[News] Haiti Update: Oct. 18, 2004 protest arrest of Father Jean-Juste
News at freedomarchives.org
News at freedomarchives.org
Tue Oct 19 19:38:19 EDT 2004
AHP News - October 18, 2004 - English translation (Unofficial)
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Justice and Peace, the human rights organization, criticizes the arrest of
Father Jean-Juste and deplores the interim government's duplication of the
abuses it formerly accused the previous government of committing
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- The director of the National
Justice and Peace Commission in Port-au-Prince, Father Jean Hansens, spoke
out Monday in criticism of the manner in which Father Gérard Jean-Juste
was arrested last week.
Father Hansens charged that the arrest was made without a warrant and with
brutality.
He condemned the conduct of those who have taken upon themselves the
mission of bringing accusations against Haitians and placing their lives in
danger on the basis of mere rumors.
"If someone is guilty of an act of violence or otherwise acts in violation
of the laws, complaints should be filed against that individual before the
appropriate authorities in order that the accused may be held accountable
for his/her actions and at the same time have the opportunity to defend
him/herself properly", said Father Hansens.
He also applied this line of thinking to make a general case for respect
for human rights through the manner in which arrests are carried out. He
also criticized the accusations made against authorities of the Catholic
Church such as Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot.
Several sectors have insinuated that the Catholic Church has been involved
in the most recent acts of violence.
The director of the Justice and Peace Commission questioned the precise
origin of the violence that has prevailed in Haiti recently.
The interim authorities should offer a clear explanation to the nation of
what they know, as this is not a simple matter, he commented.
Father Jean Hansens also called on the interim authorities to renounce the
practices of the past consisting of speaking of peace to the general public
while in practice it is as if they had declared war.
"I believe that the country will not be able to move forward under this
cloud of ambivalence" said Father Jean Hansens, further deploring that
the interim government is in the process of doing exactly the same things
it has accused its predecessors of doing.
AHP October 18, 2004 2:20 PM
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The Archbishop Coadjutor of Port-au-Prince deplores that Father Gérard
Jean-Juste has still not been brought before a judge and rejects
accusations made against the Catholic Church
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- The Archbishop Coadjutor of
Port-au-Prince, Msgr. Serge Miot, deplored Monday that Father Gérard
Jean-Juste has yet to be brought before a judge to have the required
opportunity to reply to the accusations nearly one week after his arrest at
his presbytery at Petite Place Cazeau, in Port-au-Prince.
Interim Minister of Justice Bernard Gousse had declared the day following
the October 13 arrest that he possesses information indicating that Father
Jean-Juste is financing the acts of violence that are taking place in the
capital.
However, police spokesperson Jessy Coicou said at the same time that the
police who were sent to the scene did not intend to arrest Father
Jean-Juste but rather wished to question him to find out what he knows
about the violence that has taken place in the capital.
According to Ms. Coicou, they decided to take Father Jean-Juste into
custody because of the violent behavior of local residents toward the police.
According to Msgr. Serge Miot, bringing Father Jean-Juste before a judge is
the only way to determine whether the accusations against him can be
supported and it would also allow him to defend himself.
Archbishop Miot also said that the fact that the faithful in the parish and
people in the area protested against the arrest of the priest did not
justify the police response. "It is entirely normal for them to show
support for a person who has only done good things for them", he said.
"I have difficulty believing the accusations of violence that have been
made against the faithful and the collaborators of Father Gérard
Jean-Juste who were present at the time of his arrest", said Msgr. Miot.
The senior figure of the Port-au-Prince Archdiocese rejected what he
called the gratuitous and thoughtless accusations brought against the
Catholic Church with regard to the recent violence.
He insisted that the unproven allegations and the destructive practices of
denigration be brought to an end and replaced by dialogue, which is the
only way, he said, to help bring the country back on the track of
reconciliation and development.
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The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince accuses the interim authorities of wishing
to distract the public from its real problems
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince,
Msgr. Serge Miot stated Monday that the interim authorities are distracting
the public's attention from the real problems of the country by making
illegal arrests day and night.
According to him, the transition government should instead think about
helping the disaster victims in Mapou, Fonds-Veretttes, Gonaïves and other
parts of the country who are still suffering from the damage caused by the
devastating floods that struck the country.
"Why don't the authorities worry about the people of Cité Soleil and other
districts who are living in sub-human conditions, rather than attacking the
Church", asked Archbishop Serge Miot.
This is wickedness, he asserted.
The archbishop asked all sectors, particularly the human rights
organizations, to denounce this attitude, which risks plunging the country
further into the abyss.
It is through dialogue and working together that the problems of the
country can be resolved, he said.
AHP October 18, 2004 2:20 PM
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Boniface Alexandre says he deplores that Haitians have still not followed
the ideal of Dessalines, 200 years after Haiti's independence
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- Provisional President Boniface
Alexandre deplored Sunday that the Haitian people have still not followed
the Dessalinean ideal, 200 years after Haiti's independence.
Boniface Alexandre made these remarks in a televised message marking the
198th anniversary of the assassination of Emperor Jean Jacques Dessalines.
Mr. Alexander said he is sad to find that Haitians continue to tear one
another apart in their quest for power, forgetting that the father of the
homeland wanted everyone to live free and enjoy the same rights.
The provisional president said it is time for Haitians to put into practice
the national motto " l'Union Fait la Force" (in unity there is strength)".
In addition, Boniface Alexandre affirmed that he has instructed the
security forces to bring an end to the violence that has been developing
for nearly two weeks in the Haitian capital.
The interim head of state indicated that all appropriate steps have been
taken with a view to re-establishing a climate of peace and security in the
country.
