VZCZCXRO3892
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #2780/01 2672234
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 242234Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8352
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/HQ USNORTHCOM
RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 002780 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MX
SUBJECT: EMBASSY ENGAGES CIVIL SOCIETY ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
PRESAGING FUTURE PARTNERSHIP 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  In a meeting with representatives from 
Mexico's leading human rights non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs), the Ambassador proposed a regular dialogue focused on 
an agenda that would address recurrent issues, seek to build 
confidence, and promote transparency on an agreed list of 
human rights priorities.  Discussion centered on seven 
priority areas that will help guide efforts to support civil 
society, address pressing human rights issues, and encourage 
needed changes in Mexico's military and police institutions. 
A full list of participants and a brief description of their 
organization is in paragraph 10. End summary. 
Priority Areas 
¶2.  Discussion centered around the following seven priorities: 
-- Improving mechanisms for identifying, investigating, and 
ensuring appropriate legal prosecution of operational abuses 
committed by the police and military; 
-- Improving transparency in the government and military's 
treatment of human rights; 
-- Building trust and strengthening the dialogue between GOM 
and NGOs; 
-- Strengthening respect and support for the NGO human rights 
community in order to ensure zero tolerance for hostility, 
harassment, or threats against these groups for raising 
allegations of human rights abuses; 
-- Establishing a joint mechanism with the government to 
track implementation of its commitments on improving its 
human rights record; 
-- Clarifying that there are agreed and verifiable benchmarks 
for measuring future progress on human rights issues; 
-- Supporting the modernization of investigative and judicial 
mechanisms in both civilian and military judicial systems, 
including effective civilian oversight in those cases in 
which the police or military is believed to have been 
involved in crimes against civilians. 
Investigating and Punishing Abuses 
¶3. (SBU)  NGO representatives stressed the need to view the 
human rights situation in the context of the GOM's heavy 
reliance on the military to combat organized crime.  They 
pointed to the rise in the number of abuses over recent 
years; whereas in 2006 the National Human Rights Commission 
(CNDH) had registered 182 complaints against SEDENA, already 
in 2009 it had registered 934 complaints.  The groups 
conceded that some drug cartels may be responsible for 
registering false cases in a bid to damage the military's 
reputation, but they noted CNDH recommendations for SEDENA 
pertaining to the most serious cases had also increased from 
none in 2006 to 19 so far this year. Several representatives 
recounted how the war on criminal groups had folded into a 
dirty war against indigenous communities that dated back 
several decades and reviewed the details of several specific 
cases in Chiapas and Guerrero. 
¶4. (SBU)  The groups also expressed dissatisfaction over the 
military retaining the lead for investigating and prosecuting 
alleged military abuses committed against civilians, 
maintaining victims could not trust the military to try its 
own without bias.  They described the military as 
non-transparent and unresponsive to requests for more 
information about specific cases. While most would like the 
Supreme Court to rule that civilian courts should assume 
jurisdiction over cases affecting civilians, they recognized 
the current political exigencies made that unlikely in the 
near future.  The Ambassador observed Mexican authorities 
consistent with the country's international obligations would 
have to resolve the debate over jurisdiction but stressed our 
shared commitment to the investigation and prosecution of 
human rights committed by the police and the military. 
Improving Transparency 
¶5. (SBU) NGO leaders complained about the way in which 
government, military, and police institutions respond to 
charges of specific human rights abuses.  When claims of 
wrongdoing are acknowledged, usually by accepting 
recommendations from the National Commission for Human 
Rights, the government does not explain how it will 
investigate the details or punish the perpetrators.  In fact, 
the NGOs related, it is exceedingly difficult for civil 
society to get information from government agencies, 
inhibiting their ability to track cases and monitor issues. 
Additionally, they expressed concern that while the 
government has identified a large number of law enforcement 
officials who have not passed GOM vetting processes, there is 
no information on what steps have been taken to either remove 
 
