observers
were detained and unjustly accused.

The crimes the detainees are accused of are nothing more than lies. In
the first place, none of them
hold positions in the autonomous municipality. They only hold or
previously held community-level
positions. They have been accused because they were just and honorable
in their duties. They have
been framed because of past decisions that did not favor the minority
which is now attacking us.
The decisions were not favorable simply because justice was not on their
side. When their demands
were just, the decisions were favorable to them, and we respected the
outcome.

The alleged invasion of property on which the offices of the autonomous
municipality were installed
is also a lie. In the first place, it is not even a private parcel; it
is a small piece of communal land. The
official school, the community school, the clinic of Coplamar and an
airstrip are also located on this
land. In the second place, it belongs to the ejido members of Taniperla,
who decided to donate the
property to the autonomous municipality.

If anyone has invaded the properties of this community it has been the
Mexican army. Since their
entry in 95 they took pieces of ejidal land without the permission of
their owners. Seguridad Publica
has now occupied the community and seized the land donated the
autonomous municipality.

It is also a lie that hundreds of fruit trees that were cut down to
install the autonomous municipality.
In the first place, there were only a few orange and tangerine trees
that were outside of their rightful
place. They belonged to the land of the community school. In the second
place, the Mexican Army
and the Seguridad Publica cut these trees down on the 12th to make
sticks to hit the people who
were protesting their presence and the destruction of the autonomous
municipality.

In reference to the 20,000 pesos supposedly stolen by the first nine
detainees from the wardrobe of
Mr. Alejandro Lopez Gomez, this is also no more than a lie. To the
contrary, this man is one of the
primary responsible parties of the violence that we are living in today.
The CNPI and the PRI are
those who have robbed, they are those who have destroyed the auditorium,
the kitchen and the
offices of the autonomous municipality, stealing materials, documents
and tools that were stored
there. They also entered a number of houses and stole belongings of
value, like chainsaws. All of
this transpired under the protection and support for the Judicial
police, Seguridad Public and the
Mexican Army. These forces also entered to loot the municipality taking
documents and belongings
without presenting search warrants. They detained people without orders
of arrest, entering and
invading the community, leaving the rest for the MIRA to do without
saying anything to them, to the
contrary, they were supporting them.

The four Mexican observers detained and held prisoner in Cerro Hueco,
and the 12 international
observers detained with violence by members of the PRI and unjustly
expelled from the country are
not to blame. They are uncomfortable eyes for the government, since they
observe and denounce
the arbitrariness, the neglect and the misery in which we live.
Additionally, it is a lie that they
intervened in the decisions of the community and even less that they
held positions in the
autonomous municipality. The community itself would not permit this and
they have no interest in it.
On the contrary, they have protected us by denouncing the violations of
our rights. Their
organizations have helped, with agreement of the community, in projects
such as potable water
systems, a problem that our constitutional government has never bothered
itself to resolve.

The autonomous municipality is neither arbitrary nor an imposition, as
they would have you believe.
It is the result of a large consensus process of the communities that
make up this autonomous region
and they have helped in one way or another our majority organizations.
It is not divisive, nor does it
usurp authorities, on the contrary it unites us into a common effort to
overcome the poverty in which
we are living. It is an effort to unite and construct our own
alternative future and independence. We
ask ourselves if we need authorization and permission for this.

The municipality neither imposes nor obliges those minorities who were
not in agreement, it has
respected their constitutional rights, as well as the organization and
party affiliations that they have
chosen.

It is also a lie that the Zapatista bases of support, the Zapatistas or
members of the
ARIC-Independiente are armed and kidnap those responsible for our
suffering. Our sons and
husbands, as we have said, have taken refuge and are suffering
harassment, with us fearful in our
houses.

A sign that we are the majority and that we are not in agreement with
these acts is the demonstration
that happened in our ejido on the 12th of April with members of this
community and the others near
to us that make up our autonomous municipality. The only response was
the aggression of the
Seguridad Publica, throwing tear gas, cutting sticks for clubs and the
arrival of another 25 trucks of
judicial police, Seguridad Publica and soldiers the following day. They
surrounded the nearby hills,
encircling the community and detained another nine innocent people.

For this, the women of this ejido, who today, together with our families
are suffering all of the
aggressions, lies, hunger and harassment, report the truth. We denounce
those responsible for the
above acts and their accomplices who have been helped the entire time by
the Seguridad Publica,
the judicial police and the soldiers. The people responsible and the
members of the MIRA are:

1. Pedro Chulin Jiménez PRI, CNPI
2. Sebastián Gómez López PRI, Responsable Primera Ampliación
3. Alejandro López Gómez Comisariado Ejidal del PRI
4. Geronimo Pérez Méndez Consejo Vigilancia del PRI
5. José Sánchez López Suplente
6. Andrés Hernández Pérez çjente Suplente del PRI

Accomplices to the acts:

7. José Maldonado Hernández
8. Patricio Chulin González
9. Lorenzo Maldonado Mazariego
10. Nicolás Sánchez López
11. Lorenzo Maldonado Hernández
12. Eugenio Maldonado Hernández
13. Nicolás Moreno Pérez
14. Sebastián Alvarez Gómez
And many more.

We the women of the Ejido also demand:

1. Immediate liberation of the 18 people detained and unjustly
imprisoned in Cerro Hueco.
2. Immediate withdrawal of the Seguridad Publica, Judicial Police and
Mexican Army from our
community.
3. Replacement of all the damaged materials and tools, and all stolen
items.
4. Punishment of the responsible parties.
5. Respect of majority decisions.
6. Respect of national and international observers.

Signed below in the original by 94 women from Taniperla, Chiapas

FreeFlightHome
Call to Action
Sample Letter
Links
Coming to Chiapas
News, Reports and Press Releases
Discussion Group

Return to Contents

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 13:25:45 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: MAI NEWS

Canada Says: April 16
From:Judyth_Mermelstein@babylon.montreal.qc.ca,Internet

April 16, 1998 The Toronto Star

Extension for deal opposed

Canada sticking by investment pact deadline, Marchi says

By Derek Ferguson, Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA - Canada won't agree to an
extension of an April 30 deadline to reach
an international deal governing foreign
investment, Trade Minister Sergio Marchi says.

``Canada's position is to not agree to
another deadline,'' Marchi told a
breakfast gathering yesterday.

The minister was referring to the
self-imposed deadline of the world's 29
richest countries, which are seeking to
negotiate the Multilateral Agreement on
Investment that would set out rules on
foreign investment.

Talks stalled earlier this year when
negotiators were unable to deal with
conflicting demands from various countries
for protection for industries deemed vital
to their cultures.

Marchi travels to Paris April 27 for a
ministers' meeting on the proposed deal
with his Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)
counterparts. Although most experts have
declared the deal dead, an extension of
the deadline is expected to be on the
table at that meeting.

Under the deal, Canada would be required
to treat foreign corporations the same way
it treats domestic companies.

Critics have assailed the deal as a sop to
multinational corporations at the expense
of Canada's right to set rules on such
things as the environment.

