Profile of Internal Displacement : Mexico
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PROFILE OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT : MEXICO Compilation of the information available in the Global IDP Database of the Norwegian Refugee Council (as of 20 June 2005) Also available at http://www.idpproject.org Users of this document are welcome to credit the Global IDP Database for the collection of information. The opinions expressed here are those of the sources and are not necessarily shared by the Global IDP Project or NRC Norwegian Refugee Council/Global IDP Project Chemin de Balexert, 7-9 1219 Geneva - Switzerland Tel: + 41 22 799 07 00 Fax: + 41 22 799 07 01 E-mail : [email protected] PROFILE SUMMARY..................................................................................................................5 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................5 MEXICO: NO PROGRESS ON ENSURING RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF DISPLACED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ..............................................................................................................................................5 RESUMEN DEL INFORME EN ESPAÑOL ............................................................................11 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND OF DISPLACEMENT.........................................................12 BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................12 LAND AND AGRARIAN ISSUES AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF CONFLICTS IN MEXICO .............................12 INSURGENT GROUPS SEEKING RIGHTS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CLASHED WITH THE MEXICAN ARMY IN CHIAPAS IN 1994..............................................................................................................13 HOPES FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION UNDER PRESIDENT FOX SHATTERED BY CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND IMPUNITY (2000-2005) .............................................................................................15 CHRONOLOGY OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN CHIAPAS (1994-2004).........................................17 CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT ..........................................................................................................21 CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT ROOTED IN POLITICAL AND AGRARIAN CONFLICTS, RELIGIOUS TENSIONS AND HISTORICAL MARGINALISATION OF INDIGENOUS GROUPS (2005)..........................21 PARAMILITARY GROUPS DISPLACE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON POLITICAL, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND TERRITORIAL GROUNDS (2005)..............................................................................................24 THE ACTEAL MASSACRE FORCED THOUSANDS TO FLEE IN 1997 (2005) .......................................29 VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CHIAPAS HAVE DISPLACED 30,000 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE SINCE THE 1970’S (2000)................................................................................................................31 PEACE EFFORTS.............................................................................................................................32 1996 SAN ANDRÉS AGREEMENT AND PEACE DEAD-LOCKED (2005)..............................................32 POPULATION PROFILE AND FIGURES ..............................................................................35 GLOBAL FIGURES ..........................................................................................................................35 BETWEEN 10,000 AND 12,000 PEOPLE WERE STILL DISPLACED IN CHIAPAS (2005) ......................35 SOCIO-POLITICAL PROFILE OF THE DISPLACED: INDIGENOUS, RURAL AND POOR (2003)...............38 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION ...................................................................................................39 MOST IDPS FLED MUNICIPALITIES OF THE STATE OF CHIAPAS (2005)...........................................39 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT ...........................................................................................41 GENERAL .......................................................................................................................................41 DISPLACEMENT OFTEN LOCAL AND PREDOMINANTLY RURAL (2003)............................................41 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ....................................................42 PHYSICAL SECURITY .....................................................................................................................42 HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS FINDS THE GOVERNMENT GUILTY OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN CHIAPAS DURING THE 1990S (2005)...............................................................................................42 PARAMILITARIES CONTINUE TO DISPLACE PEOPLE IN CHIAPAS (2005)..........................................45 IDPS ARE THE MOST UNPROTECTED CITIZENS IN PREY TO ABUSES, EXPLOITATION AND DEPRIVATION OF LIFE (2005)..........................................................................................................48 HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS REPORT CONTINUED PARAMILITARY THREATS AGAINST RETURNED IDPS AND AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES (2003) ..........................................................49 MEMBERS OF ORGANISATIONS WORKING WITH IDPS COMMONLY RECEIVE DEATH THREATS (2004) .............................................................................................................................................51 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.............................................................................................................51 MILITARY PRESENCE IN CHIAPAS A MEANS TO CONTROL ZAPATISTAS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (2005)..................................................................................................................51 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS (HEALTH NUTRITION AND SHELTER)....................................53 GENERAL .......................................................................................................................................53 LIVING CONDITIONS OF IDPS IN THE CAMPS VISITED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR IDPS WERE VERY POOR (2003) ..........................................................................................................................53 THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF DISPLACED INDIGENOUS WOMEN HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED (2003)...53 FOOD ..............................................................................................................................................54 IDPS RECEIVE HARDLY ANY NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE EXCEPT FOR THE EFFORTS OF SOME GOOD GOVERNANCE BOARDS (2005).......................................................................................................54 HEALTH .........................................................................................................................................55 DEPLORABLE HEALTH CONDITIONS IN IDP SETTLEMENTS (2003).................................................55 IDPS DISCRIMINATED UPON ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN CHIAPAS (2003)...................................57 IDPS’ MENTAL HEALTH SEVERELY AFFECTED IN CHIAPAS (2003) ................................................58 WATER AND SANITATION..............................................................................................................59 LACK OF WATER LEADS TO HEALTH PROBLEMS IN CAMPS (2004) .................................................59 SHELTER AND NON-FOOD ITEMS ..................................................................................................60 PRECARIOUS HOUSING FACILITIES FOR THE DISPLACED (2004).....................................................60 ACCESS TO EDUCATION ........................................................................................................62 GENERAL .......................................................................................................................................62 DISPLACED INDIGENOUS CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT THREATENED BY THE LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION (2005) .........................................................................................................................62 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION .......................................64 GENERAL .......................................................................................................................................64 PARAMILITARY VIOLENCE BLOCKS DISPLACED FARMERS’ ACCESS TO INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES (2003)...........................................................................................................................64 LIMITED ACCESS TO LAND FORCES DISPLACED TO IDENTIFY NEW SOURCES OF INCOME (1999) ...65 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ................................................................................................................65 THE DISPLACED HAVE ORGANISED MARCHES AND DEMONSTRATIONS AND RESISTANCE GROUPS (2004) .............................................................................................................................................65 2 IN ONLY FEW MEXICAN STATES LEGISLATION ON INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS WAS PROMULGATED (2003) .............................................................................................................................................66 THE INDIGENOUS DISPLACED PEOPLE LACK ACCESS TO JUSTICE (2003)........................................67 DOCUMENTATION NEEDS AND CITIZENSHIP ................................................................69 GENERAL .......................................................................................................................................69 MANY DISPLACED PEOPLE LACK PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION (2003)..........................................69