[News] Massacres continue in Haiti, Protest on July 21, 2001
News at freedomarchives.org
News at freedomarchives.org
Tue Jul 19 18:54:08 EDT 2005
San Francisco Assemble 4 pm Powell & Market (Powell St BART), March at
4:30 pm down Market Street to rally at Brazilian Consulate General, 300
Montgomery, till 6 pm
*********
URGENT ACTION REQUESTED: DEMAND A STOP TO THE SLAUGHTER OF HAITIAN CIVILIANS
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/presswork/Protectcitesoleil.html
DENOUNCE THE SLAUGHTER OF HAITIAN CIVILIANS, EVEN OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND 4
and 5-year old toddlers, BY UN TROOPS IN HAITI:
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/presswork/protect.html
******************************************
Action Requested:
- Join in the multi-city international Protest against UN Massacre in Haiti
on July 21, 2001 - Condemn UN Massacre of Haitian Civilians in Cite Soleil
- More "police massacres": At least 6 persons killed during a "police"
operation in the populist neighborhood of Solino - (HLLN note: The
US-imposed death regime and their Duvalierists/elites gleefully celebrates
these killings in the poor sectors in retaliation for 10-years of being out
of power. We want more, more more killings like July 6, 2005 by the UN and
Jordanians says Roger Noreiga, Ambassador Foley, Apaid, Boulos and the
bloody Coup D'etat/dictatorship sectors!!!)
- UN commander Augusto Heleno Ribeiro says he is "satisfied" with the
military operation of July 6 in Cité Soleil, AHP, July 13, 2005 (we have
the means, the will and the power that is needed to send them packing", he
declared." - An pregnant woman lost her fetus to Ribeiro's bullets, there
were at least 27 wounded, mostly women and children and more than 23
killed, mostly unarmed civilians - See human rights report at:
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/human_rights_reports/unmassacre.html
)
- Haiti: The Gaza Strip of the Caribbean by Shirley Pate
- Threats against AUMOHD lawyers, defenders of the poor and oppressed in
Haiti continue
- LIBERTY FOR HAITIAN PRIEST JUSTICE DENIED OTHER POLITICAL PRISONERS
By Judith Scherr
- Noted Brazilians demand the Immediate Withdrawal of All Brazilian Troops
From Haiti : Manifesto Delivered to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula
Da Silva, Novermber, 2004
- Report on the July 23 Meeting with the Brazilian Consulate in Miami, By
Carolyn, Haiti Solidarity Committee
- Join the July 21, 2005 - EMERGENCY INTERNATIONAL PROTEST!
Stop U.N. "Peacekeeper" Massacres in Haiti! Hands off Father Jean-Juste!
Stand in solidarity with the most hated people in the Western Hemisphere,
tell Haitians, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, Dessaline is Rising Worldwide! Join the
FREE HAITI MOVEMENT:
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/solidarityday/haitisolidarityday.html
*****
Coordinated Multi-City International Protests on Thursday, July 21, 2005
Condemn UN Massacre of Haitian Civilians in Cite Soleil
Emergency protests are set for Thursday, July 21s -- in Brazil and 13 North
American cities to condemn the massacre of at least 23 Haitian civilians
on July 6th in the popular neighborhood of Cite Soleil, by UN troops under
Brazilian command. The protests call for UN troops and Haitian authorities
to stop the killings; for all UN soldiers from 20 nations to leave Haiti
now; and for the restoration of Haiti’s sovereignty and constitutional rule.
Coordinated protests will take place July 21st in Washington, D.C. and
Ottawa (at the Brazilian embassies); in Miami, Montreal, New York, Toronto
and San Francisco (at Brazilian consulates general); as well as in
Minneapolis, San Jose (California), Halifax (Nova Scotia), Vancouver,
Winnipeg (Manitoba), and Boston. [See below for times and locations.]
In Brazil, the CUT labor federation is sending a high-level delegation to
the capital of Brasilia, for an audience with President Lula da Silva on
July 21st, to discuss their concern about the actions and presence of UN
troops in Haiti, acting under Brazilian command. They will also rally in
front of the Planalto Palace, seat of Brazil’s federal government, and
present a petition to Lula, signed by a long list of prominent Brazilians,
demanding immediate withdrawal of all Brazilian troops from Haiti and
respect for Haiti’s sovereignty.