Marchi said yesterday Canada won't agree
to a deal that compromises its sovereignty.

``It is certainly not going to fetter our
sovereign right to create laws and
increase standards as a price of doing
business in Canada,'' he said.

And Marchi made it clear Canada's future
support for a deal would depend on
broadening its scope to include poorer countries.

``I don't think you can have an
international deal that only speaks to the
rich persons' club.''

Marchi also said Canada will continue to
press for a free trade area of the
Americas this weekend at a summit in
Santiago, Chile, to be attended by Prime
Minister Jean Chretien.

He said Canada has been aggressively
pushing to give labour, environmental,
academic and human rights groups some say
in the negotiations.

Marchi conceded that Canada's image
suffered last November in Vancouver during
the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation
trade summit when police pepper-sprayed
protesters and detained them without
laying charges.

``As a Canadian watching it on television
I thought some of our police crew were a
little bit excessive,'' he said in reply
to a question.

``That's the image I got on TV and I think
that's probably the image most Canadians had.''

Contents copyright =A9 1996-1998,
The Toronto Star.
.................

The URL for this news report will be generated on 17 April
when it is posted to:

http://www.thestar.com/thestar/back_issues/index.html

Canadian Comment: April 16
From:Judyth_Mermelstein@babylon.montreal.qc.ca,Internet
- ------------------------------------
April 16, 1998 The Toronto Star
By Rosemary Speirs - National Affairs

In rush to global trade, Canadian values left behind

OTTAWA - TRADE MINISTER Sergio Marchi
talks a fine game about selling ``Canadian
values'' to Third World countries along
with our soybeans and computer chips but
so far, it's little more than talk.

Marchi admitted yesterday, in a breakfast
speech to reporters in the National Press
Gallery, that ordinary Canadians have a
lot of anxieties about the rush to lower
trade barriers, particularly with low-wage
countries with poor human rights records.

He and Prime Minister Jean Chr=E9tien were
to depart today for Santiago, Chile where
Canada, the United States and Latin
American and Caribbean countries hope to
further negotiations on the Free Trade
Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). Marchi
warned that public receptiveness to this
ambitious plan - and to other pending
free-trade deals - will evaporate if human
rights issues such as labour standards
aren't addressed first.

``If the worker in Peru or Downsview can't
identify with the benefits of the FTAA, it
won't sell,'' said Marchi.

The trade minister sounds like a man
convinced of his own rhetoric. But then
his aides handed reporters a 75-page
booklet outlining the Liberal government's
``priorities for improving access to
foreign markets.'' The booklet is packed
with fascinating details about how we're
fighting Korean resistance to buying our
seal meat, pressing Japan to reduce its
tariff on canola oil and trying to get
assured access to European markets for
Canadian wines.

But in all those 75 pages there wasn't one
word about negotiating labour and
environmental standards in the FTAA, as we
say we're doing. There isn't one word, in
the glowing account of record sales and
profits for Canadian exporters, about how
the welfare of Canada's working people has
declined since the advent of free trade.
There's nary a word about human rights
concerns in any of our trade with China,
Indonesia, Korea or Mexico. The sole
reference came in Marchi's introduction to
the booklet, in which he said ``Canada
continues to play a leadership role in
moving toward a world in which trade moves
freely - in a manner which promotes
Canadian values.''

Questioned by one reporter on how Canada
is approaching the human rights issue in
Latin America, Marchi said Canada and the
U.S. pressed hard for labour and
environmental standard side-deals. But in
the face of much resistance from South and
Central American countries, the standards
question has been put to a special
committee on `` civil societies.''

Activist groups will be able to express
their concerns to the committee, and have
them passed on to the countries involved,
he said. As well, he said, Canada's
leaders will continue to express concerns
about human rights issues in meetings with
other heads of state. As these occur in
private, we can only take the politicians
at their word.

Since becoming trade minister in June,
1997, Marchi has joined the pro-free trade
flip-flop of Chr=E9tien's Liberal
administration with a vengeance.

``We must keep on opening doors,'' he said
yesterday. But he also had the grace to
concede the irony of his government's
present free-trade jingoism, ``when not
too long ago our party was in the vanguard
of raising concerns about the Free Trade
Agreement (FTA)'' signed with the U.S. in 1989.

Marchi argued that the Liberals have just
reflected a general shift in the Canadian
psyche. Today, he said, 72 per cent of
Canadians support the FTA, and its
successor, the NAFTA (which includes
Mexico). Canadians, he said, now are
``more progressive and outward looking''
than even the Americans.

The Liberal government, however, can't
afford to take this ``pendulum swing'' for
granted, he said. ``We need a certain
tone, pace and standard attached to any deals.''

Marchi's learned a lesson from the Council
of Canadians and the NDP, whose successful
campaign against the Multilateral
Agreement on Investment (MAI) - portrayed
by these critics as a ``bill of rights for
investors'' - has forced the Liberals into retreat.

So Marchi declared, again, that Canada
won't sign the MAI at a meeting in Paris
later this month. The trade minister said
he believes the 29 industrial nations
negotiating the MAI could yet resolve
their differences over substance - such as
Canada's determination to protect its
cultural and social programs. But he said
Canada wants to change the ``process.''
Right now, the MAI looks too much like a
``rich nation's deal,'' so he'd prefer to
switch the negotiations to the World Trade
Organization, where he's hoping for an
investment pact signed by 130 countries,
including the developing nations.
``The optics would lead to a more positive
feeling and more acceptability,'' Marchi said.

Was that just a slip of the tongue, or was
it Canada's real bottom line on which
trade deals we will, or won't sign? When
Marchi talks about promoting Canadian
values, does he really mean improving the `optics?''
- -------------------
Contents copyright =A9 1996-1998,=20 The Toronto Star.
.................

Return to Contents

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 14:19:06 -0400
From: perez@total.net
Subject: 16 AVRIL RAPPORT DES COMMUNAUTES....

Traduction faite avec l'aide de AltaVista Translations(sans corrections)
http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/translate?

Version originale en anglais
http://burn.ucsd.edu/~homefree/engTaniperla%2016-4-98.html

RAPPORT DES COMMUNAUTES

Le 16 april 1998: Rapport de première main d'une caravane à Taniperla.

La caravane était la première à entrer depuis le 12 avril. Les Priistas
et les paramilitaires contrôlent la communauté, refusant l'entrée à
n'importe qui , y compris les journalistes et la propre Commission
nationale des droits de l'homme du gouvernement. Les femmes de la
caravane ont été entourées et ont été menacé et seulement après des
assurances qu'elles n'étaient pas des observateurs de droits de l'homme
ou du CONAI (qui selon eux, seulement venues pour donner de l'appui aux
Zapatistas) on les a laissé entrer sous la garde de Seguridad Publica
pour leur propre sûreté.
Après deux jours d'attente sans succès pour entrer, elles pouvaient
finalement visiter les femmes de la communauté et également certains
des hommes cachés dans les collines. Il y a des rumeurs que l'armée est
en train d'entraîner des civils Priistas dans la base de l'armée dans
le voisinage de Monte Libano.
Les Priistas souvent brûlent les champs de café des zapatistas- les
priistes pensent accuser les Zapatistas (bien que cacher et dans la
crainte pour leur vie) de brûler leurs champs de café . Cette
information n'est pas présentée du tout dans les medias ici. Ce qui suit
est un brefs témoignage et denouncement des événements récents.

