By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico (AP) -- Hundreds of supporters welcomed back Zapatista rebel leaders who returned Sunday to
their home state of Chiapas from a march to the capital campaigning for Indian rights.

Rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos and 23 commanders arrived in this small highlands colonial city, from which they launched their march to
Mexico City on Feb. 25.

``Today we end our march, but the fight continues,'' Zapatista commander Zebedeo told supporters gathered in San Cristobal's central plaza. ``We
have to continue together, with you, on this path, confronting obstacles and walking among the thorns to achieve what Mexico wants.''

San Cristobal is one of six towns the rebels seized when they launched a brief uprising on Jan. 1, 1994. The rebellion led to 12 days of fighting and
left 145 people dead. While the rebels have not been a major military threat since, they have mounted a successful campaign to demand that
Mexico rethink its treatment of its 10 million Indians.

The rebel march arrived in Mexico City on March 11 and stayed in the capital another 18 days while fighting to appear before Congress to lobby
for an Indian rights bill. Along the way to the capital, they were given exuberant welcomes in 12 states. President Vicente Fox made several
goodwill gestures, including expressing support for the bill.

Cattlemen and landowners back in Chiapas threatened last month to block their return, demanding that the government order the rebels to give
back land and cattle seized during spates of violence in 1994 and 1995. But there was no sign of a protest when the rebels arrived Sunday
afternoon.

Following the rally in San Cristobal, the rebels headed to the Tzotzil Indian village of Oventic, a principal Zapatista base, to begin the next phase of
their movement -- sharing with all Zapatista communities the results of their efforts to rally public and congressional support for the Indian rights bill.

The bill is one of three conditions the rebels have demanded before they will re-establish peace talks with the government, which stalled in 1996.

Federal legislators initially rejected the Zapatista leaders' request to speak before the entire Congress. When the leaders threatened to leave
immediately, Congress narrowly agreed to let them speak.

During their hours-long, nationally televised appearance on March 28, rebel leaders -- appearing without military Subcomandante Marcos --
announced their willingness to trade their armed movement for political activism.

Ahead of their march, Marcos turned over his pistol and automatic rifle to honor his promise that the rebels would travel unarmed. But he was
expected to recuperate his weapons upon his return.

                                    Copyright 2001