MAY 7, 2011
On the occasion of the annual meeting of the PEN international Writers for Peace Committee, in the presence of the PEN International President, John Ralston Saul , and the International Secretary, Hori Takeaki, the following statement was approved:
PEN International stands by Mexico’s National March for Justice and Peace with Dignity, which has been organized in great measure by Mexico’s writers. This National March has been provoked by the murder of the son of the Mexican journalist and poet, Javier Sicilia. The March will take place on May 8th and a very large number of groups are participating throughout the country. Marches in solidarity are being organized in many parts of the world. The National March For Justice and Peace with Dignity will be held in silence and is an act against Mexico’s ongoing violence and impunity, involving the killing and disappearance of thousands of people including journalists.