Justice and Human Rights Mexico Project #35348

Protect land rights and lives of Mayan communities

by Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, A.C. (Frayba)

Protect land rights and lives of Mayan communities

Project Report | Apr 8, 2019
Female Human Rights Defenders

By Barbara Dolman y Max Garcia | Project Leaders

The United Nations Special Rapporteur has indicated about Humans Rights Defenders (HRD) that "women human rights defenders are at greater risk of certain types of violence and other violations, prejudices and forms of exclusion and rejection than their male counterparts”.

Therefor our human rights center decided to give special attention to the needs of women HRD to counteract the various risks they face in the performance of their work. We have been focusing on the formation and counseling of female human rights defenders in Chiapas, mainly indigenous woman defending their land and territory.

We´ve organized visits to their communities to increase their knowledge on different aspects relevant for their human rights defense. We held workshops on women rights, indigenous collective human rights, agrarian rights in Mexico, and on how to document a human rights violation. We also analyzed gender related violence, the current sociopolitical context, territorial conflicts, and forced displacement; all issues related to the current situation in the region we work, and where the women live. We had trainings related to security and self-care strategies. And for the women to be able to denounce the human rights violations they encounter we looked on how to use social networks to denounce human rights violations.

We invited female representatives from different organizations to meet and exchange experiences and increase contact among them. The women expressed they would like to continue these types of gatherings as they experience these as a safe place where they can gather strength and hope, as well as learn from each other.

In the process their children, families and their local organizations were also involved. This strengthens the social fabric of the communities. Together with the female human rights defenders hereby we increased the visibility of their actions in their communities. That is an advantage for each one of them but also for the entire community because it helps to modify current believes that men are the only ones who produce social transformation and creates space for a broader participation of women in the defense of human rights.

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Dec 26, 2018
Forced Displacement as human rights violation

By Max Garcia | Project Leader

The Mayan indigenous communities in southern Mexico are in the forefront defending their lands, people and culture, natural resources against the violent imposition of projects to extract resources from their territories.
Frayba provides communities with knowledge about territorial rights, increases the impact of their public defense efforts and strengthens their organizational capacities to defend their lands and prevent irreversible socio-environmental impacts and serious violations of human rights.

One of the most cruel consequences of violations are the forced displacement. Two cases as example.

The Tsotsil community of Chavajebal, in the municipality of El Bosque, Los Altos region of Chiapas, Mexico, began to move forcefully, on November 7, 2018, at 7 o'clock in the evening. There were approximately 1764 people in a situation of vulnerability who require humanitarian attention, as well as guaranteeing their integrity and returning to their homes in safe conditions. Testimonials report that while a community assembly was being held, a detonation sounded and shots were later heard. The concentrated people dispersed seeking refuge. On November 11, the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center, A.C. [Frayba] documented that in the mountains there were still about 500 forced displaced people, without shelter, shelter, or medicine, mostly women with their children. Among them 4 pregnant, one of them was born a baby on the mountain, also registered 2 children alone and two people of 80 years.
The community of Chavajebal increases the figures for forced displacement in Los Altos de Chiapas, including displaced tsotsile communities in the municipalities of Chalchihuitán and Aldama.
As a result, the humanitarian crisis and the serious violations of human rights in the population of Indigenous Peoples are intensified by the omission of the government of Chiapas.

Other cases of displacement
Armed groups of Santa Martha, Chenalhó, injure two people and prevent coffee harvest in the community of Xuxch'en. "Some people left running and others waited more than seven hours to leave. There was one injured, injured by firearm. A truck was hit by a bullet, this truck left it and also its crops. "

We ask the Mexican State: Implement an effective dismantling strategy,
disarmament, detention and punishment of the armed civilian groups of Santa Martha Manuel Utrilla and thoroughly investigate the authorities responsible for the organization and performance of these groups. We reiterate a ceasefire

Attachments:

Frayba report (PDF)

3 Attachments

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