EFE
May 10, 2001

San Cristobal de las Casas, May 10, 2001 (EFE) -- The archdiocese of the Mexican town of San Cristobal, in Chiapas state, on Thursday warned that the influence and numbers of paramilitaries in the troubled region could increase due to the breakdown in peace talks between the government and Zapatista guerrillas.

The archdiocese, in a press release, expressed his concern over the growing tension in the southeastern Mexican state and the persistence of the root problems that led to the armed conflict in 1994.

The release, signed by Bishop Felipe Arizmendi and other church officials also stated that: "There is also the risk of increased paramilitary activity and violence."

The Mexican Congress' approval of an amended version of an Indians Rights Law that was rejected by the region's Indians "has again hindered the peace process," the statement added.

The release went on to say that the rupture of negotiations between the government and the rebels has created "frustration and discouragement" and has made it difficult to implement development plans "based on a true agreement between the government and the indigenous communities."

The archdiocese urged the sides involved in the conflict, civil organizations and indigenous communities to reach a peaceful resolution, work for reconciliation and create an environment to foster negotiations between the government and the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN).

There are more than a dozen active paramilitary groups in the region, most of which back the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the party that ruled Mexico for more than 70 uninterrupted years before losing elections last July 2, according to civil organizations.

The armed conflict in Chiapas has claimed hundreds of lives and caused the displacement of some 10,000 people since its outbreak six years ago.