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2007-07-03 issue:

Break-in at Justapaz office raises fears

by MCC, CPT

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AKRON, Pa.—A June 14 break-in at Justapaz, a ministry of the Colombian Mennonite Church and a partner of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), raises concerns about the safety of church leaders and members involved in human rights and peace work in Colombia.

During the early morning break-in at the Justapaz office in Bogotá, two computers with information about programs helping document human rights abuses and coordinate peace work in Colombia were stolen. These are joint programs of Justapaz and the Justice and Peace ministry of the Colombian Evangelical Council of Churches. Also, the desk of a staff member who coordinates a human rights protection program was searched.

Nine other computers, an office safe and a fax machine were untouched. Justapaz staff feel the break-in was aimed specifically at the information the office has been collecting about human rights abuses against members of Colombia’s churches.

One of the computers belonged to MCC worker Janna Hunter-Bowman and had a database of testimony about human rights abuses against members of Colombia’s Protestant churches, as well as profiles of churches’ courageous peace ministries.

The first report of the documentation project that Hunter-Bowman helps lead, “A Prophetic Call: Colombian Protestant Churches Document Their Suffering and Their Hope,” documents details of 29 assassinations of men, women and children linked to congregations, 84 cases of people forced to flee their homes, 21 civilian combat-related injuries, four arbitrary detentions and other human rights violations.

Justapaz director Jenny Neme says she’s concerned the information in the computers will be used to intimidate, silence or harm the victims, local churches and people in the regions gathering the information named in the computers’ files.

The attack occurred 12 days after a similar break-in and computer theft in the office of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, which provides international accompaniment to the Peace community of San José de Apartado (which does not allow weapons in its boundaries).

At the request of Justapaz, MCC calls on Anabaptists to pray for peace and safety for those impacted by violence in Colombia and those involved in the work of telling their stories. Justapaz also requests prayers that those responsible for the break-in will turn themselves in, repair the damage and change their lives.

Justapaz, CPT and the MCC Washington Office are asking U.S. residents to contact their members of Congress to express their concern about the theft of sensitive information about human rights abuses and peace work and to urge the State Department to encourage Colombian authorities to take all appropriate steps to identify and arrest those responsible for the break-in.

To learn more about how to respond, go to mcc.org/us/washington.

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