The CUT's rally and meeting with President Lula is timed to coincide with
the coordinated demonstrations in North America, and will kick off a series
of meetings and rallies in major Brazilian cities. These actions are being
organized by a coalition that includes the CUT, the Movimento Negro
Unificado [Unified Black Movement] and Campanha Haiti [Brazil Out of Haiti
Campaign].
The Brazilian unionists made it clear they were taking up the demands of
the Haitian community and solidarity movement in North America, based on
the findings of the Labor/Human Rights Delegation to Haiti and eyewitness
reports of the July 6th massacre. The CUT is the largest labor federation
in Brazil.
Meanwhile, in Paris, the Haitian community will mount a demonstration July
30th at Place de la Republique, demanding an end to the US/UN occupation of
Haiti and condemning the July 6th UN massacre of civilians in Cite Soleil.
The international campaign -- with protests in five countries -- kicked off
on July 13th, when Father Gerard Jean-Juste, pastor of St. Claire Church in
Port-au-Prince, flew to Miami to lead a demonstration at the Brazilian
consulate general in Miami. Jean-Juste and Haitian community leaders met
with Brazilian diplomats for nearly three hours to protest the UN massacre
in Cite Soleil.
The campaign picked up steam the following day, on July 14th, when despite
heavy repression and continued killings by UN forces, more than 5,000
people demonstrated in Cite Soleil to condemn the UN massacre in their
neighborhood on July 6th. They chanted for the return of President
Aristide, and demanded prison for the leaders and backers of the coup regime.
Also on July 14th, Father Jean-Juste was ‘denounced’ on a right-wing
Haitian radio program in Florida, saying he was returning to Haiti on
American Airlines, with the implicit threat that something bad might and
should happen to him.
The next day Jean-Juste was searched and questioned for 20 minutes by US
authorities at the Miami airport. On arrival in Port-au-Prince he was
detained by Haitian National Police for two hours and ordered to report to
a judge to face possible criminal charges.
The citizens of Cite Soleil, Father Jean-Juste and the internationally
coordinated demonstrations on July 21st are shining a spotlight on the
crimes committed by the US/UN occupation on July 6th in Cite Soleil.
Clearly the coup regime feels threatened by these revelations, and are
retaliating against our courageous brother. Defending Fr. Jean-Juste is an
integral part of our campaign.
Organizers emphasized that UN troops, who have been in Haiti since June
2004, are there as a proxy force doing the bidding of the US government --
replacements for the US, French and Canadian troops who assisted in the
February 29, 2004 coup d’etat that overthrew the constitutional government
of President Aristide.
Demonstrations in 13 cities on July 21 condemning UN massacre in Cite Soleil
Boston Details TBA
Halifax, Nova Scotia Picket 5 pm at the US Consulate, 1969 Upper Water Street
Miami Picket Brazilian Consulate, 80 SW 8th Street, Miami, at 11 a.m.
Minneapolis Leaflet the light rail system in early pm
.Meet 4:30 pm at
LRT Station near Hennepin Govt Center, 3rd Av & 5th St
.Walk at 5 pm to
Federal Bldg, then march to the Star-Tribune (small park across the street)
at 5th & Portland, to protest Haiti newspaper coverage.
Montreal—Assemble 3 pm, Dorchester Sq, Peel & Rene Levesque (Metro
Peel)
.March departing 4 pm to Brazilian Consulate, 2000 Mansfield
(cor.DeMaisonneuve)
.Rally till 6 pm.
New York Picket 4-7 pm, Brazilian Consulate, 1185 Ave. of the Americas
(6th Av), nr 47th St
Ottawa/Gatineau Picket Brazilian embassy in the Canadian capital, Noon to
1 pm
San Francisco Assemble 4 pm Powell & Market (Powell St BART), March at
4:30 pm down Market Street to rally at Brazilian Consulate General, 300
Montgomery, till 6 pm
San Jose, California Picket French consulate, 2 North 2nd St, 11:30-12:30
and 4-6 pm
Toronto Picket the Brazilian Consulate General, 77 Bloor Street West,
beginning 1 pm
Vancouver Details TBA
Washington, D.C. Protest 12-5pm at Brazil embassy, 3009 Whitehaven St. NW
(at Mass Av)
Winnipeg, Manitoba Protest 1 pm at SNC-Lavalin, one of the biggest
Canadian corporate profiteers from the occupation of Haiti, 1600 Van Ness
(at St. James St near Polo Park mall)
For more information, contact:
Dave Welsh, Labor/Human Rights Delegation to Haiti
sub at sonic.net 510-847-8657
*****************************
AT LEAST 6 PERSONS KILLED DURING A POLICE OPERATION IN THE POPULIST
NEIGHBORHOOD OF SOLINO
Port-au-Prince, July 18, 2005 10:35 AM (AHP)- At least 6 persons were
killed last week-end in the populist district of Solino, during a police
operation.