Ejido Taniperla, Chiapas
15 avril, 1998

Plainte Officielle

Soeurs et frères,

Nous, les femmes de la base de support des Zapatistas et les
ARIC-Independiente et Democratique dénonçons la douleur et la terreur
qui sous ce que nous avions vécu depuis le 11ème jour d'avril. Ce jour,
un grand nombre de Seguridad Publica (police de sécurité publique), la
police juridique et l'armée mexicaine présentée pour détenir nos fils et
maris et pour entourer notre communauté. Ils sont venus pour protéger
les dommages et les mensonges de la faction de Priista, une partie du
mouvement indigène révolutionnaire Anti-Zapatista (MIRA).

Depuis que le MIRA a injustement cassé la tranquilité dans notre
communauté, nos fils et maris, comme quelques familles entières ont pris
le refuge dans les montagnes. Certains ont été détenus et le reste d'eux
ne sont pas permis de retourner à notre communauté. Ils n'ont ni la
nourriture ni les couvertures. Ils sont simplement là, caché dans les
bois. Nous avons également souffert la faim et la crainte. Il n'y a
personne pour porter le bois de chauffage ou pour recueillir le ma•s. Il
n'y a personne pour nous protéger et nous avons peur pour laisser des
maisons. Nos enfants tombent malades, et les poulets et les animaux
meurent.

Ceux qui ont apporté cette douleur, ne sont pas la majorité de cette
communauté. Au contraire, ils sont quelques familles, une petite
minorité, qui appartiennent au PRI, à l'organisation le CNPI
et, nous craignons, au groupe paramilitaire, le MIRA.

Le Seguridad Publica, police juridique et l'armée mentent quand ils
disent qu'ils protègent notre communauté. Nous avons peur parce qu'ils
ont été nous persécutant et harcelants depuis leur arrivée. Ils ont
seulement permis autorisé la destruction de la municipalité autonome et
unjustement détenus des personnes. Nous ne les voulons pas, nous n'avons
pas demandé eux et nous n'avons pas besoin d'eux. Les membres du MIRA
les ont invités.

Sur les véhicules le 11ème jour d'avril, plus 40 effectives de l'armée
et du Seguridad Publica sont entrés dans Taniperla. Sept personnes de la
communauté ont été détenues. Aujourd'hui elles se tiennent accusées des
crimes faux en prison, Cerro Hueco, ainsi que deux observateurs
mexicains de droits de la personne. Sur le 13ème jour, après qu'encore
25 véhicules de police juridique et fédérale soient entrés, encore sept
personnes de la communauté et deux observateurs ont été détenues et
unjustement accusées.

Les crimes que les détenus sont accusés de ne sont rien davantage que
des mensonges. En premier lieu, aucun d'eux a une charge dans la
municipalité autonome. Elles tiennent seulement ou ont précédemment tenu
des positions au niveau de la communauté. Elles ont été accusées parce
qu'elles étaient justes et honorables dans leurs fonctions. Elles ont
été encadrées en raison des décisions passées qui n'ont pas favorisé la
minorité qui nous attaque maintenant. Les décisions n'étaient pas
favorables simplement parce que la justice n'était pas de leur côté.
Quand leurs demandes étaient justes, les décisions étaient favorables à
elles, et nous avons respecté les résultats.

L'invasion alléguée de la propriété sur laquelle les bureaux de la
municipalité autonome ont été installés est également un mensonge. En
premier lieu, elle n'est mme pas un colis privé; c'est un petit morceau
de terre communale. L'école officielle, l'école de la communauté, la
clinique de Coplamar et une piste d'atterrissage sont également situées
sur cette terre. Deuxièmement, elle appartient aux membres d'ejido de
Taniperla, qui ont décidé de donner la propriété à la municipalité
autonome.

Si n'importe qui a envahi les propriétés de cette communauté c'a été
l'armée mexicaine. Puisque leur entrée dans 95 qu'elles ont pris les
morceaux d'ejidal débarquent sans permission de leurs propriétaires.
Seguridad Publica a maintenant occupé la communauté et saisi la terre a
donné la municipalité autonome.

C'est également un mensonge ces centaines d'arbres fruitiers qui ont été
réduits pour installer la municipalité autonome. En premier lieu, il y
avait seulement quelque les arbres d'orange et de mandarine qui étaient
en dehors de de leur endroit légitime. Ils ont appartenu à la terre de
l'école de la communauté. Deuxièmement, l'armée mexicaine et le
Seguridad Publica ont coupé ces arbres vers le bas sur le 12ème jour
pour faire des b‰tons pour frapper le peuple qui protestaient pour leur
présence.
Dans la référence aux 20.000 pesos censément volés par les neuf premiers
détenus de la garde-robe de M. Alejandro Lopez Gomez, ce n'est également
pas plus qu'un mensonge. Ë l'effet contraire, cet homme est un des
parties responsables primaires de la violence que nous vivons dans
aujourd'hui. Les CNPI et les PRI sont ceux qui ont volé, ils sont ceux
qui ont détruit la salle, la cuisine et les bureaux de la municipalité
autonome, volant des matériaux, des documents et des outils qui ont été
enregistrés là. Ils sont également entrés dans un certain nombre de
maisons et ont volé des affaires de valeur, comme des chainsaws. Toute
ceci s'est passé sous la protection et le soutien de la police
juridique, de la securité publique et de l'armée mexicaine. Ces forces
sont également entrées pour piller la municipalité prenant des documents
et des affaires sans présenter des garanties de recherche. Elles ont
détenu des personnes sans commandes d'arrestation, pénétrant dans et
envahissant la communauté, laissant le reste pour que le MIRA fasse tout
ce qu'il veut sans que personne ne disse rien, dans la destruction de la
municipalité autonome, ils les supportaient.

