CPTnet
CHIAPAS UPDATE
  January 21-31, 2001

Sunday, Jan. 21. The team met at the CPT house in San Cristobal with a
United Church of Christ (UCC) delegation from the Chicago area. After a
role play enacting the displacement of an indigenous community by military
troops, team members William Payne and Claire Evans shared about CPT's
role and work in Chiapas. They then accompanied the delegation to mass at
the Cathedral, where the priest spoke about Christian unity, and at the
end of the service asked the Protestants in the congregation to stand and
be recognized and applauded.

Monday, Jan. 22. Evans and Payne traveled to the highland community of
Acteal for the monthly mass held in memory of 45 members of the Mayan
pacifist group, Las Abejas. The 45, mostly women and children, were killed
there by paramilitary troops Dec. 22, 1997. The UCC delegation also
attended. Making a link between the indigenous people of Chiapas and of
Guatemala, where their church also has ties, the delegation brought 45
candles in traditional Mayan colors red, green, yellow, and blue that
were lit in memory of the Acteal martyrs during the service.
Although an offering is not usually taken during the monthly mass, on this
day a special collection was taken for the victims of the recent
devastating earthquake in El Salvador. Opening their hearts to their
brothers and sisters in need, many of the very poor people of Acteal
contributed their pesos. They also sent a donation of coffee, the main
crop of the Chiapan highlands.
The Abejas issued a statement during the mass, as is their custom. This
month's message, addressed to the national and international community,
emphasized that, despite a new Chiapas governor and Mexican president, the
Abejas do not see significant change. The many people who have been
displaced by threats of military and paramilitary violence over the past
three years still do not feel it is safe to return to their homes.

Tuesday, Jan. 23. Kerr met briefly with General Carnavas of the Mexican
Army camp in Majomut, which is located not far from Acteal. The facility
is a "Social Work"(i.e. "civic action") camp, that offers free food,
medical and dental care, and haircuts to the surrounding population. Many
people refuse the services, considering the army a hostile presence under
any guise. Over the past few months, temporary structures at the Majomut
camp have been replaced with permanent buildings, complete with
landscaping. Kerr reported that many of the displaced people in X'oyep
have gone to their home communities to harvest coffee. In San Cristobal,
Payne and Evans met with three men who are working with small coffee
producers in the highlands. The CPTers are seeking to learn more about
the dynamics of coffee production, as coffee prices received by the small
producers in Acteal and other highland villages are at a record low only
$0.50 to $0.60 US per kilogram. The economic situation compounds the
hardship of the people there who have been displaced by violence.

Wednesday, Jan. 24. Evans and Payne met with a team advisor, updating him
on recent activities and plans of the team. Later, they hosted a
nine-member delegation from Colombia Theological Seminary (Presbyterian)
in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thursday, Jan. 25. Payne and Evans traveled to Acteal and joined teammate
Kerr in a meeting with members of the Mesa Directiva (Board of Directors)
of the pacifist Christian group Las Abejas. They discussed further steps
toward involving the Abejas with the work of CPT.
         Kerr returned to X'oyep.
         In the evening, a friend from the Mexican peace group SERPAJ
 visited the team in San Cristobal..

Friday, Jan. 26. The team met with a representative of a Mexican
organization that specializes in social and economic analysis, discussing
plans for future activities.

Saturday, Jan. 27. Three men from Las Abejas stopped by the CPT house and
shared a meal with the team. One of the men stayed with the team several
nights.

Sunday, Jan. 28. The team went to the one-year birthday party for the
daughter of the friend and advisor they had met with Wednesday. Clowns
supervised games, dancing, and pinatas for the several children there, and
all enjoyed tamales and birthday cake.

Monday, Jan. 29. Payne represented the team at a meeting of displaced
persons from all over Chiapas. About 100 attended, as well as observers
from various human rights groups.

Tuesday, Jan. 30. Evans and Payne met with a couple from Washington state
who are interested in learning more about CPT. Kerr attended the meeting
of displaced persons. In the afternoon, the team, along with the two
friends from Washington, traveled to the state prison located about 25
minutes outside San Cristobal. They set up 100 white candles and held a
one-hour vigil focusing on political prisoners. They were surprised when
five guards who approached them with questions about their activity
accepted their invitation to join the prayer circle. (See separate CPTNet
release.) When the guards learned that the vigilers were from both
Catholic and Protestant churches, one of them suggested that a CPT witness
in Chiapas communities that are divided along religious lines might help
people come together. Mexican friends helped translate the liturgy and
press release for the vigil. A Canadian family whose travels over the
past six months have taken them to the CPT project in Burnt Church, New
Brunswick, and now to Mexico, had supper with the team.

Wednesday, Jan. 31. Payne attended the final day of the meeting of
displaced persons. In a listing of five goals, the one stated as their
first priority was that the government accept the Cocopa version of the
San Andres accords, which would give full recognition to indigenous rights
and culture. Two men of the Abejas and the son of one of them came home
with Payne for a cup of coffee. Later the team hosted another member of
the Abejas, who spent the night.