San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, November 4, 2006.

TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY,
TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS,
TO HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS:

We, the civil society Las Abejas, who, here in Chiapas, have suffered dirty wars, displacement, and the massacre of 45 of our loved ones in Acteal, have seen the suffering of our brothers in Oaxaca, and responding to their call for solidarity, together with individuals and organizations that have heeded our call, want to say the following:

1. The government, not knowing how to respond to the just demands of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) with reason and dialogue, has responded instead with violence, reminding us of the worst moments in our history: the student massacres of 1968 and 1971, and that of Acteal in 1997.

2. The government and its spokespeople in the news media want us to believe that the Federal Preventative Police (PFP) have intervened in Oaxaca to restore order and free-transit, but the reality is rather different: The PFP has dedicated itself to illegal detentions, protection for Ulises Ruiz's gunmen, and it has imposed greater restrictions to free-transit on a much greater scale than existed previously with the APPO's barricades.

3. According to our information a state of siege exists, imposed unconstitutionally by the State and Federal government, as the PFP has taken over all access points to Oaxaca City. As a result of this situation, our brothers in Oaxaca are lacking food and medical supplies.

4. In light of this, we are organizing A CARAAN that will leave Acteal this coming Thursday, November 9th, to bring humanitarian aid to Oaxaca, and so we make a call to PEOPLE IN SOLIDARITY TO HELP US COLLECT: non-perishable foods, nonexpired medecine, and financial donations.

5. These items can be brought to the Cultural Center Tierra Adentra, number 24 on Real de Guadalupe. Financial donations can be made at the Human Rights Center Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas (Calle Brasil, Number 14, Barrio de Mexicanos, Telephone: 678.7395; 678.7396; and 678.3551)

6. We demand that State Government Authorities in Chiapas and Oaxaca, as well as the Federal Government respect our constitutional rights to free transit, freedom of association, and freedom of thought.

7. WE DEMAND: FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS, PRESENTATION OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARED, THE STOP OF PERSECUTION, PUNISHMENT FOR THE MATERIAL AND INTELLECTUAL AUTHORS OF THE AGGRESSIONS, BREAK-INS, TORTURES, ARBITRARY DETENTIONS, LIES, AND ASSASSINATIONS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF OAXACA.

UNITY FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS!

THAT WORDS MAY BE FOR PEACE AND REASON AND THAT ACTIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF DIGNITY!

NO MORE REPRESSION!
WE ARE ALL OAXACA!