[News] Haiti: Open Letter of Lavalas to the UN Security Council

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Open Letter of the Political Organization Fanmi Lavalas to the UN Security 
Council

http://www.hayti.net/tribune/

April 8th, 2005
Tel: 718-749-7615
<mailto:fanmilavalas at yahoo.com>fanmilavalas at yahoo.com

Fanmi Lavalas has learned that the Security Council will hold a special 
meeting on different aspects of the Haitian crisis, in Port-au-Prince from 
April 13th to April 16th   2005.  Fanmi Lavalas welcomes the initiative and 
is encouraged by the Security Council’s interest in Haiti.

Fanmi Lavalas wants to take advantage of this opportunity to express its 
deepest concerns for all the Haitian people facing the unacceptable 
inhumane treatments and ongoing violation of their human rights in their 
own country and to protest the present conditions in Haiti.  Officials of 
the Lavalas government: Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, Minister of Interior 
Jocelerme Privert, Delegate Jacques Mathelier, members of the Parliament, 
members and supporters of Fanmi Lavalas and others are being kept in jails 
without any formal charges.  Many thousands were forced into exile and 
their properties ransacked; many more are in hiding.  It is estimated that 
currently more than 1000 political prisoners are being held illegally in 
Haiti’s jails.  Over 10,000 Haitians have been killed. Since the February 
29th Coup d’Etat against the democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand 
Aristide, poverty has reached the worst levels.  Hunger, insecurity, fear, 
impunity are at the heart of the problem.  In a country where access to 
education is severely limited, the first ever University campus created 
under President Aristide was shut down and used as barracks for foreign 
troops.  The illegitimate and illegal regime imposed after February 29th 
has done nothing.  The de facto Prime Minister Latortue has publicly spoken 
on his involvement in illegal gun trade, promoted violence: “ we shoot them 
(unarmed people demonstrating), some were killed, some were wounded, some 
escaped ”.  He has showed his unwillingness to engage in a real dialogue.

Many widely distributed reports from credible organizations such as those 
from the University of Miami School of Law, and Harvard University have 
denounced the violent situation that prevails in Haiti.  The report titled 
"Keeping the Peace In Haiti?” released last month, and co-authored by the 
Harvard Law Student Advocates for Human Rights and the Brazilian 
non-governmental organization Centro de Justiça Global (Global Justice 
Centre) says that the MINUSTAH forces have "effectively provided cover for 
the Haitian National Police (HNP) to wage a campaign of terror in 
Port-au-Prince's slums and have thus failed to fulfill their mandate to 
protect the civilian population and ensure the respect of human rights". ( 
Marcela Valente, Inter Press Service IPS 9 April 2005)

On April 2nd 2005, after having read the report by the Center for the Study 
of Human Rights of the University of Miami School of Law entitled "Haiti 
Human Rights Investigation: November 11-21, 2004, the Canadian congressman 
Mr. Bill Siksay, wrote to Mr. Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Foreign 
Affairs: “I am deeply troubled by this report and by the ongoing human 
rights violations, the continued arrest and detention of Lavalas 
supporters, the increasing violence and deaths, the apparent emergence of 
the army, alleged collusion of UN forces with the police, and political 
corruption that it describes.  As well, according to this report, there 
seems to be no organized effort to resume dialogue to resolve the serious 
issues facing Haiti.  The role of the Canadian government employees working 
within the interim government, including the Ministry of Justice, and CIDA 
funding is of great concern as well.”

On April 4th, a diplomat from the OAS Haiti Office speaking on conditions 
of anonymity to the Haitian Press Agency (AHP) stated: " People claimed 
responsibility for murders, however what is reported is that the 
“chimères’’ (name used to describe poor people living in slums) have 
attacked once again.  We must stop using the word ‘chimères’ to cover all 
illegal acts perpetrated by others” (AHP 4 April 2005)

Even representatives of UN peacekeeping forces have spoken out about the 
questionable role of the Haitian Police in political attacks:  On March 1st 
2005, “The Brazilian commander of the peacekeepers, Lt. Gen. Augusto Heleno 
Ribeiro, said police killings had poisoned an atmosphere that peacekeepers 
had been working to improve for two months. "But police went there and 
killed six people on Friday ... now we’re being received with a completely 
different attitude." (AP March 1st 2005).  Cmdr. Carols Chugs Brag, a 
spokesman for the 7,400-member U.N. peacekeeping mission said:” This looked 
to be peaceful but for some reason, we are not sure why, the Haitian police 
arrived and decided to disband the demonstration" (AP February 28th 
2005).  During a recent visit in Argentina, the Defense Secretary of State 
Donald Rumsfeld himself raised doubts on holding elections at the end of 
the year with the chaotic situation in Haiti.

Repression in Haiti has reached unthinkable and inhuman levels. Those who 
are the most vulnerable are those who are persecuted and killed. People 
from poor neighborhoods and specially supporters of Lavalas are being 
targeted for military interventions because they are poor.  The well being 
of the entire Haitian population, even those opposed to Lavalas, is 
threatened because these current conditions are not conducive to any kind 
of sustainable development.

Everyday since the February 29th coup d’etat, it becomes more obvious that 
it is very difficult to bring back stability and peace in Haiti when the 
Haitian Constitution, Haiti’s mother law, is not respected, when the 
principles of democracy are being violated by those in charge of 
implementing them, when there is no argument to justify the ousting of the 
democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, when people’s 
votes are not being respected, when the National Police in charge of 
protecting the population is itself the perpetrator of many acts of 
violence, and when the most vulnerable of Haiti, the disenfranchised are 
deprived of their basic rights, which are to have access to education, 
healthy nutrition, appropriate housing and healthcare..

Since February 29th 2004, the Haitian people have shown so much courage and 
determination in their struggle for the return of democracy and 
Constitutional order in the country.  Fanmi Lavalas joins them in demanding 
that immediate action be taken for:

1- Cessation of political persecution directed towards its members and 
supporters;
2- Liberation of all political prisoners;
3-End of illegal arrests and summary executions;
4- Effective disarmament of groups and/or individuals illegally armed;
5- Restoration of the constitutional order in Haiti by the physical return 
of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; and
6- Organization of free, honest and democratic general elections in Haiti

Fanmi Lavalas believes that the United Nations must have an important role 
to help solve the Haitian crisis. However their success will depend on 
their willingness to listen to the majority excluded for 200 years, to take 
into account the Haitian Constitution, to apply the basic principles of 
democracy and human rights promoted by the United Nations itself and to 
facilitate a real pluralistic dialogue in which Fanmi Lavalas is ready to 
engage.  Not addressing those core issues will affect the dialogue and 
reconciliation process and consequently will impact negatively the 
organization of free and democratic elections in the country.

Fanmi Lavalas welcomes the efforts of members of the Security Council, and 
would appreciate their response on the steps the United Nations are 
envisioning to address these concerns.

Holding its accountability to the Haitian people very high on its agenda, 
Fanmi Lavalas renews its willingness to engage in a process of true 
dialogue, reconciliation and peace building under the banner of the Haitian 
Constitution.

Commission of Communication Fanmi Lavalas


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