ORAL QUESTION about San Salvador Atenco, Mexico
Parliamentary questions, 8 June 2006, H-0545/06
ORAL QUESTION for Question Time at the part-session in July 2006 pursuant to Rule 109 of the Rules of
Procedure by Tobias Pflüger to the Commission
Subject: Arrest, ill-treatment and deportation of three EU citizens during the police attack on the village of San Salvador Atenco, Mexico
On 4 May 2006, police units stormed the village of San Salvador Atenco, in the Mexican federal state of Mexico, with extreme brutality. During the raids, three EU citizens – Cristina Vals Hernández and Martía Cortés Torrida from Spain and Samantha Dietmar from Germany – were arrested, mistreated and deported. What information does the Commission have about the arrest and deportation of these three EU citizens? Have the Mexican authorities been questioned about the police operation and the arrest of the three EU citizens named above? How does the Commission intend to influence the Mexican Government to shed light on these cases in the near future? What does the Commission intend to do to ensure that the Mexican Government does not allow incidents of this kind to recur in future?
Original language of question: DE
Answer by the EU-COMMISSION:
The promotion of human rights is an essential element of the bilateral agreements signed between the European Union and third countries. Human rights protection and promotion are institutionalized in the so-called “human rights and democracy clause” which constitutes a fundamental element of the EU-Mexico Association Agreement.
In the framework of EU-Mexico partnership, the Commission has developed an intense dialogue on human rights issues, in line and in coordination to what is done by other European Institutions and mainly by the Parliament. In the context of this dialogue, the Mexican authorities keep us regularly informed of their progress toward a more intense promotion of human rights and rule of law in Mexico, as well as of all difficulties and shortcomings such promotion occasionally meets.
The Commission supports Mexico efforts toward a more effective protection of human rights, internally and externally through cooperation programmes specifically targeted at helping Mexico in facing present challenges in the field.
Its approach has produced good results. Mexico has become a signatory and active supporter of all main international initiatives and conventions aimed at the promotion of human rights. The new role internationally played by Mexico in human rights promotion has been acknowledged by the international community and has lead to the appointment of Mexico at the Presidency of the newly created Human Rights Council of the United Nations. Having said that, the Commission has to notice that the battle has not yet been won, especially at state and local levels.
The sad facts of Atenco, the offences to human rights and dignity reported by some of the protesters indicate, as promptly admitted by the Mexican Government itself, that the professionalism and training of police forces still remain an open challenge for Mexico. The context in Atenco was a hard one. Some policemen were taken hostages; there was a situation of civil unrest. However, nothing justifies the humiliating treatment reserved to the detained persons and to the women in particular.
The Mexican Government has informed the Commission in writing about the incidents and since then it has maintained a dialogue with the Mexican authorities about the issues in Atenco and about other cases where human rights were not adequately protected in Mexico. The Commission has also obtained information from the civil society and from concerned non governmental organizations whose contributions have helped it in obtaining a wider understanding of the facts and have allowed it to consider them from different angles.
Administrative and judicial investigations are on-going in Mexico. Some policemen were fired, others were suspended, 23 of them received an arrest warrant and will have to face a trial. There was a healthy reaction by the Mexican society and State. In the context of its political dialogue with Mexico, the Commission will continue to follow the case of Atenco as well as all other cases where human rights are at stake.
Last updated: 11 July 2006
ORAL QUESTION for Question Time at the part-session in July 2006 pursuant to Rule 109 of the Rules of
Procedure by Tobias Pflüger to the Commission
Subject: Arrest, ill-treatment and deportation of three EU citizens during the police attack on the village of San Salvador Atenco, Mexico
On 4 May 2006, police units stormed the village of San Salvador Atenco, in the Mexican federal state of Mexico, with extreme brutality. During the raids, three EU citizens – Cristina Vals Hernández and Martía Cortés Torrida from Spain and Samantha Dietmar from Germany – were arrested, mistreated and deported. What information does the Commission have about the arrest and deportation of these three EU citizens? Have the Mexican authorities been questioned about the police operation and the arrest of the three EU citizens named above? How does the Commission intend to influence the Mexican Government to shed light on these cases in the near future? What does the Commission intend to do to ensure that the Mexican Government does not allow incidents of this kind to recur in future?
Original language of question: DE
Answer by the EU-COMMISSION:
The promotion of human rights is an essential element of the bilateral agreements signed between the European Union and third countries. Human rights protection and promotion are institutionalized in the so-called “human rights and democracy clause” which constitutes a fundamental element of the EU-Mexico Association Agreement.
In the framework of EU-Mexico partnership, the Commission has developed an intense dialogue on human rights issues, in line and in coordination to what is done by other European Institutions and mainly by the Parliament. In the context of this dialogue, the Mexican authorities keep us regularly informed of their progress toward a more intense promotion of human rights and rule of law in Mexico, as well as of all difficulties and shortcomings such promotion occasionally meets.
The Commission supports Mexico efforts toward a more effective protection of human rights, internally and externally through cooperation programmes specifically targeted at helping Mexico in facing present challenges in the field.
Its approach has produced good results. Mexico has become a signatory and active supporter of all main international initiatives and conventions aimed at the promotion of human rights. The new role internationally played by Mexico in human rights promotion has been acknowledged by the international community and has lead to the appointment of Mexico at the Presidency of the newly created Human Rights Council of the United Nations. Having said that, the Commission has to notice that the battle has not yet been won, especially at state and local levels.
The sad facts of Atenco, the offences to human rights and dignity reported by some of the protesters indicate, as promptly admitted by the Mexican Government itself, that the professionalism and training of police forces still remain an open challenge for Mexico. The context in Atenco was a hard one. Some policemen were taken hostages; there was a situation of civil unrest. However, nothing justifies the humiliating treatment reserved to the detained persons and to the women in particular.
The Mexican Government has informed the Commission in writing about the incidents and since then it has maintained a dialogue with the Mexican authorities about the issues in Atenco and about other cases where human rights were not adequately protected in Mexico. The Commission has also obtained information from the civil society and from concerned non governmental organizations whose contributions have helped it in obtaining a wider understanding of the facts and have allowed it to consider them from different angles.
Administrative and judicial investigations are on-going in Mexico. Some policemen were fired, others were suspended, 23 of them received an arrest warrant and will have to face a trial. There was a healthy reaction by the Mexican society and State. In the context of its political dialogue with Mexico, the Commission will continue to follow the case of Atenco as well as all other cases where human rights are at stake.
Last updated: 11 July 2006
Tobias Pflüger - 2006/07/12 10:06
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