Les quatre observateurs mexicains ont détenu et ont tenu le prisonnier
dans Cerro Hueco, et les 12 observateurs internationaux ont détenu avec
la violence par des membres du PRI et unjustement expulsé du pays ne
sont pas bl‰mer. Ils ont les yeux inconfortables pour le gouvernement,
puisqu'ils observent et dénoncent le caractère arbitraire, la négligence
et la misère dans laquelle nous vivons. Supplémentaire, c'est un
mensonge qu'ils sont intervenus dans les décisions de la communauté et
mme moins qu'ils des positions tenues dans la municipalité autonome. La
communauté elle-mme ne permettrait pas ceci et elles n'ont aucun
intért dans ça. Au contraire, elles nous ont protégés en dénonçant les
violations de nos droits. Leurs organismes ont aidé, avec l'accord de la
communauté, dans les projets tels que des systèmes d'eau potable, un
problème que notre gouvernement constitutionnel n'a jamais pris la peine
lui-mme de résoudre.
La municipalité autonome n'est ni arbitraire ni une imposition, comme
ils veulent vous faire croire. C'est le résultat d'un grand processus de
consensus des communautés qui composent cette région autonome et ils ont
aidé d'une manière ou d'une autre nos organismes de majorité.
Elle ne cherche pas a nous separer, ni usurper autorité, au contraire
elle cherche à nous unir dans un commun effort pour surmonter la
pauvreté dans laquelle nous vivons. C'est un effort d'unir et construire
notre propres futur et indépendance alternatives que. Nous nous
demandons si nous avons besoin de l'autorisation et de la permission
pour ceci.

La municipalité ni n'impose ni oblige ces minorités qui n'étaient pas
d'accord, il a respecté leurs droits constitutionnels, aussi bien que
les affiliations d'organisation et des partis qu'elles ont choisies.
C'est également un mensonge que les bases d'appui des zapatistas ou des
membres de l'ARIC-Independiente sont armé et enlèvent les responsables
de notre douleur. Nos fils et maris, comme nous avons dit, ont pris le
refuge et souffrent le harassment, nous sommes craintifs dans nos
maisons.
Un signe que nous sommes la majorité et que nous ne sommes pas en accord
avec ces actes, est la manifestation qu'on a fait dans notre ejido le 12
avril avec des membres de cette communauté et des autres près à nous
que composez notre municipalité autonome. La seule réponse était
l'agression du Seguridad Publica, gaz lacrymogène de lancement, coupant
colle pour des clubs et l'arrivée d'encore 25 camions de police
juridique, de Seguridad Publica et de soldats le jour suivant. Ils ont
entouré les collines voisines, encerclant la communauté et ont détenu
encore neuf personnes innocentes.
Pour ceci, les femmes de cet ejido, qu'aujourd'hui, ainsi que nos
familles souffrent tous les agressions, mensonges, faim et harassment,
enregistrent la vérité. Nous dénonçons ceux responsables des actes
ci-dessus et de leurs complices qui ont été aidés le temps entier par le
Seguridad Publica, la police juridique et les soldats. Les personnes
responsables et les membres du MIRA sont:

1. Pedro Chulin Jiménez PRI, CNPI
2. Sebastián Gómez López PRI,Responsable Primera Ampliación
3. Alejandro López Gómez Comisariado Ejidal del PRI
4. Geronimo Pérez Méndez Consejo Vigilancia del PRI
5. José Sánchez López Suplente
6. Andrés Hernández Pérez çjente Suplente del PRI

Complices aux actes:

Nous, les femmes de l'Ejido exigons également:

1. Libération immédiate des 18 personnes détenues et unjustement
emprisonnées dans Cerro Hueco.
2. Retrait immédiat du Seguridad Publica, police juridique
et armée mexicaine de notre communauté.
3. Remplacement de tous les matériaux et outils endommagés, et tous les
éléments volés.
4. Punition des parties responsables.
5. Respect des décisions à la majorité.
6. Respect des observateurs nationaux et internationaux.

Signé ci-dessous dans l'original par 94 femmes de Taniperla, Chiapas.

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 14:26:36 -0400
From: perez@total.net
Subject: [Fwd: Programme option .Centre Femme P.O.]

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To: perez@total.net
From: gmor@odyssee.net (Gilles Morissette)
Subject: Programme option .Centre Femme P.O.

Estamos recibiendo la informaci=F2n de lo que acontece en Chiapas (Mexico),y
estamos evaluando la manera en que se atenta contra los derechos humanos .
Nuestra preocupaci=F2n se centra en la suerte que cooren nuestros hermanos=
en
Chiapas especialmente las mujeres y los ninos expuestos a toda clase de
manipulaci=F2n pol=ECtica y de represi=F2n.
Vivir la Solidaridad en estos momentos entre todos los organismos nacionales
e internacionales que se dicen luchar y trabajar por la solidaridad y los
derechos humanos.Nuestra proposici=F2n es la de Preparar una lista de
candidatos para viajar como observadores , por un tiempo de quince d=ECas
como ustedes proponen.Hacer los tr=E0mites a fin de proponer al ministerio=
se
comprometa protejer a las personas enviadas con tal fin.Preveer actividades
en conjunto para asumir los gastos de dichas personas.Difundir por los
medios de comunicaci=F2n =E8stos acuerdos a fin de tener informada a la=
opini=F2n
p=F9blica.....Por la Solidaridad con el pueblo de Chiapas y su
protecci=F2n......Enviar nuestro apote a los organismos correspondientes de
Derechos Humanos Internacional ,Derechos Humanos por Mexico y otros
organismos locales..................

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 14:54:03 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: focus on corporations

The More You Watch, the Less You Know
from: corp-focus@essential.org,Internet

Here's another reason not to watch television: corporate media
conglomerates are getting rid of the few remaining aggressive television
investigative reporters.

Last year, two such reporters, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, were added to
the list of road kill on the television superhighway when they were fired
from the Fox Television affiliate in Tampa, Florida (WTVT).

In a lawsuit filed against the station earlier this month, Akre and Wilson
alleged that Fox executives ordered them to broadcast lies about
Monsanto's controversial bovine growth hormone (BGH) now being used by
many of the nation's dairy farmers.

The journalists say they were fired from Fox-owned station in Tampa (WTVT)
after completing a four-part series on BGH in the Florida milk supply.

The series alleged, among other things, that supermarkets in Florida have
been selling milk from cows injected with BGH, despite promises by those
supermarkets that they would not buy milk from treated cows until the
hormone gained widespread public acceptance.

BGH was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993 over
the objections of independent scientists who contend that use of the
hormone poses health risks to milk drinkers. Such concerns have led the
European Union, Australia, and New Zealand to prohibit use of BGH in cows.

Wilson says that just prior to the first scheduled air date (February 24,
1997), Monsanto's outside libel attorney sent a threatening letter to
Roger Ailes, president of Fox Network News.

As a result of that letter, the series was postponed, and Wilson and Akre
agreed to go back to Monsanto to give the company another chance to
respond to the allegations in the story.

This drew another letter from Monsanto's lawyer. From then on, things went
sour between the reporters and their bosses. Wilson says the letters were
the beginning of a successful campaign by Monsanto to kill the story.
A meeting was held at the station March 5, 1997 to discuss the issue, but
Wilson and Akre were not invited.

"After that, the script was reworked," Wilson says. "Changes were ordered
in the script. We were essentially presented with an order to run the
script in the altered fashion that Fox lawyers suddenly thought was the
way to tell the story."

Wilson says that Fox first threatened to fire them when they refused to
broadcast what Wilson and Akre considered to be false and misleading
information.

According to Wilson, on April 16, 1997, WTVT's vice president and general
manager, David Boylan, told Wilson and Akre "you will either broadcast
this story the way we are telling you to broadcast it, or we will fire you
in 48 hours."

