MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Nine Zapatista rebels have handed in their
                  weapons and whipped off their trademark ski masks, saying they wanted to
                  abandon the armed struggle for better indigenous rights, Mexican
                  newspapers reported on Saturday.

                  Newspapers said the former guerrillas surrendered two rifles before an
                  audience of reporters and officials on Friday and claimed they were
                  disenchanted with the Zapatista's five-year insurgency in troubled southern
                  Chiapas state.

                  It was the second time in a little more than two weeks that a small group of
                  Zapatista fighters have allegedly ditched the Zapatista National Liberation
                  Army (EZLN), in the glare of the media summoned by Chiapas state
                  authorities.

                  It was not possible to independently confirm the reports.

                  The first public surrender of a group of 15 rebels provoked a flurry of
                  controversy more than two weeks ago.

                  Zapatista supporters said the weapons handover on March 29 was a "media
                  show" staged by Chiapas state governor Roberto Albores to steal the
                  limelight from a nationwide Zapatista plebiscite on improved rights for
                  Mexico's 10 million Indians.

                  Newspapers said only a handful of the supposed rebels actually belonged to
                  the EZLN and some members of the group claimed Albores had promised
                  they could surrender secretly, rather than before a mass of reporters.

                  There was no immediate reaction from the EZLN to Friday's handover of
                  weapons.

                  Official news agency Notimex said the nine, reading a statement as they
                  deserted near the community of Las Margaritas in the Chiapas highlands,
                  said they felt "cheated" by the EZLN and were just as poor now as they
                  were five years ago.

                  The Zapatistas rose up in arms in January 1994 and fought bitterly against
                  the army for 10 days. A fragile truce has held since, but hundreds of people
                  have died in clashes between supporters of the rebels and the government.
                  Peace talks broke down more than two years ago.

                     Copyright 1999 Reuters.