On Monday we had the opportunity to meet
with The Human Rights Centre Fray Bartolome de las Casas, better
known as "FrayBa". We learned that the government and local authorities have been infringing
on the basic human rights of the the people of Chiapas, in particular the
indigenous population, for more than 500 years.
Since the Zapatista uprising in 1994, the
government and military have conducted a low-impact war against the Zapatistas,
denying them rights to the land they have farmed for generations, and pushing
them up into the less desirable surrounding mountains. This has lead to the
increased militarization of Chiapas, which is growing even more serious as
current election campaigning accelerates. Many citizens have been arrested
without just cause, and the rate of disappearances and murders has increased.
FrayBa offers legal assistance to community
members, often dealing with cases that have been taken outside of Mexican
courts. Frayba also trains volunteers from the international community to
become “human rights observers”. These people often accompany local activists
and journalists in solidarity, providing the protection of an international
presence.
I asked FrayBa representatives about
specific human rights issues, and learned that, for example, LGBTTQ rights are
not often openly addressed in the community of San Cristobal de las Casas. This
in turn means that such cases are not often brought forward for their
assistance.
While FrayBa acknowledges that certain
equity groups face great challenges and barriers, the population as a whole is
facing terrible conditions that take the attention away from these issues.
Military and governmental threat of repression, removal of land ownership,
insufficient educational resources, lack of access to clean water and
widespread poverty are ongoing systemic problems. At FrayBa they hope that
addressing these issues will help to benefit all equity groups.
Kaylan Bartholomew
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