MEXICO 00002780  002 OF 003 
 
 
them or provide the proper training. 
Building Trust Between the NGOs and the GOM 
¶6. (SBU) The NGOs spoke to frustration that they have in 
working with the federal government.  Frequently, they find 
that they have better working relationships at the state and 
local levels.  At the federal level, however, they find the 
federal government and military resistant to open exchanges 
with civil society.  One representative pointed to President 
Calderon's call upon the military's human rights detractors 
to prove "just one case" of abuse by a soldier as an example 
of an example of the government's uncooperative approach on 
human rights. 
Ending Hostility Towards the NGO community 
¶7. (SBU) Several of the groups expressed serious concern 
about threats to human rights defenders, particularly in 
Mexico's interior.  Representatives from Tlachinollan 
Mountain Human Rights Center in the state of Guerrero 
recounted threats and violence against their staff and 
members.  All of the NGOs present were adamant that the GOM 
needs to do more to protect activists by providing police 
escorts and setting an example of respectful, peaceful 
engagement.  One representative encouraged the USG to 
consider extending emergency visas to human rights activists 
facing dire threats and urged the Ambassador to pressure the 
GOM to do more to ensure the safety of human rights defenders 
and punish their abusers.  They wanted the Mexican government 
to set the tone in terms of greater respect for human rights 
defenders. 
Tracking Commitments 
¶8. (SBU) NGO representatives stressed the need to ensure that 
the GOM fulfills its commitments on human rights.  They 
pointed out that civil society has a limited ability to 
follow up on commitments the GOM has made domestically to the 
CNDH and internationally to the United Nations and the 
Inter-American Court. They asked the Ambassador to support 
them in their efforts to ensure the GOM is meeting its 
commitments and making progress on human rights.  The 
Ambassador spoke to the value of creating a mechanism to 
track commitments. 
¶9.  (SBU)  Comment: The Embassy will build on these early 
meetings (see septel on human rights discussion on the 
margins of U.S.-Mexican bilateral and trilateral human rights 
consultations lead by DRL Senior Advisor Mike Kozak) by 
jointly preparing an agenda with these and other 
organizations which can shape a constructive dialogue with 
the human rights community in Mexico. The aim will be to 
identify constructive ways to strengthen cooperative efforts 
with the GOM, enhance transparency, follow up on alleged 
abuses, and build trust between the government and its 
critics. 
¶10. Participants. 
Representatives of the following NGOs participated in the 
meeting: 
 
--The National Network for Human Rights Organizations is an 
alliance dedicated to helping human rights organizations in 
Mexico become more effective in their work. 
 
--The Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center for Human Rights is 
a Catholic organization that works for the defense and 
promotion of human rights, especially for the indigenous 
villages particularly with special attention to executions, 
torture, arbitrary detentions, disappearances and forced 
disappearances. 
 
--The Fray Francisco de Vitoria Center for Human Rights 
focuses on cases in front of the International Penal Court, 
executions, freedom of expression, migration, death penalty, 
political prisoners, racism and torture, as well as 
publishing information on the human rights information in 
Mexico. 
 
--An internationally recognized NGO dedicated to promoting 
respect for human rights in Mexico, the Miguel Agustin Pro 
Juarez Center for Human Rights  focuses on monitoring and 
analyzing the human rights situation in Mexico, assessing and 
documenting cases of violations, litigating cases 
domestically and internationally, educating and training 
other civil society organizations, and publishing information 
related to human rights in Mexico. 
 
 
MEXICO 00002780  003 OF 003 
 
 
--An NGO based in Tlapa de Comonfort, in the State of 
Guerrero, for more than 13 years, the Tlachinollan Mountain 
Center for Human Rights has supported indigenous people, has 
promoted and defended the rights of indigenous communities in 
Guerrero. 
 
--The Center for Research and Analysis Fundar works at the 
national and international level to address a broad range of 
contemporary issues through budget and policy analysis. It 
focuses on budgets, poverty reduction programs, health sector 
policies, legislative monitoring, the right of access to 
information, monitoring of law enforcement agencies, and 
oversight of human rights agencies and policy. 
 
--The Institute for Security and Democracy focuses on 
strengthening public security, the police, and professional 
journalism, by reporting on security issues and applying 
international programs to local Mexican police bodies. 
 
--The Citizen's Council for Public Security and Justice 
focuses on public security and aims to improve results from 
public security and penal authorities. 
 
--Amnesty International Mexico mobilizes volunteers into 
action put an end to the grave abuses of human rights of 
individuals and groups around the world and in Mexico. 
 
--The Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of 
Human Rights tracks issues related to military justice, due 
process, transnational justice, and violence against women. 
 
--ProDerecho is a multidisciplinary group with activities 
focused on strengthening and consolidating the institutions 
of the legal system. The ProDerecho staff specializes in 
diverse areas of the justice system and implementing new 
judicial reforms. 
 
The following embassy agencies also participated in the 
meeting: 
 
Political Section (POL), Agency for International Development 
(AID), Defense Attache Office (DAO), Narcotics Affairs 
Section (NAS), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Department of 
Justice (DOJ), Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), Public 
Affairs Section (PAS), Legal Attache (Legatt). 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American 
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
 
WILLIARD