MEXICO'S CHIAPAS MOBILIZES SECURITY FORCES

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The southern Mexican state of Chiapas has mobilized
its security forces ahead of the anniversary of a notorious massacre of 45
Indians and of the January 1994 uprising by Zapatista rebels, local
officials said on Wednesday.

State prosecutor Eduardo Montoya Lievano told reporters in a news conference
broadcast by national television that the state government had received
warnings the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) planned a series of
offensives.

It was not possible to contact EZLN leaders.

The state government of Chiapas frequently tries to discredit the EZLN. It
has accused it of planting marijuana and recently said there had been mass
desertions from the Zapatista ranks, a claim that later appeared to be
unfounded.

Speculation about whether the Zapatistas may be planning any actions has
been rife ahead of the July 2000 presidential elections. The small rebel
force of some 2,000 fighters is surrounded in its jungle hide-out by a
formidable army presence -- at least 30,000 troops, backed by tanks and
helicopters.

Montoya said Chiapas was ``in a state of alert'' because of fears the EZLN
planned to ``kidnap'' local officials and provoke confrontations with
security forces.

Dec. 22 marks the second anniversary of the Acteal slaughter, when
pro-government paramilitaries killed 45 Indian women, men and children in
the highland village.

Jan. 1 is the sixth anniversary of the uprising, called by the Zapatista
guerrillas to demand improved rights for Mexico's 10 million Indians.

A federal government official, who asked not to be identified, said it was
normal that soldiers stationed in the poor, southern state went on a
heightened state of alert ahead of the key dates. But he said there had not
been any unusual troop movements in the state.

On Tuesday, the Chiapas state government ordered extra police to the
communities of Chenalho and San Juan Cancuc, near the colonial city of San
Cristobal de las Casas.

The state government said it had received letters from local residents
warning that masked Zapatistas had been holding meetings in the area.

``Apparently there could be armed clashes between December 20 and the first
few days of 2000 and they (the residents) risk finding themselves in the
line of fire,'' Gov. Roberto Albores' government said in a statement.

Some 150 people died in 10 days of bloody fighting in January 1994 before a
cease-fire was called. But even more people have been killed since in
occasional clashes between Zapatista sympathizers and government supporters.