Mexican amnesty

Mexico's lower house of parliament passed an amnesty for indigenous rebels at war with the army, but guerrilla chiefs said it was premature because their demands for social and political changes had not been met, Reuter reports from Mexico City.

It will grant an amnesty to all crimes committed by rebels of the Zapatista National Liberation Army in the impoverished southern state of Chiapas since 1 January, when they launched their rebellion. But the amnesty is conditional on rebels handing in their weapons and turning over hostages and does not cover future guerrilla attacks.