According to the police, the individuals who were shot are bandits.
However, among the victims was a young child whose body was torn in pieces.
Members of the population accused policemen of shooting unarmed civilians
who were peacefully attending their businesses.
At least 25 persons were killed on July 6th during a joint operation by the
National Police and the MINUSTAH in the shantytown Cité Soleil. This
operation also caused the death of Dread Wilmé, who was accused of
responsibility in most violent acts registered in Port-au-Prince’s
metropolitan area, according to officials of local and international
organizations that investigated the place.
Following this operation, organizations of unidentified sectors put in many
spots in the city, notably in Bourdon where the UN headquarters is,
banderols to welcome the work done. "Mr. Valdès, Thank you for the good job
done, continue!”, is what we can read on these banderols.
********
Agence Haïtienne de Presse - AHP News
http://www.ahphaiti.org
July 13, 2005
AHP News
English translation (Unofficial)
UN commander Augusto Heleno Ribeiro says he is satisfied with the
military operation of July 6 in Cité Soleil
Port-au-Prince, July 13, 2005 (AHP)- MINUSTAH military commander
General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro declared Tuesday that he is satisfied
with the military operation that resulted in the death of activist
Dread Wilmé.
Augusto Heleno aid that the operation of July 6 was carried out to
prove to the bandits, he said, that the forces of orders have the
capacity to re-establish peace in the country.
"We wanted to show the bandits that we have the means, the will and
the power that is needed to send them packing", he declared.
However, General Heleno said he recognizes that one can not conduct
operations simply for the purpose of killing, injuring or arresting
people.
According to the commander, the government must set up social
programs to relieve the misery of the population, notably residents
of the populist districts.
Numerous human rights organizations have denounced the indiscriminate
nature of this operation which left, they said, many innocent victims.
The Committee of Lawyers for the Respect of Individual Liberties
(CARLI) called upon MINUSTAH and the Haitian police to provide a
detailed explanation of this operation.
The Labor and Human Rights Delegation, a U.S. human rights group,
suggested that the death toll from the operation was 50 people, and
that women and children were among the dead.
The Brazilian general recently said that he will never order a
massacre in the populist districts lest he one day be called before
an international criminal tribunal.
*****************************
HAITI: THE GAZA STRIP OF THE CARIBBEAN
By Shirley Pate
6 20 JULY 2005
‘Two helicopters flew overhead. At 4:30 AM, UN forces launched the
offensive, shooting into houses, shacks, a church, and a school with
machine guns,
tank fire, and tear gas. Eyewitnesses reported that when people fled to
escape the tear gas, UN troops gunned them down from the back.’
---Excerpt from a report by a San Francisco-based labor/human rights
delegation that was in Haiti on Wednesday, July 6, 2005, when UN forces
committed a massacre against the residents of the neighborhood of
Cite Soleil.
Back in April, I wrote an article* warning the head of the UN
‘peacekeeping’ effort in Haiti, Brazilian General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro,
that if he continued
to implement the UN Security Council’s unwritten mandate to insure a
Haitian elite victory in the upcoming elections by killing as many Aristide
supporters as possible, there would not be enough soap and water to wash
the blood off his hands.
It looks like General Heleno may have figured this out for himself as last
month, he declared his intention to resign his post.
Yet, it appears he was still in command in the wee hours of the morning of
July 6, when between 300-400 UN troops attacked Cite Soleil, one of the poorest
neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, and slaughtered close to 50 residents and
wounded many more. It was a bloodletting worthy of the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF) and, on that day, Haiti moved a step closer to becoming the Gaza
Strip of the Caribbean.
It was a bloodletting that, if there is any justice left in the world, will
land General Heleno before an international tribunal.
