Honduras: Regime suspends individual rights

From Via Campesina in Honduras

I hope this is not the last time I write. The persecution in Honduras is terrible. Yesterday The OAS Commission was sent back; including 2 Spanish officials, 1 U.S. American, and 1 Colombian. Their names are not known because they were kept isolated from the media, so they could not speak. They came to the country to mediate between the constitutional authorities and the de facto regime, but were not allowed to enter the country and were returned from Toncontin International Airport around midday hours.

But the tragedy for the Honduran people never ends. The de facto regime continues its repression and has just declared a State of Siege. From today, Monday September 28, 2009, guarantees of all individual rights were suspended. The suspension is extended for 45 days. This is to put an end to the resistance and the repudiation of the coup by the Honduran people.

The articles suspended are: 69, 72, 78, 81, 84 and became effective and immediately with PCM executive decree number 016-2009. This is clear violation of individual rights and citizens, especially members of the resistance and the media that have been reporting objectively the Honduran people. According to our information this new measure will not go to Congress to be discussed, since it was drafted by the fascists in the presidential palace and Council of Ministers; and will only be sent to the National Congress for the information of the deputies.

The content of the suspended articles is fundamental, relating to the rights of citizens to personal liberty, to freedom of expression through any media without prior censorship, the guarantee of freedom of association and assembly, the right of all persons to move freely to come and go and stay in the country, and finally the prohibition against arrest or detention except by virtue of a written order of competent authority. All these articles suspended by the de facto regime are clearly aimed at ending the resistance, which has maintained it struggle for the last 93 days in the streets, and at restricting freedom of expression in the media that have been serving the people from the coup.

In compliance with these repressive measures, Radio Globo was taken off the air this morning at 5.20 AM. Journalists were only able to broadcast for about 20 minutes and took the opportunity to warn the people of Honduras on the impending closure of the radio station, announcing that since their arrival at the station it had been completely militarized. Minutes later we heard as the police and soldiers battered at the gates with great force, and its director, David Romero Elner, announced that the station was being taken over at that very time.

It is not known if our fellow journalists broadcasting at the station were captured and taken prisoner, but we felt very sad to know that this was the last time that this powerful radio would be transmitting. Ringing in our ears is the last tune played on the radio, a song dedicated to President Zelaya with music by Los Tigres del Norte, called “Chief of Chiefs”—it’s very upbeat of course--and then we just heard a noise. The same fate befell Channel 36 Cholusat South: its signal was terminated early this morning

This fascist regime has bound us hand and foot—ourselves and all Hondurans that we are opposed the coup.

I do not know how this de facto regime talks about democracy when there our people have had their rights trampled for three months without anyone doing anything to stop it. The resistance has made the fight all along, but they have the power and weapons to impose their ideas and it really hurts to know that the international community has allowed a peaceful people as the Honduran is so grossly trampled and repressed.

The repression is such that the police and army are being deployed on the task from the very early hours today to review all the people moving through the streets. They check their belongings and today we can no longer demonstrate peacefully as we have been doing all along. I do not know what will happen from now on with the resistance. It has expressed its intention to continue the struggle, but with the suspension of these individual rights, people are prevented from participating in the protests. Moreover, we have great fear for what might happen, because we are confident that people will try any means to claim their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic.

It is almost certain that if the resistance tries to demonstrate today, many will be taken prisoner. Nevertheless the leadership of the resistance has invited its members to meet at the Francisco Morazán Pedagogical University, today at 8:00 am. Hopefully, this new fascist provocation does not exhaust the patience of the people and unleash major events. The call is for the international community to take action on the matter and resolve, once and for all, this political conflict that has mired us in a daily state of siege.

Moreover, yesterday a Christian burial was given to the young university student Wendy Elizabeth Avila, a member of the resistance, who died Friday after battling for life for several days, having been seriously wounded last week Tuesday when the police evicted the resistance protestors in front of the Brazilian Embassy supporting President Zelaya. The tear gas and other toxic gases launched that day caused this young woman to die of an asthma attack. Her remains were laid to rest in the STIBYS and Father Andres Tamayo celebrated a funeral Mass, where he paid tribute to this courageous lady who gave her life like so many people killed by the fighting who have maintained against the coup.

WE ARE REPRESSED, BUT NOT DEFEATED

Contact: <mailto:alba@movimientos.org> alba@movimientos.org Operational Secretariat c / o MST, Alameda Barão de Limeira, 1232 - Champs Elysees - São Paulo / SP - Brazil http://movimientos.org/noalca/albasi