By OIDHO
Outraged by the new escalation of repression and criminalization of social protests, Indian Organizations for Human Rights in Oaxaca, OIDHO denounces the following facts:
Yesterday, October 2, 2014, after participating in a peaceful march to commemorate this historic date, at 7:30 PM on Valerio Trujano Street, Oaxaca, on the bus returning home eight members of the youth committee of our organization, one of them a minor and several human rights community advocates, were victims of arbitrary detention of the municipal and state police.
After being subjected to a brutal beating that outraged neighbors and passerbys, they were uploaded into two police vans and under constant physical and psychological abuse were taken to the facilities of the Department of Public (Un)Safety in San Bartolo Coyotepec. Following the intervention of our organization they were released at 6:30 AM, October 3, 2014.
We strongly protest this flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of our young colleagues and we will follow this up legally and politically. The treatment young people in social movements are receiving from the Mexican authoritarian state is totally unacceptable. It is an absurd witch-hunt that all police forces perform in the context of legitimate public demonstrations. Capturing the youth street by street is another police state method that aims to criminalize and frighten.
Our young people also witnessed multiple beatings and arbitrary arrests of university and normalista students [aspiring teachers] and included a large number of young women, whom police treated without regard and arrogant brutality. Also eyewitnesses confirmed to the facts that a large number of police elements were visibly intoxicated when performing their “work”, as the police called it. It’s also noteworthy that several youths were arrested while practicing journalism, because they took pictures and videos of the police abuses.
We know that the purpose of these so-called “operatives” is they want to deter generations to stop exercising their fundamental rights to free expression and freedom of organization.
We express our full solidarity with all young people who do not allow themselves to be terrorized and on the contrary, continue to organize and express their rejection of authoritarianism of the Mexican government, education and structural reforms seriously affecting the life and future of our youth.
In particular, we express our solidarity with the normalista community before the massive repression suffered in the state of Guerrero.
Therefore we DEMAND:
- A thorough investigation of police abuse and all violations of human rights in the context of October 2nd in Oaxaca.
- Clarification of the murders of young people in the state of Guerrero.
- The safe return of the missing student teachers in the state of Guerrero.
- Cease the witch-hunts and criminalization against all youth who participate in social movements or simply because they are young.
We call for the organization of creating broad alliances before the onslaught that the Mexican state and its masters, the owners of power and money, who are plotting against indigenous peoples, students and teachers, against the movement of human rights defenders, against unions, in short against the Mexican social movement as a whole. It’s time to join forces to defend the inalienable rights of all Mexicans and for a decent life with justice and freedom in a sovereign country.
Santa María Atzompa, October 3rd, 2014
ORGANIZACIONES INDIAS POR LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN OAXACA, OIDHO
