Nearly two months after a massacre killed 45 pacifists in rural Chiapas, a
ten-person Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation is headed to that southern
Mexican state.

All victims of the December 22 Acteal massacre were members of a group
called The Bees, an ecumenical group best known for their determined
refusal to use arms or violence. Prior to the tragic massacre in December
1997 The Bees has requested support from international groups
like CPT.

At the time people in Acteal of the massacre had already been displaced
from their towns by armed civilian groups that began expelling anyone not
affiliated with the ruling PRI political party in communities throughout
Chenalho municipality (county) last September. During the 4-5 hours of
killing in Acteal not a single shot was fired back at the attackers.
Thirty-six of the people who were killed were women and children.

Increased international attention has brought more foreigners to Chiapas
and the government has responded by more closely scrutinizing their
activities and expelling those it deems have violated the terms of their
tourist visas by becoming involved in Mexico's "internal
matters."