He asked the security forces to act with the greatest possible firmness to
prevent those who are sowing terror in the country from causing any more
harm, he said.
AHP October 18, 2004 10:00 AM
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The justice system can be summed up as arrests and imprisonment under the
Alexandre/Latortue government, according to CARLI
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- Renan Hédouville, the coordinator
of the Committee of Lawyers for the Respect of Individual Liberties
(CARLI), denounced the dysfunctional nature of the judicial system Monday,
in the context of what has transpired in Port-au-Prince over the past two
weeks.
Renan Hédouville deplored that the office of the prosecutor in
Port-au-Prince and the courts have remained closed without the slightest
explanation.
This situation constitutes a flagrant violation of the rights of
individuals who have been arrested and kept in prison without having been
brought before a judge within the period of time required by the law.
"Under the Alexandre/Latortue government, justice can be summed up as
arrests and imprisonment", declared Renan Hédouville.
Several senior officials and members of Fanmi Lavalas have been arrested,
primarily since May, 2004, without having been brought before a judge as
required by the law.
AHP October 18, 2004 10:40 PM
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A rally and banging on pots and pans by Lavalas activists in Bel-air marks
the 198th anniversary of the assassination of Jean Jacques Dessalines
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- Lavalas activists from the populist
district of Bel-Air organized a rally Sunday and banged on pots and pans as
they called for the departure of the interim authorities on the occasion of
the 198th anniversary of the assassination of Jean Jacques Dessalines.
These activists accused the interim government of governing the country in
a manner contrary to the interests of the majority.
" Our children, just like those of the minority who enjoy all the
privileges, need to eat, go to school, and have access to health care",
said several of the demonstrators who claim to have been arbitrarily
dismissed from their jobs in the civil service.
They accused the interim government of incompetence both with respect to
governance and contributing to the development of the country.
"These problems have multiplied since the technocrats came to power last
March", they deplored.
In related news, one Bel-Air youth, Mooney Louis Marie, suffered gunshot
injuries Sunday afternoon on the Rue Macajoux during a police operation.
According to the victim, police officers dressed in black targeted him as
he was preparing to go to church.
Mooney Louis Marie was shot in the arm. He denounced the attitude of the
police officers who he contends were assisted by former members of the
Haitian armed forces, who are firing at the civilian population.
AHP October 18, 2004 11:05 AM
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Funeral services were held Saturday for the coordinator of OPL: Gérard
Pierre-Charles placed his life at the service of others, according to
Father William Smarth
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- Funeral services for Gérard Pierre
Charles, the general coordinator of the OPL party (Organization of the
People in Struggle), were held Saturday at the party's headquarters in
Pont-Morin.
Several hundred people including senior officials, active members and
sympathizers of OPL paid final tribute to Gérard Pierre Charles.
Father William Smarth, who led the ceremony, described Gérard Pierre
Charles as a lifelong public servant who, as a professor, knew how to share
his knowledge with others.
Father Smarth spoke of Gérard Pierre Charles as a great patriot who
struggled for many long years for the establishment of democracy in Haiti.
Many political leaders also paid tribute to the memory of Gerald Pierre
Charles.
Marc L. Bazin, leader of the MIDH party (Movement for the Establishment of
Democracy in Haiti), spoke warmly of the great intellectual qualities of
Mr. Pierre Charles.
"Despite the ideological differences between us, Gérard Pierre Charles was
a patriot who believed in the future of his country", said Marc Bazin.
For his part, the new acting Secretary General of OPL, Paul Denis, insisted
on the fact that Gérard Pierre Charles was a model of discipline.
"The example of collective leadership set by Gérard Pierre Charles will be
followed and continued" he promised, emphasizing that OPL has always been
characterized by a spirit of unity.
Interim Prime Minister Gérard Latortue emphasized that Gérard Pierre
Charles has passed away at a moment when the country was in need of his
great analytical abilities.
He deplored that Gérard Pierre Charles was not able to see his dream of
setting up a great socialist party become reality.
Former Senator Edgar Leblanc was named acting coordinator of the party.
AHP October 18, 2004 11:35 AM
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The interim government has already created millionaires of its own seven
months after taking office, according to a former leader of the FEUH
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- Hervé Saintilus, former leader of
the FEUH, Federation of Haitian University Students, denounced the
corruption which he said is festering inside the new government
administration.
New millionaires have already been created by the new government which took
office in March, said Saintilus. However he did not provide any precise
details.
He finds it improper, he said, that they are recreating exactly what they
accused the Aristide government of doing yesterday.
The FEUH also denounced the conduct of some students who are receiving
several checks, he said, from the civil service without performing any work.
Like us, they took part in the GNB movement to denounce the Aristide
government. It is not right for them to tarnish the image of our struggle
today", he asserted. He said these practices constitute unacceptable
corruption.
AHP October 18, 2004 12:00 PM
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The FRN is officially presented to its supporters in Cap-Haitien
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Port-au-Prince, October 18, 2004 (AHP)- The Front for National
Reconstruction (FRN) was officially introduced Sunday to its supporters in
Cap-Haitien at Saint Victor Park.
At the event, the leader of the front, Guy Philippe, said that this
introduction will enable the party to strengthen its base in the north and
Northeast departments of Haiti.
Guy Philippe said that his political organization is already prepared to
take part in the next elections at every level.
He promised to combat injustice, impunity and hunger in the country and
said he will permit every Haitian to have access to the benefits of a
decent education.
Guy Philippe also promised that the FRN will set up structures to resolve
the problem of insecurity, represents a major handicap to the country, he
said.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, several dozen demobilized soldiers,
members of the Front and supporters of the former opposition went to
several streets of the city to present front leader Guy Philippe to the
people of Cap Haitien.
AHP October 18, 2004 1:10 PM
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