E/CN.4/1999/58
page 22
Morocco
76.
Christian foreigners were allegedly arrested and heavily fined for
failing to declare the entry of 1,200 bibles; apparently the books had
previously been checked by the customs, the customs declaration requiring only
that weapons, drugs and alcohol be declared.
77.
Morocco has emphasized that the sentences passed in this matter were not
for proselytism, but were based on the Customs Code.
Mauritania
78.
The Penal Code reportedly punishes a Muslim's conversion to another
faith with the death penalty.
Mexico
79.
Protestant evangelists in Chiapas were reportedly victims of acts of
intolerance by Catholics and Indian communities.
80.
Mexico's reply was as follows: “The State Human Rights Commission of
Chiapas stated that on 8 April 1998 it lodged an official complaint in respect
of the acts referred to above. At the same time, in connection with the
appearance of Mr. Aldo Santos Jiménez in the Office of the Attorney-General of
Teopisca, Chiapas preliminary investigation No. AL65/0026/998 was launched
on 1 April 1998 for the crime of robbery and damage to the Church of Christ
Fraternity as a result of the acts that occurred in the village of Nuevo León
in the municipality of Teopisca, Chiapas. The investigation was completed
on 14 April 1998 and that municipality's technical investigation body decided
to exercise the public right of action against the following suspects:
Ciro Espinosa Lopez, Adán Rodríguez Trejo, Silviano Vásquez Hernández,
Olegario Ozuna Vázquez, Juan González Aguilar, Alberto Molina Constantino,
Aquilino Vázquez Díaz, Rosendo Gómez López, Emilio Álvarez Ozuna et al.
Myanmar
81.
The State reportedly practises a policy of intolerance and
discrimination against Muslim religious minorities in the States of Arakan
and Karen (destruction of mosques and schools, revocation of citizenship,
admission of refugees on the Thai border in exchange for their conversion to
Buddhism, refusal of access to health services, education and public jobs) and
Christian minorities (destruction of places of worship, conversion of children
to Buddhism) in the States of Chin and Karen and the Sagaing Division.
Buddhist monks are allegedly also obliged to submit to the control of the
authorities.
82.
Without providing any explanation, Myanmar has declared the allegations
of intolerance and discrimination against religious minorities to be unfounded
and entirely false. It would help if Myanmar's reply were supported by
suitable evidence, especially since the allegations are founded on concordant
and persistent information from a number of reliable sources.