[News] Disarm the thugs and killers in Haiti

[News at freedomarchives.org]

PRESS RELEASE



For Immediate Release               (202) 225-2201

September 8, 2004




CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS URGES THE GOVERNMENTS

OF THE UNITED STATES, FRANCE AND CANADA

TO DISARM THE THUGS AND KILLERS IN HAITI



Washington, D.C. -- Today, at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Rep. 
Maxine Waters (D-CA), urged the governments of the United States, France 
and Canada to take whatever action is necessary to disarm the thugs and 
killers who overthrew the democratically-elected government of Haiti last 
February and are now threatening the interim government of Haiti.  The 
Congresswoman made the following statement:


"I am here today to urge the governments of the United States, France and 
Canada to take whatever action is necessary to disarm the thugs and killers 
who overthrew the democratically-elected government of Haiti last February 
and are now threatening the current puppet government of Haiti, which was 
installed by the United States.


"Groups of heavily-armed thugs have recently set up bases in several 
Haitian towns, including Petit-Goave, Grand-Goave, Jacmel, Belladere and 
Gonaives.  The thugs are former members of the dreaded Haitian Army, which 
was disbanded by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1995.  On August 28, 
they attacked a police station in Petit-Goave, chased away the police 
officers, and proclaimed themselves in charge of security.  They also 
painted the police station yellow, the traditional color of Haitian Army 
barracks and outposts.  The thugs are demanding the reestablishment of the 
Haitian Army, and they even had the gall to claim that the Haitian 
government owes them more than 10 years of back pay.


"These former members of the Haitian Army are the same thugs and killers 
that carried out the coup d'etat that overthrew President Jean-Bertrand 
Aristide, the democratically-elected President of Haiti, on February 29, 
2004, with the cooperation of the United States, France, Canada and the 
Haitian opposition's Group of 184.  They are the same heavily-armed thugs 
that took over Haitian cities throughout the month of February, freeing 
criminals from prison, setting fire to police stations and terrorizing 
impoverished Haitians."


"Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue said that the interim government of 
Haiti does not have the mandate nor the means to reestablish the army.  He 
urged the rebels to negotiate, and the interim government set a deadline of 
September 15 for all groups holding illegal weapons to disarm.  However, a 
spokesman for the thugs, himself a former army colonel, insisted that the 
Haitian authorities have no moral or legal authority to disarm them.



"It has been alleged that the thugs are now threatening the life of Interim 
Prime Minister Latortue in the same fashion that they threatened to come 
into Port-au-Prince and kill President Aristide last February.



"When President Aristide pleaded with the United States, France and Canada 
for assistance in stopping the violence and protecting the Haitian people, 
his pleas fell on deaf ears.  However, once President Aristide was forced 
to leave Haiti, the United States, France and Canada established a 
multinational force to stabilize Haiti, and the United States installed an 
interim government, which is now led by Interim Prime Minister 
Latortue.  Neither the U.S.-led multinational force nor the interim 
government took any action to disarm the thugs.


"Louis-Jodel Chamblain was one of the key organizers of the violence that 
preceded the February coup d'etat.  Chamblain is notorious for his role as 
the second-in-command of FRAPH (the Front for the Advancement and Progress 
of Haiti), the death squad that carried out numerous human rights 
violations during the three years following the 1991 coup d'etat.  He was 
convicted in absentia for his role in the 1994 massacre of Haitians in the 
Raboteau neighborhood and the 1993 assassination of Antoine Izmery.


"The interim government of Haiti has actually encouraged Louis-Jodel 
Chamblain and other thugs who were involved in the February violence in 
Haiti to hold on to their weapons and consider themselves immune from 
justice.  Less than a month after the coup d'etat, the interim government 
held a rally in Gonaives to commend the thugs, and Interim Prime Minister 
Latortue praised them and called them "freedom fighters."


"On August 16, 2004, the interim government held a sham trial, claiming to 
retry Louis-Jodel Chamblain for the Izmery assassination.  The trial was 
completed by 6:00 the next morning, and a verdict was announced acquitting 
Chamblain of the charges.  Several major newspapers, including the New York 
Times and the Washington Post, published editorials denouncing this sham trial.


"Last February, several members of the Congressional Black Caucus tried to 
convince the governments of the United States, France and Canada to stop 
the impending coup d'etat in Haiti.  We warned them that they were becoming 
involved in an unholy alliance with thugs, killers and drug dealers.  We 
warned them that these thugs, killers and drug dealers could not be 
contained once they were allowed to overthrow the democratically-elected 
government.


"Our warnings have come true.


"The United States, France and Canada created this mess, and they have an 
obligation to clean it up.  There can be no democracy in Haiti until these 
thugs and killers are disarmed."


*******
Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership
******

"Men anpil chay pa lou"  is Kreyol for - "Many hands make light a heavy load."

See:

The Haitian Leadership Networks'  7 "men anpil chay palou" campaigns to 
help restore Haiti's independence, the will of the mass electorate and the 
rule of law.

See:

<http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/haitianlawyers.html>http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/haitianlawyers.html 
;
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html

See:

Haitiaction.net

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20040909/4b819cbd/attachment.htm>