Latest news from Oaxaca. If anyone has any further information, including confirmation of any deaths, latest events etc, please reply to this post...


COMUNICADO
14 de junio de 2006
*Compañeras, compañeros:

We are very alarmed by the situation on Oaxaca. Since 4:00am 6 different bodies of the state police have entered the city and at present we have learned that that PFP (special poloce force) has also entered the city centre were the teachers have retaken the Zocalo (main city square) and also some buildings.

There are many demostrations called by the teacher that are coming into the city from different points while the PFP is also trying to take this point.

At present there are people dead, many badly wounded and 12 arrested, some of whom are from Radio Planton and a news reporter. The situation is getting worse as there are also hundreds of missing people some of them were part of the stand still called by the teacher in the Zocalo (main square).

We can confirm, against what the State of Oaxaca Governor has claimed, that the teacher do not hold any weapon. The govenrnor is making this false declarations in different main national media stations (both Tv and radio) We have first hand reports of people confirming the police repression against the demonstrators, the missing people, the confrontation between police and deomnstrators and the police abuse against everyone that is close to the area.

We are calling everyone to send protest petitions to the Federal and State Government to ensure the the represison in Oaxaca is finished and the problems are solved through dialogue and als that Human Rights are respected.

Greetings
Red Oaxaqueña de Derechos Humanos y Sociedad Civil Oaxaqueña

This are comments from radio KeHuelga ( http://www.kehuelga.org/):

At present there are 11 dead people including 3 children and a woman has had a forced abortion due to the amount of tear gasses inhaled. The local govenrment claims that fire weapons are not used by the police force. The threat that also forces of the PFP (a special police force) is about to come into the scene in order to regain the "estado de derecho". This is was also happened in Atenco.

The Oaxaca-Huajapan de Leon road is still blocked and the main square in Oaxaca city was regained by 40,000 teachers (according to La Jornada) that are taking possitions. Taxi drivers have taken over the Putla road in solidarity. In Tlaxiaco, individuals made paintings denouncing the actions of the local govrnment in their party offices (the local government are PRI).