From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Date: 14 Aug 92 09:56 PDT
Subject: GUATEMALA: CIVIL DEFENCE PACT SEEN
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473800246:000:3784
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Aug 14 09:56:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: GUATEMALA: CIVIL DEFENCE PACT SEEN 

/* Written 12:08 am  Aug 13, 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: CIVIL DEFENCE PACT SEEN AS IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS

peace

an inter press service feature

by george rodriguez

guatemala, aug 10 (ips) -- the guatemalan government's unilateral
declaration that it will no longer organise or support
paramilitary groups has been greeted enthusiastically by the
country's guerrilla movement and observers of the peace process.

the declaration was the cornerstone of a seven-point agreement
reached by the government and guatemala's guerrilla movements at
indirect peace talks which ended in mexico city on friday.

while the government's declaration does not call for or
outline the dissolution of these groups, the moderator of
negotiations between the government and guerrilla, bishop rodolfo
quezada, said it was an important step towards peace.

for his part, the government's chief negotiator, manuel conde,
told ips, ''it is a very significant step that will have a
profound effect on our people...and will be very well received by
the rural population.''

quezada and conde participated in last week's negotiations between
the government and the general command of the guatemalan united
revolutionary guerrilla movement (urng) aimed at ending a brutal
and prolonged civil war.

the government decision refers to so-called ''voluntary civil
defence committees (vcdc)'', paramilitary groups accused of
numerous human rights violations in the guatemalan countryside,
populated primarily by amerindians.

according to the aug. 7 announcement, as long as the bilateral
dialogue for peace continues, ''the government of guatemala
unilaterally declares that it will not arm or aid new voluntary
civil defence committees.''

''the urng should accept the unilateral declaration as a
positive expression of the government's will to achieve peace,''
conde said.

however, the government's chief negotiator called on the
guerrillas to avoid any acts that would generate the creation of
new vcdc's.

the urng has demanded the elimination of these paramilitary
groups, while the government and military claim they are a direct
consequence of guerrilla activity.

last week, a group of 72 guatamalan civil organisations asked
to be included in the dialogue, saying ''the peace process and
negotiations require...the participation and support of all
representative sectors of society.'' (more/ips)
----


guatemala: civil (2)

bishop quezada said that coordination of this civil
participation must begin immediately, so that ''the dialogue
includes a legitimate representation of civil society.''

the negotiations, begun in april 1992 between the government,
guerrillas and united nations observers, have been stalled for
over nine months over the issue of human rights.

asked if the announcement on vcdc's had ended debate on the
delicate issue, conde said ''we have the best intentions and
believe that very little remains in order to solve the human
rights issue.''

under the seven-point accord, guatemala's independent
prosecutor for human rights will be allowed to investigate
existing paramilitary groups to determine whether they have
committed human rights abuses or whether their members were
recruited by force.

the prosecutor will also be authorized to take legal action to
punish perpetrators of human rights violations.

the negotiations hope to put an end to over 30 years of civil
war that have left over 100,000 dead, and created a similar
number of homeless and refugees. (end/ips/trd/so/gr-cr/eli/kb/92)
----