Unlike many of their supine brethren within the industry, Wilson and Akre
stood up to the corporate bosses. Wilson told Boylan, "If you fire us for
refusing to broadcast this information that we have already documented to
you is false and misleading, if you do that, we will go directly to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and file a complaint. You cannot
knowingly broadcast news which you know to be false and misleading."

After threatening to go to the FCC, the station responded by offering
about $200,000 to the reporters if they would agree to a gag order.

Wilson and Akre refused and were then assigned to re-write the story 73
times over the course of the remaining nine months on their contract. At
least six air dates were set and cancelled by the station. They were fired
on December 2, 1997.

In the lawsuit filed against the station, Wilson and Akre allege that the
station violated the state's whistleblower statute by firing them after
they threatened to report wrongdoing to federal authorities.

In a two-page statement, WTVT said that it "ended the employment of the
Wilson/Akre team when it became apparent that their journalistic
differences could not be resolved despite the station's extraordinary
efforts to complete this story."

The station also denied offering a "hush money" payment to the two reporters.
Wilson was having none of the station's explanation.

"We set out to tell Florida consumers the truth a giant chemical company
and a powerful dairy lobby clearly doesn't want them to know," Wilson
said. "That used to be something investigative reporters won awards for.
Sadly, as we've learned the hard way, it's something you can be fired for
these days whenever a news organization places more value on its bottom
line than on delivering the news to its viewers honestly."

Focus on the Corporation is a weekly column written by Russell Mokhiber
and Robert Weissman. Please feel free to forward the column to friends or
repost the column on other lists. If you would like to post the column on
a web site or publish it in print format, we ask that you first contact us
(russell@essential.org or rob@essential.org).

Focus on the Corporation columns are posted on the Multinational Monitor
web site

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Apr 1998 14:55:58 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: Action Urgente, Chiapas

Action Urgente, Chiapas

Nous demandons une action internationale en réponse à l'attaque récente
du gouvernement mexicain contre la municipalité autonome de Ricardo Flores
Magón, dans Taniperla, Chiapas, les arrestations illégales de 17 citoyens
mexicains, la déportation de 15 étrangers et d'autres opérations
militaires massives. Le gouvernement mexicain veut nous faire croire que les
forces de l’ordre ne font rien que de faire respecter la loi.
Cependant, Luciano, un porte-parole de la communauté de Polhó, a
déclaré que le vrai but du gouvernement est de retirer tout étranger
"pour faire en sorte d’éliminer les témoins gnants, afin que les
forces de l’ordre puissent faire un autre massacre du mme genre que celui
d’ Acteal, ici mme, dans notre région".

Le gouvernement a également prouvé qu'il est disposé à faire taire les
observateurs mexicains par l'emprisonnement et en les accusant des crimes
sérieux.

Il est urgent que la communauté internationale réagisse pour supporter les
victimes de la répresion au Chiapas. Nous proposons une réponse en trois
parties aux arrestations illégales des citoyens mexicains et à la campagne
xénophobe d'expulsion des étrangers.

D'abord, nous vous demandons d'appeler, d’envoyez des fax, E-mail ou d’aller
en personne aux ambassades ou consulats mexicains pour condamner les
arrestations et pour exiger la libération immédiate des mexicains
injustement emprisonnés: Tomas Sánchez Gómez, Luis Menéndez Medina,
Nicolás López Vásquez, Justino Sánchez López, Sebastián Chulin
González,
Antonio López Vásquez, Mateo González López, Nicolás Mazariego
Pérez,
Sergio Valdés Ruvalcalba, Tomas Sánchez López, Miguel Hernández Pérez,
Antonio Rodr’guez Jiménez, Fidelino Cruz Mendoza, Manuel Hernández
Pérez, Andrés Gutiérrez Hernández, César Rodrigo Nuñez, y José
Alfredo
López Méndez. (Voir La Lettre Jointe)

Comme deuxième action, nous lançons " la campagne de retour à la maison
avec des vols gratuits" pour résister aux tentatives du gouvernement mexicain
d'enlever tous les témoins de l'escalade de répression. Notre proposition,
c'est que pour chaque étranger expulsé, les organisations des droits
humains et les groupes de solidarité dans chaque pays envoient 10 nouveaux
volontaires internationaux au Chiapas comme observateurs-trices dans les
municipalités autonome zapatistes . Ces volontaires devraient tre
disposés à tre expulsés et ne pas partir jusqu'à ce qu'ils aient
leur "vol gratuit de retour à la maison".

Cette campagne a un objectif double:
1) fournir une présence constante d’observateurs internationaux dans les
communautés autonomes menacées
2) prouver au gouvernement que leur tactique ne nous effraye pas et n'
empchera pas le rôle nécessaire des observateurs internationaux dans ce
conflit. En fait, nous tirerons profit de leur générosité en payant le
billet d’avion du vol de retour!

En conclusion, le gouvernement mexicain a publiquement déclaré que les
observateurs internationaux peuvent facilement obtenir un visa et qu'ils
sont bienvenus pour visiter Chiapas.
Mettons-le à l' essai! Menons une campagne bien organisée pour inonder les
ambassades et les bureaux consulaires avec des demandes de visas d' observateur
(FM-3) et organiser des réponses bien documentée. Contrairement à leur
rhétorique, beaucoup d'applications FM-3 ont été rejetées ou
indéfiniment retardés.

Le but du gouvernement mexicain est de cacher sa guerre sale contre les peuples
du Chiapas et du Mexique. Nous devons denoncer et condamner cette répression
au niveau international.

Nous avons une lettre modele vous faciliter la tache. Faites toutes les
modifications que vous pensez nécessaires. Car la situation au Chiapas
évolue rapidement, vous pourriez vouloir ajouter ou changer l'information
qu'elle contient...
- -------------
Lettre modèle:

Montréal, le avril 1998

Monsieur, Madame,

Je vous écris pour exprimer mes inquiétudes et mon indignation face à la
campagne grandissante de violence dirigée par le gouvernement contre les
municipalités indigènes autonomes dans le Chiapas. Le nombre de personnes
détenues par le gouvernement mexicain a atteint 32 dans le passé.Il y a
quatre jours, 17 citoyens mexicains et 15 observateurs internationaux ont
été arretés.
Ce nombre ne tient mme pas compte des 59 prisonniers politiques organisés
dans la "Voz de Cerro Hueco". Nous vous demandons maintenant d’ arrter
cette vague de répression et de libérer tous les prisonniers politiques de
l’ƒtat du Chiapas.

