Several human rights organizations and some 100 members of indigenous groups from la Montaña including the na savi, me’phaa, nahua and amuzgos spent two hours on February 7 presenting 10 cases of human right violations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour.
They denounced the militarization of their respective regions and the criminalization of social protest.
Among the cases presented was that of the dam project La Parota which was discussed by a member of the Council of Ejidos and Communities Opposed to the Parota (CECOP, Consejo de Ejidos y Comunidades Opositores a La Parota) as well as the case of Valentina Rosendo Cantú who was raped by members of the Mexican army (2002) which was presented before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Other cases presented included that of the forced sterilizations in the community of El Camalote and threats made against the radio broadcaster Ñomndaa en Xochistlahuaca.
The High Commissioner, Louise Arbour, expressed how difficult it is for her to promise anything after such a short stay in the country but she assured those present that the United Nation office in Mexico would continue covering and monitoring the cases. She also thanked those who shared their stories confirming that they would serve as important reference points for the UN office in following up on the cases.
For more information:
Mexico: Human Rights at Risk in La Parota Dam Project (AI, 05/08/2008)
Louise Arbour subsequently went to the elite George Soros think tank International Crisis Group http://www.crisisgroup.org to join Zbigniew Brezinski, Wesley Clark, Lawrence Summers and Ernest Zedillo. Some of her other darker histories are here:
http://www.icdsm.com/more/lovie.htm
In Canada they’re going to give her the 2008 Calgary Peace Prize
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~peaceuc/pprize_2009.htm
Why give a peace prize to an unindicted war criminal? Why no objections?
No Peace Prizes for Enemies of the Peoples!