Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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CHIAPAS, MEXICO - In preparation for Mexico's presidential inauguration next month, the federal government began sending in a variety of police forces to work at disarming paramilitary groups in the southern state of Chiapas.

In response, supporters of the recently-ousted PRI party set up two road blockades in Chenalhó county where CPTers have focused most of their violence-reduction work. There has been heavy radio communication by paramilitaries and nightly paramilitary meetings in the village of Yibeljoj. PRI supporters in the village of Los Chorros chased government police forces out of town, throwing stones and firing on them when they attempted to enter the community to arrest and disarm paramilitary members.

There are renewed rumors of an imminent attack by paramilitaries on the camps where thousands of displaced refugees live. The refugee communities of X'oyep and the new Yibeljoj camp where members of the pacifist Christian group, Las Abejas (the Bees) live may be especially targeted. Many Abejas refugees living in X'oyep, including those who recently relocated to the Yibeljoj camp, are originally from the villages of Yibeljoj and Los Chorros.

CPTers ask supporters to keep the situation in your prayers in the coming days. Team members are currently en route to Acteal, site of the 1997 massacre of 45 Abejas by paramilitary groups, and plan to travel from there to both X'oyep and the Yibeljoj camp.

Current team members are Matt Guynn (Richmond, IN), Anne Herman (Binghamton, NY), Erin Kindy (North Manchester, IN), Carl Meyer (Millersburg, IN), and Lynn Stoltzfus (Harrisonburg, VA).