Le 11 avril, 1998, après l'inauguration de la municipalité autonome
Ricardo Flores Magon, des membres de l'armée mexicaine et de la police, du
ministère de l'immigration, et de la police juridiciaire de l'état et du
gouvernement fédéral ont attaqué la communauté de Taniperla, Chiapas.
Neuf
citoyens mexicains ont été arbitrairement détenus et accusés des
dommages à la propriété privée, d'usurpation d'autorité,
d'association illégale, et de vol. Le commandant de la police a frappé une
personne.
Les détenus furent détenus sans avoir la possibilité de communiquer avec
leurs proches ou un avocat pendant un certain nombre d'heures, avant d'tre
transférés à San Cristobal de las Casas. Ils sont actuellement détenus
dans Cerro Hueco, la prison d'état à Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Le 12 avril, la police et l'armée mexicaine ont lancé des projectiles et
ont jeté des grenades de gaz lacrymogène aux paysans lors d’une
manifestation. Cette attaque a fait deux blessés. Trois membres de la
Communauté et quatre défenseurs des droits humains ont été également
détenus.

Les organismes de droits humains Fray Pedro de la Nada et Fray Bartolome de Las
Casas dénoncent l'appréhension illégale des détenus. Je joins leur
appel en exigeant:
1. La garantie de l'intégrité et de la sécurité physiques des personnes
détenues.
2. La libération immédiate des prisonniers.
3. Une enqute sur la détention arbitraire des personnes mentionnées
ci-dessus et la sanction des responsables.
4. Une fin à l'offensive politique, militaire et policiere contre les 32
municipalités existantes et toutes les futures municipalités autonomes
dans l'état de Chiapas.

Sincèrement,
- -----------------
En plus d'appeler et d'envoyer des fax à votre consulat mexicain local,
vous pouvez également envoyer des fax aux numéros suivants au Mexique:

Presidente de la Republica
Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León
fax (52 5) 515 17 94 ou (5 25) 277 23 76

Secretaria de Gobernación
Lic. Farncisco Labastida Ochoa
fax (52 5) 546 53 50

Procuraduria General de la Republica
Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar
fax: (52 5) 626 4419 ou (52 5) 626 4147

Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado de Chiapas
Lic. Carlos Rodolfo Soto Monzon
fax (52 961) 65373 o (52 961) 65376

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 17:36:36 -0400
From: Sam Boskey
Subject: Mexican labor leader dies

NATIONAL

The News
México City, April 17, 1998.

PILLAR OF LABOR GONZALEZ PARRA SUCCUMBS
AT 84

The News Staff

Emilio Manuel Gonzalez Parra, co-founder of the largest official labor
union, the Confederation of
Mexican Workers (CTM), died on Thursday in a Mexico City hospital. He was
84 years old, the
news service EFE reported.

''He had been one of the pillars of the CTM,'' said Hector Gonzalez, a
congressional deputy who
was a regional director for the CTM in the state of Jalisco.

He died of complications from high blood pressure and intestinal
difficulties, hospital officials said.

Gonzalez Para had been a board director of the labor bloc for over three
decades.

Born in 1913, Gonzalez Parra was governor of Nayarit from 1981 to 1986 and
was a stalwart
member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) since 1932, only four
years after the
foundation of the party.

He was a federal deputy four times and a three-term senator, eventually
climbing the ranks of the
nation's upper house to become senate leader from 1988 to 1994.

Gonzalez Parra was the fourth member of the so-called "gerontocracia," a
term used in Mexico to
define the elderly, pro-government hardliners, to die in the past year.

CTM co-founders Blas Chumacero and Juan Jose Osorio Palacios also died in
the last year. But the
most famous to die was CTM co-founder Fidel Velazquez, who died last year
after leading the
powerful labor organization for half a century.

[NATIONAL]

- --------
\\\|///
\\ - - //
( @ @ )
- ---oOOo-(_)-oOOo-------------------------------------------

The first time I read the dictionary, I thought it was a poem about
everything. (Steve Wright)
L'ennui en ce monde, c'est que les imbéciles sont sûrs d'eux
et les gens sensés pleins de doutes (Bertrand Russell)

e-mail: mailto:sam@politician.com

- --------------Oooo-----------------------------------------
oooO ( )
( ) ) /
\ ( (_/
\_)

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 17:39:24 -0400
From: Sam Boskey
Subject: Mandela and Botha

Cape Argus April 17, 1998

BEHIND THE NEWS

Even Madiba magic fails to change
stubborn PW's mind

Mandela goes out of his way to soften hard-liner

Madiba's magic has worked wonders for South Africa during its difficult
transformation, but there
have been a handful of occasions when even President Mandela's seemingly
miraculous
interventions have failed - and trying to persuade PW Botha to appear
before the Truth Commission
is one of them.

Now even Mr Mandela, who demonstrated his capacity for Job-like patience
during 27 long years
of incarceration by the apartheid government, appears to have reached the
end of his tether with the
stubborn "Groot Krokodil" and says his one-time predecessor must now face
the full might of the
law.

Mr Mandela has been personally involved over months in intense efforts to
persuade the ageing
former state president to appear in person at a Truth Commission hearing.
In a gesture that had the
capacity for generating what would have been arguably the most potent
symbol of reconciliation
possible in South Africa, President Mandela offered to accompany Mr Botha
personally to such a
hearing.

His offer was spurned.

Publicly, Mr Mandela has acknowledged going out of his way to persuade Mr
Botha to obey the
Truth Commission subpoena to attend a hearing on December 19.

He disclosed that he had spoken to Mr Botha twice last year in an effort to
defuse the looming
showdown with the Truth Commission over the subpoena that culminated in Mr
Botha's presence
as an accused in a criminal trial which started in the George Regional
Court this week.

Mr Mandela also revealed that he had spoken personally to each of Mr
Botha's four children - to
some of them during a lunch which he hosted specially for the occasion -
and had urged them to
help prevent their father's further humiliation.

This tactic also failed to dissuade Mr Botha from his chosen path of
confrontation with the Truth
Commission. But Mr Mandela did not give up even then, and quietly continued
to direct his African
National Congress colleagues in efforts to effect a compromise, although
this was not done through
the Truth Commission in order to respect its independence.

Mr Mandela reportedly instructed Mpumalanga premier and the ANC's chief
legal adviser Mathews
Phosa to lead the diplomatic charge to rescue Mr Botha from his seemingly
self-destructive and
lonely path. Perhaps not surprisingly, Mr Phosa has declined to confirm
this or to elaborate on
efforts by the ANC.

Responding to a request for comment by the Cape Argus, Mr Phosa's only
answer was: "I would
say simply that everyone who can make a contribution towards achieving the
objectives of the
(Truth Commission's founding) Act, which is aimed at achieving a clear
picture of the conflict of
the past and contributing towards reconciliation and nation-building,
should do so. And that
includes Mr Botha."

Why should Mr Mandela have put so much effort into the attempt to achieve a
face-saving and
honourable solution for the man who was in effect his chief jailer and
bitter political opponent for so
many years?

Firstly, there is the president's unequivocal commitment to reconciliation
and nation-building that
incorporates all South Africans, whatever their past or present political
persuasions - and that
obviously includes Mr Botha.

And on a personal level, Mr Mandela would probably be unhappy at seeing
anyone - and especially
someone so close to him in age and who had always professed to be a
law-abiding citizen - being
humiliated and embarrassed by having to stand in court as an accused in a
criminal trial.

