Prepared by Fray Bartolomé Human Rights Center

Translated by Global Exchange

Public Security Police, units of the Mexican Army, agents from the National

Immigration Institute and units of the Federal Judicial Police carried out

a new round-up today, in the community of Taniperlas, Municipality of Ocosingo.

During the round-up, which started at 4:30 am, they illegally

detained Tomás Sánchez Gómez, Luis Menendez

Medina, member of the Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada Human Rights

Centre, Nicolas López Gómez, Antonio López

Vázquez, Mateo González (Gutiérrez) López,

Nicolas Mazariegos Pérez, Sergio Valdez Rubalcaba y

Sebastián Chulin González. Mr. Sergio Valdez Rubalcaba,

a university professor from UAM Xochimilco, was beaten by police while

he was being detained.

The following international observers were similarly detained: Julie

Marquette (Canada); Sarah Mireille Baillargeon (Canada), Michael Sabato (USA),

Jeffrey Wright Conant (USA), Travis Blaize Loller (USA), Marta Sánchez

Zaragoza (Canada), Lambot Gautier (Belgium), Berger Dominique Jean

Guillaume (Belgium), Olga Claveria Iranzo (Spain), Ana López (Spain), Julen

Cobos (Spain) and Marion Landich (Germany).

The soldiers surrounded the community, impeding the free movement of people

both outside and inside the community while the operation was being carried

out. Public Security police carried out violent searches in individual

homes. The houses that were raided were identified from a list being

carried by a member of the judicial police and were searched without a

warrant.

A building in the centre of community was burnt and destroyed by PRI

supporters from the community with the backing of the police.

The group of national and foreign observers that were in the community were

harrassed, filmed with video cameras and verbally threatened, including

death threats. They were also denied freedom of movement along with the

rest of the population.

Members of the federal judicial police incited PRI supporting members of

the community to attack the observers. Women and children were used to

harrass the observers and were paid money to do so.

As a human rights centre we demand the immediate liberty of those who have

been detained, given that their individual rights have been violated, as

well as compensation for the damages caused during the raid.

We consider the establishment of the rule of law is indispensable in

Chiapas, but that this does not justify the carrying out of activities that

violate people rights, as has happened in this case.