On February 29, 2004, the lives of most Haitians turned decidedly worse
when a US-inspired coup d’etat deprived them of their democratically
elected President,
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The coup was masterminded and supervised by a
colonial cabal consisting of the US, France, and Canada, supported by
military forces
that slipped into Haiti days before.
>From that moment on, Haiti was under occupation.
Shortly thereafter, the cabal formed a multi-lateral force that reigned
for three months. Knowing that the political stakes were too high to
remain the sole supplier of the military muscle in Haiti, the cabal
cleverly engineered a UN ‘peacekeeping’ operation that has, by all
standards, mutated into an occupying IDF-like assault force. It is proving
extremely difficult for Haiti solidarity activists, who are working to
stop this carnage, to convince the public that a UN peacekeeping effort
could be capable of such heinous crimes.
Most think of UN peacekeeping missions as non-belligerent,
neutral operations that are deployed to separate warring factions in order
to reach a peaceful
settlement to conflict. And this is the genius of the cabal’s decision to
bring the UN to Haiti. It is vital for the public to understand that, in
Haiti, the UN is the primary warring faction, a proxy for the cabal and
nothing about their mission is neutral.
The permanent members of the UN Security Council dictate the nature and
scope of UN peacekeeping operations. As the more dominant of the permanent
members, the US and France are masters at designing peacekeeping
operations to serve their own foreign policy interests. As a
result, peacekeeping missions
are more insidious and deadly than most people aware.
In 1961, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Patrice Lumumba, was betrayed by UN peacekeepers when they failed to maintain
neutrality in the conflict between the central government and Lumumba’s
Western-supported opponents. Lumumba was subsequently kidnapped and
murdered, leaving the Congolese, for the next 32 years, in the vicious
grip of Sese Seko Mobutu, the U.S.’ main man in Africa.
In Bosnia, thousands of Muslims sought safe haven with Dutch-lead UN
peacekeepers. The peacekeepers yielded to Bosnian Serbs who kidnapped the
Muslims and killed them. The purposeful impotency of the UN peacekeeping
mandate in Rwanda resulted in an indescribable genocide that has soiled
forever
the legacy of UN peacekeeping.
Yet, amid the presumed ‘failures’ of each of these UN peacekeeping
efforts, one can be assured that the interests of the permanent members of
the UN Security
Council were well-served regardless. Throughout their occupation of
Haiti, UN forces have maintained that the primary objective is to bring
peace to Haiti so that elections can be held in the fall. The problem is
that a lot of lousy things are done in the name of ‘peace.’ Not unlike the
lousy things that are done in the name of ‘democracy.’
The same tactics used by the IDF to kill, maim, and wreck the lives
of Palestinians were employed by UN forces against Haitians in Cite Soleil
on July 6:
* aerial attacks with gunfire aimed into densely populated residentia
areas,
* use of massive numbers of troops,
* destruction of homes by firebombs and grenades,
* indiscriminant tank fire into alley ways and homes and
* not so indiscriminant assassination of residents as they were shot
in the back trying to flee the horror.
When the UN forces first arrived in Haiti, their activities consisted
largely of securing the perimeter of poor neighborhoods for the Haitian
National Police while conducted raids that, more often than not, ended in
summary executions of residents. But, it was not long before UN forces
began joint operations with the HNP and then graduated to doing raids on
their own.
This is all to say that the UN’s deadly assaults on poor and largely
Aristide-supporting neighborhoods are not new. Yet, the UN raid on July
6, was in another category altogether. The arrogance, massive nature and
sheer audacity of the operation signaled that, for UN forces, killing
Haitians had become sport.
Khan Younis is one of the most god-forsaken refugee camps in the Gaza Strip.
In the late afternoon when the children are out to play, the Israeli
soldiers taunt them, through a loud speaker, with disgusting sexual
innuendo about their
mothers. The children, incensed, climb the highest hill, perch themselves
atop like sitting ducks at the carnival, and engage in their own mini
intifada of rocks. The Israelis, having lured the children to the
designated target area, play a game of maiming them by calling out the body
part they are aiming at before they shoot, sort of like calling out
your shot in billiards.
Sometimes, a head shot is called for and the kids are executed on the spot.
Much of the cabal’s genius lies in the make-up of the UN forces in Haiti
- largely Latin American.* It serves to tie Latin America and the
Caribbean together in a tight knot. Brown brother helping Black brother.
