2 articles

Mexican protest

The saga of the Zapatistas took a new turn when a 
major international bank called on the Mexican 
government to wipe out the rebels before any more 
loans are given.  "The government will need to 
eliminate the Zapatistas to demonstrate their 
effective control of the national territory and of 
security policy".  This was the advice of Chase 
Manhattan Bank on January 13th.  

Countries, such as Mexico, which depend on the 
International Monetary Fund and international bank 
loans, are continually being dictated to about 
their public spending policies.  But it is rare to 
find such clear evidence about the control that is 
exerted.  

Within two weeks the government had launched an 
offensive against the EZLN rebels.  It failed.  All 
it 'achieved' was a massive devaluation of the 
peso, meaning a lower standard of living for the 
working class and the poor.  

News came from Mexico that suspects were being 
tortured.  Amnesty International reported that it 
had "documented widespread human rights violations 
in the context of this conflict, including summary 
execution of prisoners, extensive use of torture, 
and 'disappearances' perpetrated by the Mexican 
army".  Despite this widespread use of torture, the 
Group of Seven (G7) most powerful countries in the 
world approved loans to Mexico of $47.8 billion 
last February.

All over the world protests were organised against 
Chase Bank.  In Dublin they have a branch in that 
haven for tax evaders, the Financial Services 
Centre.  The local WSM organised an ad-hoc 'Stop 
the Torture in Mexico Committee' to provide a 
neutral banner under which a protest could be 
organised.  A lunchtime picket was placed on Chase 
and staff were leafletted about their employers 
support for repression.

Murder in Chechnya

In January Workers Solidarity Movement members also 
responded to calls to protest against the assault 
on Chechnya, when they got together with other 
socialists and placed a picket on the Russian 
embassy in Dublin's Orwell Road.  About 25 braved 
the rain to leave the Russian government's 
representatives in no doubt about the way their 
invasion of Chechnya and bombing attacks on 
civilians are viewed here.   

The Moscow regime's lies had been exposed when they 
claimed only "military targets" were  being hit.  
Reporters in Grozny described and filmed massive 
civilian fatalities.  A letter handed in to the 
ambassador accused the Russian army of 
"indiscriminate slaughter of the civilian 
population" and expressed our solidarity with the 
Russian army conscriptsÊwho are refusing to fight 
and are deserting from the army.  

We give no support to the former Chechen government 
(a collection of gangsters every bit as bad as 
Yeltsin's lot).  Our support goes to the ordinary 
people who have a burning desire to be free of 
occupation forces, poverty and the horrors of war.
