Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has expressed disappointment over the Mexican government's failure to uphold religious freedom of 47 Protestants who were expelled from Chiapas state and reportedly barred from re-entry because of their religious beliefs.
The group, currently living in temporary homes on the grounds of a church in Comitan de Dominguez, were kicked out of the Buenavista Bahuitz village in Chiapas in 2012 because they were not Roman Catholics, religious rights organisation CSW said.
However, recent negotiations among the state government village leaders and the displaced Protestants led to an agreement that they may return safely to their homes without having to convert to Catholicism.
According to CSW, the group tried to return to the village on January 20 in the company of state officials but were refused entry by villagers who demanded their conversion to Catholicism or the payment of the a "extremely high" fine. Failing to do so, the group was forced to return to Comitan de Dominguez.
"We are extremely disappointed that the government of Chiapas did not follow through on its promises to assure the safe return of the Buenavista Bahuitz community and to uphold their religious freedom," said CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas.
He called out the Mexican government for its failure to address approximately 30 cases of violation of religious freedom in the state of Chiapas alone including an incident involving Protestants declining to join a festival celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe, in which the Protestants were subsequently beaten and ostracised in the community.
Another incident involved another Protestant family in the La Florecilla in San Cristóbal de las Casas who were displaced forcibly after their utilities were cut off and physically attacked. The family was also imprisoned and given an ultimatum by village authorities to renounce their faith.
"We continue to call on the state government to meet its obligations under Mexican and international law and urge the federal government to intervene if the state government is unable or unwilling to fulfill its responsibilities," Thomas said.
