Barcelona, December 12, 2006

The systematic violation of human rights in the Mexican state of Oaxaca has raised great concern internationally. Over 1,500 citizens in 39 countries have supported the Appeal of the 5th International Civil Commission for Human Rights Observation (CCIODH) in its visit to the region. The Commission's work will begin on December 18.

The commission's 5th Appeal requests that the Mexican government facilitate and guarantee conditions that will allow it to carry out its work. This Appeal has thus far been signed by 67 Italian deputies and senators, as well as Member of the European Parliament, Sahra Wagenknecht. It has also been supported by Danielle Mitterrand of France-Liberté, José Bové, peasant leader through Via Campesina, French Artist, Manu Chao and Spanish artist Amparo Sánchez of Amparanoia. Mexican intellectuals, including Carlos Monsiváis, Elena Poniatowska and Guadalupe Loaeza have also signed the Appeal, as have film producers Luis Mandoki and Javier Corcuera. Senator Rosario Ibarra de Piedra, a longtime advocate of Human Rights in Mexico also supports the work of the Commission.

Among the Italian Members of Parliament, 39 deputies of the Rifondazione Comunista Party (PRC) support the CCIODH, headed by their longtime leader, Fausto Bertinoti and Gennaro Migliore, president of PRC deputies. They have been joined by 27 senators of this party, including its president Giovanni Russo Spena. Sevim Dagdelen, German deputy, and Mauro Bulgarelli of the Italian Green Pary have supported the work CCIODH, as do several municipal and regional deputies in Spain and Italy.
At present, the Commission comprises of 30 persons of various countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Denmark and New Zealand, among others. Its members are psychologists, lawyers, human rights defenders and civil society members.

The Commission will seek to interview all actors involved in the conflict in Oaxaca, in order to document the events since May of 2006, when the Teacher's Union in Oaxaca went on strike to demand better salaries for the teachers of that state. As a result of the Oaxacan state government's repression of the union movement on June 14, a wider popular movement came together who has since then demanded that Oaxacan Governor Ulises Ruiz (of the PRI Party) step down from office. During these months the conflict grew increasingly tense. Later, federal police troops forcefully vacated the protesters of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) from their camps. Since then, at least 17 people have been assassinated, hundreds more detained and dozens more have been reported missing. Human rights organizations have documented torture, abuse and threats to which prisoners have been submitted. They have documented abuses and persecution through police and paramilitary groups.

The CCIODH has organized its work in response to growing concern and mobilization at the national and international level regarding these accusations. Through dialogue, it seeks to find a just solution to the conflict.
Due to the above, the CCIODH has solicited and received a positive response to its petition on behalf of Mexican civil society affected by the conflict (individuals, organizations and NGOs) as well as from Mexican federal and state governments. The support they have granted will permit us to work in a free and responsible manner. The goal of the CCIODH is to observe, reflect upon and analyze the human rights situation as concerns the conflict situation in Oaxaca.

The CCIODH will travel to Mexico on December 16th. A preliminary group will prepare the Commission's visit, to be carried out formally by a second group between January 7th and January 20th 2007. The visit's goal will be to carry out interviews with all actors involved in the conflict and to draft a report that will be presented to all instances, institutions and organizations involved, as has been done during the previous four visits of the CCIODH to Mexico.

The CCIODH was created in 1998 as a result of the massacre of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas, in which 45 indigenous persons were murdered in December 1997. Since then, the commission has visited Mexico on four occasions. The first Commission traveled to Chiapas in February 1998 and a second commission returned in 1999. Then, in February 2002 and after a frustrating constitutional amendment regarding indigenous rights a third visit took place, seeking to find a just solution to the conflict.
The most recent visit of the CCIODH to Mexico took place in May 2006, in order to investigate the events that took place in San Salvador Atenco and Texcoco, near Mexico City, on May 3 and 4. In this conflict two persons died, dozens were injured, nearly 300 were detained and five foreigners were deported from Mexico. Following a police raid involving over 2,000 policemen serious cases of sexual abuse were reported, as well as rape, mistreatment, harassment and torture, all serious violations to the human rights of those detained.
The report of the present Commission to Oaxaca will be presented to all parties involved in dialogue with the Commission in Mexico, as well as to all organizations and individuals who supported the commission. It will be presented to international institutions, including the European Parliament, legislatures in various countries, the Central American Parliament and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, among others.

Barcelona, December 12, 2006

International Civil Commission for Human Rights Observation