To All Living Things
Last Week's Column

Amnesty Action:
Fear for Safety in Mexico
Kathy Gay

his week’s action from Amnesty International concerns the safety of members of an indigenous community in Guerrero State recently raided by soldiers of the Mexican army, as well as members of a local human rights organization who filed a complaint about the raid. There is concern that both groups could be at risk of reprisals by the military.

During the raid, soldiers broke into a home and brutally beat one of the adults in an effort to extract information from him. The man's 10-year-old daughter was also beaten. After protests from the villagers, the soldiers released their victims and left, threatening with death those who dared to lodge complaints against them.

In spite of these intimidation tactics, community members sought help from a local non-governmental organization led by a Catholic priest. The organization filed and published the community's complaint. Several days later, members of the Mexican army visited the offices of the organization to request information about the complaint, purportedly to assist with official investigations. The organization has protested the intimidating manner in which it was approached by the military authorities and fears for the safety of its members. Amnesty International shares this concern for their safety, as well as the safety of the villagers who initiated the complaint against the Mexican army.

Background Information

Amnesty International has expressed deep concern about the increasing activities of the Mexican armed forces, particularly the army, and their participation in security activities throughout the country, most of which are allegedly related to counter-insurgency operations. There have been numerous reports of serious human rights violations being committed with impunity during these operations, including scores of cases of arbitrary arrest, interrogation under torture, and even "disappearances" and extrajudicial executions. A growing number of victims of attacks and threats from the military are human rights defenders.

The Mexican Constitution bars the military jurisdiction from investigating crimes where the victims are civilians, regardless of whether the alleged perpetrators are military or not. Nevertheless, the military jurisdiction has continued to grant full impunity to those members of the armed forces accused of human rights violations, and no one has ever been brought to justice.

How you can help

Please send a letter to the Interim Governor of the State of Guerrero as soon as possible, but no later than November 1, 1997. You may use the sample letter linked below or use it as a model to write your own letter. If you choose to use the sample letter, please cut off or delete all website information at the very top of the letter. If you prefer to write your own letter, please keep in mind that its intent is to improve the human rights situation in Mexico. Make sure the letter is politely worded, non-partisan (i.e., not used as a vehicle for political expression) and written with respect for the recipient. Be sure to include both your name and address, as well as the date, on your letter.

U.S. airmail postage to Mexico is 40 cents.

Questions?

If you have any questions, just post a message to me (Kathy Gay) on the Activism Board, and I will respond as soon as I can. I greatly appreciate your interest and support.

To see the sample letter for this action, please click here.

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Kathy Gay is a vegan, and has been a member of Amnesty International for nearly 10 years, where she has worked on numerous campaigns. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a business analyst for a leading California bank.

Kathy's column, To All Living Things, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.