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</font><h5><b>AHP News - October 18, 2004 - English translation
(Unofficial) <br>
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<br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
Father Hansens charged that the arrest was made without a warrant and
with brutality. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>"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. </b> <br><br>
<br>
</font><h5><b>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. <br><br>
<br><br>
Several sectors have insinuated that the Catholic Church has been
involved in the most recent acts of violence. <br><br>
<br><br>
The director of the Justice and Peace Commission questioned the precise
origin of the violence that has prevailed in Haiti recently.
<br><br>
<br><br>
The interim authorities should offer a clear explanation to the nation of
what they know, as this is not a simple matter, he commented.
<br><br>
<br><br>
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.
<br><br>
<br><br>
"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.
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AHP October 18, 2004 2:20 PM <br><br>
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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 <br>
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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. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
According to Ms. Coicou, they decided to take Father Jean-Juste into
custody because of the violent behavior of local residents toward the
police. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
"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. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince accuses the interim authorities of
wishing to distract the public from its real problems <br>
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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. <br><br>
<br><br>
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.
<br><br>
<br><br>
"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. <br><br>
<br><br>
This is wickedness, he asserted. <br><br>
<br><br>
The archbishop asked all sectors, particularly the human rights
organizations, to denounce this attitude, which risks plunging the
country further into the abyss. <br><br>
<br><br>
It is through dialogue and working together that the problems of the
country can be resolved, he said. <br><br>
<br><br>
AHP October 18, 2004 2:20 PM<br><br>
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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 <br>
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</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince, October 18,
2004 (AHP)-</b> Provisional President Boniface Alexandre deplored Sunday
that the Haitian people have still not followed the Dessalinean ideal,
200 years after Haiti's independence. <br><br>
Boniface Alexandre made these remarks in a televised message marking the
198th anniversary of the assassination of Emperor Jean Jacques
Dessalines. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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)". <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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</font><h5><b>AHP October 18, 2004 10:00 AM <br><br>
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The justice system can be summed up as arrests and imprisonment under the
Alexandre/Latortue government, according to CARLI <br>
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</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince, October 18,
2004 (AHP)- </b>Renan Hédouville,<b> </b>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.
<br><br>
Renan Hédouville deplored that the office of the prosecutor in
Port-au-Prince and the courts have remained closed without the slightest
explanation. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
"Under the Alexandre/Latortue government, justice can be summed up
as arrests and imprisonment", declared Renan Hédouville.
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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</font><h5><b>AHP October 18, 2004 10:40 PM <br><br>
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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 <br>
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</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince, October 18,
2004 (AHP)- </b>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. <br><br>
These activists accused the interim government of governing the country
in a manner contrary to the interests of the majority. <br><br>
" 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.
<br><br>
They accused the interim government of incompetence both with respect to
governance and contributing to the development of the country.
<br><br>
"These problems have multiplied since the technocrats came to power
last March", they deplored. <br><br>
In related news, one Bel-Air youth, Mooney Louis Marie, suffered
gunshot injuries Sunday afternoon on the Rue Macajoux during a police
operation. <br><br>
According to the victim, police officers dressed in black targeted him as
he was preparing to go to church. <br><br>
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.
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</font><h5><b>AHP October 18, 2004 11:05 AM <br><br>
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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 <br>
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<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince, October 18,
2004 (AHP)- </b>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.
<br><br>
Several hundred people including senior officials, active members and
sympathizers of OPL paid final tribute to Gérard Pierre Charles.
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
Father Smarth spoke of Gérard Pierre Charles as a great patriot who
struggled for many long years for the establishment of democracy in
Haiti. <br><br>
Many political leaders also paid tribute to the memory of Gerald Pierre
Charles. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
"Despite the ideological differences between us, Gérard Pierre
Charles was a patriot who believed in the future of his country",
said Marc Bazin. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
"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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
He deplored that Gérard Pierre Charles was not able to see his dream of
setting up a great socialist party become reality. <br><br>
Former Senator Edgar Leblanc was named acting coordinator of the
party. <br><br>
<br>
</font><h5><b>AHP October 18, 2004 11:35 AM<br><br>
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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 <br>
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<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince, October 18,
2004 (AHP)- </b>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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
He finds it improper, he said, that they are recreating exactly what they
accused the Aristide government of doing yesterday. <br><br>
The FEUH also denounced the conduct of some students who are receiving
several checks, he said, from the civil service without performing any
work. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br>
</font><h5><b>AHP October 18, 2004 12:00 PM <br><br>
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The FRN is officially presented to its supporters in Cap-Haitien<br>
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</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince, October 18,
2004 (AHP)- </b>The Front for National Reconstruction (FRN) was
officially introduced Sunday to its supporters in Cap-Haitien at Saint
Victor Park. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
Guy Philippe said that his political organization is already prepared to
take part in the next elections at every level. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br>
</font><h5><b>AHP October 18, 2004 1:10 PM<br>
------------------------------------------</b></h5><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><b>------------------------------------------<br>
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