Mexico City | Desinformémonos. The Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba) held the Mexican State responsible for the “inaction” and “failures in its duty” to carry out a census of the more than 4 thousand people displaced by the violence of organized crime in Tila, as well as to provide them with humanitarian attention and comprehensive reparation of damages after the armed aggressions, burning of houses and theft of belongings registered between June 4 and 7.
“This is not an isolated oversight, the pattern in Chiapas has been the denial, concealment and minimization of forced displacement and the violent causes that lead to it. For these reasons we hold the federal and state governments responsible for the current crisis of violence and displacement in Chiapas,” said Frayba in a statement.
The Human Rights Center added that “the responsibility of the State” in the escalation of violence in Tila and the lack of attention to the victims “is clear,” since “it has neglected, administered and even fomented the conflict in its actions and inaction, while maintaining impunity for the crimes committed, thus allowing the current escalation.”
“The problem in Tila has a long history in which political disputes and social polarization have deepened in a complex web of actors, to its current point in which the appearance of different armed groups responsible for the perpetration of violent acts that constitute serious human rights violations such as murders and disappearances is being reported,” said Frayba.
The organization called on state and federal authorities to comprehensively attend to the victims of forced displacement in Tila through the completion of the corresponding surveys and the identification of the differentiated needs of vulnerable populations. In addition, it demanded the investigation of all violent acts committed “both in the context of this explosion of violence and during all its antecedents, in order to compensate the victims, punish those responsible and dismantle the existing armed groups.”
Almost two weeks after the displacement of more than 4,000 women, men, children and older adults, mostly Choles, the inhabitants claim that there are no conditions to return safely to the ejido of Tila, despite the government’s attempts to convince them to return.
Below is the complete communiqué:
The Tila ejido is experiencing a crisis of violence. According to testimonies, between June 4 and 7, 2024 an armed group occupied the town causing serious human rights violations such as murders, rape of women, wounded people, burning of houses and looting of property. During these days, the inhabitants remained sheltered inside their homes 1.
According to testimonies received, on June 7, after the entrance of the Mexican Army, National Guard and state corporations, more than four thousand civilians were displaced to other locations. These sources report that during the following days the displacement continued in the thousands. Various sources report estimates ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 victims of forced displacement. Among the places of refuge are Yajalón, Petalcingo, El Limar, Salto de Agua, among others.
We hold the Mexican State responsible for its inaction in carrying out a registry of displaced persons that provides certainty about the number of people affected and differentiated impacts, as well as for its failure in its duty to provide humanitarian assistance and comprehensive reparation. We recall that the local law on forced displacement 2 establishes the duty to carry out these censuses and attention.
This is not an isolated oversight; the pattern in Chiapas has been the denial, concealment and minimization of forced displacement and the violent causes that lead to it. For these reasons we hold the federal and state governments responsible for the current crisis of violence and displacement in Chiapas.
The problem in Tila has a long history in which political disputes and social polarization have deepened in a complex web of actors, to the current point where the appearance of different armed groups responsible for the perpetration of violent acts that constitute serious human rights violations such as murders and disappearances has been reported.
We make a forceful call to the state and federal authorities to comprehensively attend to the victims of forced displacement in Tila, carrying out the corresponding surveys as well as identifying the differentiated needs of vulnerable populations.
We demand the investigation of all violent acts committed in the context of this explosion of violence as well as during all its antecedents, in order to compensate the victims, punish those responsible and dismantle the existing armed groups.
From Frayba our commitment is for peace, for a people that can live in harmony. We stand in solidarity with the inhabitants for the whole situation of violence they live in.
We call for the construction of unity and lasting peace, from the plurality of voices, through dialogue and non-violence where everyone has a place. We believe that in the face of the storm fueled by the State and shadowy interests, the people have the capacity to weave bonds, and to find one another in order to reach agreements that allow for a good life.
Original text published in Desinformémonos on Juneteenth, 2024.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.