In political terms, Mr Mandela would have been keen that Mr Botha's
self-proclaimed defiance of
the Truth Commission and subsequent court appearance should not be able to
be manipulated by
right-wing elements into a possible rallying point for those opposed to the
ANC government's
transformation efforts.

Also, despite Mr Botha's unhappy reputation as being both a political bully
and a political coward
for refusing to "cross the Rubicon" in 1985, Mr Mandela is known to have a
good measure of
respect for him.

This is partly because of the stature of the office of state president,
which Mr Botha held from
1984-1989, but also because the president is understood to acknowledge the
significant role played
behind the scenes by Mr Botha in helping to defuse the potentially
devastating threat posed by
right-wing elements in the run-up to South Africa's first democratic
elections four years ago this
month.

So Mr Mandela continued his efforts, despite being effectively snubbed by
Mr Botha.

Impeccable sources told the Cape Argus this week that Mr Mandela had gone
so far as to contact Mr
Botha at the 11th hour on Tuesday, just hours before his trial was due to
start, and had urged him
again to accept an agreement that was being negotiated between his (Mr
Botha's) legal team, the
office of Western Cape Attorney-General Frank Kahn and Truth Commission
lawyers.

However, this was denied yesterday by presidential spokesman Parks
Mankahlana, who said Mr
Mandela had last spoken personally to Mr Botha last year.

By the time Mr Botha's trial finally got under way here at mid-morning on
Wednesday, Mr Mandela
appeared to have admitted defeat.

Mr Mankahlana said Mr Mandela's attitude now was that no-one was above the
law and that the
Truth Commission was a legally constituted body.

"Now the law must take its course and Mr Botha should be entitled to any
punishment that he has
invited on himself ...

"Even now the president would be very pleased if Mr Botha would change his
mind. The Truth
Commission is about reconciliation and nation-building, and everyone has a
contribution to make.
But it (the commission) is built on law, and if anyone is in breach of the
law, he must be punished."

The ANC's head of information in the Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore, told
the media attending
Mr Botha's trial in George this week that his organisation believed the
former state president had
missed an historic opportunity by refusing to negotiate an agreement to
appear at a Truth
Commission hearing.

Referring to Mr Botha's notorious backing off from announcing expected
political reforms during
his "Rubicon" speech in Durban in 1985, Mr Dugmore commented: "It's a pity
it's come to this.
PW has missed crossing the Rubicon a second time."

President Mandela went as far as was humanly possible to help Mr Botha make
that seemingly
simple crossing, but his hand was rejected.

Instead, Mr Botha has chosen to strand himself on that bank which has been
left high and dry by
the flow of history.

Now he has only himself to blame.

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e-mail: mailto:sam@politician.com

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 17:51:30 -0400
From: "Wes Rehberg -- Strategic Pastoral Action (SPAN)"
Subject: Pastors for Peace Caravan crosses border (English)

(Quick translation from Spanish to English --)

La Jornada 17 April 1998

Pastors for Peace caravan crosses northern border

Jim Cason and David Brooks, correspondents, Washington --16 April 1998

A Pastors for Peace caravan crossed the border today into Mexico with
almost 13 tons of humanitarian aid donated by diverse groups within the
United States to indigenous communities in Chiapas, where the caravan
expects to arrive in a few days.

The 15 volunteers and five vehicles were expected to enter Mexico yesterday
but negotiations had to be made with Mexican authorities in Reynosa,
Tamaulipas, in order to obtain exemptions of taxes on the cargo.

The Mexican authorities informed Pastors for Peace that the aid should be
delivered to the Mexican Red Cross, a condition that was rejected by
members of the caravan, who intend to deliver the aid directly to
[Chiapas] municipalities, with the assistance of Caritas.

At dawn this morning, it was agreed that Caritas would assume the legal
responsibility for the cargo from Reynosa, though it will still be brought
to Chiapas by Pastors for Peace, said Rev. Lucius Walker.

All day yesterday, Mexican customs dedicated itself to examining each of
the 5,000 boxes of cargo, and it was expected that this evening they would
conclude this phase in order to continue to journey to Chiapas. "We expect
to be able to arrive in San Cristobal de las Casas in a week," said
Walker, executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace, during a phone
interview from Reynosa.

The humanitarian assistance was collected in communities from 40 cities in
the U.S. The members of the caravan obtained FM-3 visas, for which Walker
expressed gratitude to the Mexican consulate in NYC for its help in
facilitating this transaction. Neverthess, Walker said that "Pastors for
Peace is extremely worried about the continued practice of arrests,
detentions and expulsions of United States citizens and other foreign
visitors. In this moment we are asking the world to focus itself on
Chiapas. Given the situation, a voice of peace and reason is desperately
needed."

The members of the caravan expect to remain in Chiapas a week and, with the
help of Caritas and the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas, to
distribute the aid to indigenous people of Altamirano, Las Margaritas,
Larrainzar, Ocosing, Chenalho, Pantelho, Palenque and Polho, moreover to
meet with Bishops Samuel Ruiz and Raul Vera, various NGOs, and human rights
groups.

Translated by Wes Rehberg

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Pastoral Action (SPAN)
Acción Estratégica y Pastoral wrehberg@spanweb.org
Wes Rehberg, Ph.D. wrehberg@igc.apc.org
+607-546-2250, phone & fax http://www.spanweb.org

A human-rights and social-justice NGO working
non-violently through themes of liberation theology
and the pedagogy of the oppressed in areas of struggle.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Date: 17 Apr 1998 18:14:29 -0400
From: JGA@eureka.qc.ca (Jean-Guy Aubé)
Subject: Belgique: Occupation et menace d'expulsion

Petite chronique de l'occupation du collectif sans nom
From:occupation@infonie.be,Internet
Petite chronique du début de l’occupation du b‰timent situé au
2-4 avenue de la Porte de Hal, 1060 Bruxelles par le Collectif sans Nom

Préparatifs
Après l’expulsion des occupants de l’ancien siège des Mutualités
Socialistes
rue Philippe de Champagne et leur manif le lendemain, avortée par Polbru, la
volonté reste néanmoins ferme chez le Collectif Sans Nom : on va bientôt
réoccuper.

Le mois de février et le mois de mars sont remplis de réunions de
préparation de l’action, de séances de réflexion sur notre pratique
(notamment avec Miguel Benasayag du Collectif Malgré Tout...). Nous avons
galement regroupé photos, dessins, textes croqués sur le vif de l’
occupation des Mutualités Socialistes, bulletins d’humeur et pamphlets
théoriques, poésies et chansons dans un journal: Paroles Nomades.

La maison duement choisie et visitée, c’est au tour des stratégies, et au
fond de notre cave/centre nerveux, le projet se profile enfin. Le premier
week-end se doit d’tre festif et dépourvu de temps morts. Tout le
programme que ces messieurs de la flicaille et leurs commanditaires ont
écrasé de leurs bottes à Philippe de Champagne se doit d’tre là
dans ce nouveau b‰timent réapproprié.
Okupa! Resista!