Yet, the unifying theme belies a cruel reality.
Brazil’s populist-seeming president, its overwhelmingly multiracial
society and desperate ambition to win a permanent seat on the UN Security
Council made
it the perfect choice to lead the UN ‘peacekeeping’ effort in Haiti. Yet,
this is a country that has over 30 different descriptions used by
Brazilians to differentiate themselves from one another based on skin color.
This is a country, where an Afro-Brazilian, after attaining a certain
level of success, might start referring to himself as white. Racism in
Latin America is
pervasive and is directed at both Indians and African descendants of
slaves. It is based on the concept of ‘the crabs at the bottom of the
barrel.’ Being close to the bottom of the barrel, the crab wrestles
viciously to stay on top of the crab just below lest he slip and fall to
the bottom himself.
This social structure was created and perpetuated by colonial powers in
Latin America because they knew they had everything to lose if black,
brown, and red
ever got together. Like most conflicts of imperial intent, manipulating
racial tensions is key to ensuring that people of color stay engaged in the
dirty business of fighting one another. Belief in the inherent inferiority
of those whose land you occupy is an essential element of occupation.
Haiti is Gaza and Gaza is Haiti because occupation always yields the same
things: relentless provocations of the population, murder on a massive
scale, oppression, persecution, incarceration, disenfranchisement,
joblessness, homelessness, starvation and resistance.
It is a wicked, purposeful merry-go-round of peace through provocation -
profess peace, provoke the occupied until they resist, label the
resistance a criminal car stealing, kidnapping , gang mongering, raping,
murdering ‘threat to peace’ and then it is an open season for the occupier.
This method has worked quite well for the IDF.
Just like the meaningless UN resolutions demanding an end to the slaughter
in Palestine, it is doubtful that we will see any sanctions against the
cabal or
General Heleno for their crimes against humanity. No doubt, the UN will
proceed to issue its cheerful press releases re-emphasizing its commitment
to peace and democracy in preparation for the fall elections and the
incursions into the popular neighborhoods for a night of sport will
continue.
But this will not go on forever.
When and how will it stop?
The UN would do well to check out the Haitian history books for answers to
these questions. There, they might learn that they are occupying the land
of the sons and daughters of Dessalines.
If the UN is unable to grasp the significance of this, they should seek
clarification from the French.
* http://www.sfbayview.com/041305/unsecuritycouncil041305.shtml
http://www.sfbayview.com/041305/unsecuritycouncil041305.shtml
* Where do the Jordanian forces fit into all of this? With chilling
regularity, in assault after assault, the Jordanians are the primary
shooters for the UN forces in Haiti and have committed some of the most
heinous crimes. It could be that they are used as the trigger men time
and time again because they are the best marksmen.
Yet, the cabal leaves very little to fate. They know that one day
they may end up in a tight spot and need to make a sacrifice -- the
Jordanians may be their scapegoat-designates.
THE THREATS INCREASE
The following has been translated by Tom Luce, President of Hurah, Inc.
(Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti) from an e-mail written by
Evel Fanfan, Pres. of AUMOHD a Haitian human rights advocacy group.
Monday July 11
Dear Tom,
I must thank you for the moral support you have given me in this very
difficult work.
Yesterday morning on the road to the South to see my parents who along with
everyone else have been wiped out by the hurricane, an
unknown caller insisting his name was Ferdinand telephoned me on my cell
phone accusing me of being a Aristide partisan paid by Aristide
to defend those whom he calls bandits.
He treated me like a "chimère" lawyer who is defending the cause of the devil.
He told me he has a mission against me.
I then tried to explain to him my work is a work without bias toward any
side. I told him I defend everyone and the people I defend I do
not even know.
With these words he told me that he knows me perfectly well, my comings and
my goings. I tried in vain to convince him and he ended the
call.
I am not really afraid because I know that they're trying to intimidate me
into withdrawing from helping the poor thrown into prison unjustly.
Therefore for me this is becoming really complicated but I do not want to
stop my work.
Evel Fanfan
--
Tom Luce, President
HURAH, Inc.
Human Rights Accompaniment In Haiti
30 Park St.
Barre, Vt. 05641
Tel. 802-476-7056, 522-3525
http://www.hurah.webhop.org
The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org
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