From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: GUATEMALA: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Date: 16 Aug 92 18:30:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700376:000:3472
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Aug 16 11:30:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: GUATEMALA: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 

/* Written 12:03 am  Aug 16, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: GUATEMALA: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONTINUE, SAYS REPORT


guatemala city, aug 12 (ips) -- guatemala's human rights
procurator, ramiro de leon, confirmed wednesday that human rights
violations are still widespread in the country, though he
acknowledged that some aspects of the situation had improved.

during a press conference to present the latest six-month
report by the government's human rights office, de leon told
reporters that ''unfortunately, repressive groups continue to act
in guatemala outside the control of the authorities.''

he said some of the groups were state controlled and others
independent, but both continue to operate with ''impunity''.

according to the latest report, covering the last six-month
period, of the 253 extra-judicial executions reported, 28 were
attributed to the state and 12 to ''subversive groups''.

de leon said cases of forced recruitment into the army had
increased during the first six months of 1992, after a slight
improvement in the second half of last year. he said 267 cases of
forced recruitment were reported in the first six months of 1992,
compared to 234 during the previous six-month period.

according to the report, nearly all these cases ''occur in
villages and hamlets, seldom in urban areas,'' and virtually all
unwilling recruits are peasants and indians, who make up the
majority of guatemala's nine million people. many of the recruits
are minors, who are often subjected to violence.

the report says that during the past six months, the security
forces, especially the police, ''used excessive, irrational and
disproportionate force, which attempted against the dignity,
integrity, security and liberty of individuals.''

the document cites the action taken by the militarised
''hunapu'' police unit against university students during a
protest in may, in which one student was killed.

it also mentions the excessive violence used by police against
500 peasants, including women and children, during last month's
peaceful demonstration in the capital. the peasants were
demanding the return of their lands in western guatemala.

the human rights procurator warned that these kinds of abuses
are fuelled by ''two factors: by the support that the government
gives to this type of action by trying to justify it sometimes,''
and because ''excessive and irrational use of public force cannot
be controlled.''

however, de leon also acknowledged that there had been some
improvements, especially in the area of individual rights, and
not just in ''formal legal terms.'' (more/ips)
----


guatemala: human rights (2)

''nevertheless, major obstacles remain, such as the internal
armed conflict --though there are prospects of reaching peace in
the short term -- and impunity. however, there have been efforts
to displace this mantle (of impunity) which has done so much
damage to guatemala by protecting those who violate human
rights,'' de leon said.

the government and the guatemalan guerrillas are currently
holding peace talks in mexico, under united nations observation,
in an effort to end more than three decades of armed conflict in
guatemala. (ends/ips/trd/gr/er/cg/92)
----