Vendredi 10/04:
A 17 heures, une centaine de personnes entrent dans l’ancien hôtel de
maître
qui se trouve en face de la Porte de Hal. Les calicots disent " Cette maison
est vide depuis trop longtemps - Centre Social Ici et Maintenant, notre
action est pleine de sens! " Après le première Assemblée à 19 heures,
commence la fte qui dure jusque très taaard!

Samedi 11/04
Matinée de nettoyage et journée culturelle. Le Collectif Ici et Maintenant
Photo) expose ses oeuvres dans diverses pièces du b‰timent. Anouk et
Florian exposent leurs gravures, Bernard L. et Jean Yves T. exposent leurs
toiles. Les gens visites. Vers 16h30, le Centre Social a droit, pour la
première fois à la visite de la police de Saint-Gilles qui se montre
malpolie, voire agressive. Pourtant se poursuit la journée culturelle.
Représentation de la Pièce " Escurial " de Michel de Ghelderode par la
Compagnie de Loin, concert de guitare du groupe flamand " Brake " suivi d’un
concert de RaggaMuffin’. Se tient également l’Assemblée quotidienne.
Plus tard, sont progetés des films et une soirée Afro-Ra•-Rap-Reggae
assure l’ ambiance. Cette journée chargée aura attiré environ 250
personnes.

Dimanche 12/04
A 4h30 vers la fin des festivités, une vingtaine de policiers veulent
pénétrer dans les lieux sous prétexte d’un incendie. Seraient-ce les
flammes
des bougies qui nous eclairent qui les inquiètent? L’accès leur est
naturellement refusé. Réponse de la police: coups de pieds et de matraques
dans les vitres des portes d’entrée, injures et gaz lacrymo’ répandu
dans
tout le rez-de-chaussée. L’accrochage durera un quart d’heure après
quoi la
police, qui n’a pas réussi à rentrer dans le b‰timent quitte les lieux.
Première vague d’attaque héro•quement repoussée.

L’après-midi présente heureusement une ambiance diamétralement
opposée. La bonne humeur accompagne les activités pour enfants et le
goûter pour le
quartier. Ceux-ci sont suivis d’une lecture des poésies de Tom, et un
concert de Christiane Stéfanski. La police réapparaît brièvement au bas
de
la porte pour soupçonner les occupants de forer un trou dans le mur en vue
de piller la banque adjacente. Bonne idée, merci.
Le soir, Assemblée, resto’populaire et projections.

Lundi 13/04
Dans l’après midi, se tient une rencontre " Carrefour des Luttes ".
Différents collectifs, individus, associations présentent leurs luttes
diverses. L’accent est mis sur les connections qui existent, ou qui sont à
creer entre le champ social, champ politique et culturel. Est également
abordée la nécéssitée de remplir les brèches qui existent ou doivent
tre
introduite dans la société dominante.
Vers 17h30 reçoit la visite d’un échevin de la commune qui tente de
couvrir
la bavure de ses policiers de la nuit de dimanche.
Vers 18h commence une soirée Hip-Hop avec les jeunes du quartiers. Vingt
minutes après, les Keufs sont de nouveau au bas de la porte pour prendre "
les identités des responsables " car les occupants auraient jeté des pots de
fleurs sur leur tte pendant la petite escarmouche. Bonne Idée. Cependant
les flics se montrent tellement agressifs qu’on est contraint d’interrompre
et d’annuler la soirée. Un des groupes jouera à cappella dans le bar.

Mardi 14/04
La presse visite le Centre Social. Un responsable de l’agence immobilière
qui gère le b‰timent passe également. La présence des occupants semble
l’
amuser. Courte visite du service d’hygiène, qui n’entre pas, car il
n’est
pas en possession d’un mandat. L’après midi appartient aux créateurs du
Collectif Sans Nom. Des dessins, des affiches, des textes et photos naîssent.

Le soir, Assemblée, Resto populaire et projection de film. Une jounée
paisible. Un bar comme tous les soirs, amenant rencontres et discussions,
chaque jours des nouvelles ttes, remplies de projets. L’endroit mort
revit, tout est dans l’instant. Petite bulle de résistance perméable une
étiquette " éternité " plaquée dessus. Qui l’a collée...Ici et
maintenant on le sait. C’est nous...

Mercredi 15/04, Jeudi 16/04, Vendredi 17/04
Journées " Porte Ouverte " des Collectifs du Centre Social. Des individus et
des représentants d’assos’ passent, discutent... La production
d’affiches,
de textes et de dessins continue. Deux nouveaux Collectifs se créent:
Ateliers BD et Thé‰tre action.

Assemblée et Projections...
Le temps passe, on craint une expulsion alors, on fait preuve d’imagination
débridée, stratagèmes de dissuasion " passive " au cas o... Un
‘collectif chants révolutionnaires’ semble naître des cendres et des
vapeurs du fonds du bar.

Théatre-action en representation sur le parvis de Saint-Gilles vendredi
matin, pour raconter notre action en couleurs.

Ici s’achève la petite chronique puisqu’en ce jour nous en sommes là. Un
centre social est né et dès les premières heures, il était en pleine
ebullition. Un espace libéré, un havre de vie au beau milieu d’un
système entièrement voué,au culte de la mort.

Evidemment, nous avons pris pour l’instant une optique de résistance vis
à vis des autorités qui pourraient comploter un délogement. Et on
l’imagine, d’une manière pas très courageuse, il leur suffit en effet
d’un rapport d’ insalubrité. Quand on sait qu’une douche dans une
cuisine en est un critère, imaginons ce qu’on peut dire d’un immeuble
vide depuis 1989. Cette attitude de résistance bouffe énormément
d’énergie. Mais on est là, on s’ accroche...créeons l’autrement!
Multiplions les initiatives! Et au plaisir!

Adresse 2-4 avenue de la porte de Hal à 1060 Bruxelles.
tel 02/503.39.98.
Fax 02/779.59.00.
E-mail: occupation@infonie.be
Site: Http://perso.infonie.be/den11/
- ------------------------------------------
:Va t'on déloger le centre social occupé par le collect if sans nom?
From:occupation@infonie.be,Internet
To:squat@infonie.be,Internet

Salut,
D'abord un grand merci pour tous vos mails de soutiens!!! Nous sommes toujours
là! La commune essaye de nous mettre des b‰tons dans les roues et cherche
tous les prétextes pour nous expulser. Après la police, c'est au tour des
services de salubrités et de sécurités de venir trouver des prétextes
pour stopper le centre social. Nous vous demandons donc de continuer à nous
envoyer des mails de soutien, d'envoyer des faxs au bourgmestre (02/536.02.02.)
pour les empcher de nous déloger.
Au sinon, passez nous voir au 2-4 Avenue de la Porte de Hal, à 1060 Bruxelles.
Okupation et Résistance!
Le collectif sans nom.

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