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<h3><b>Open Letter of the Political Organization Fanmi Lavalas to the UN
Security
Council</b></h3><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.hayti.net/tribune/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.hayti.net/tribune/<br><br>
</a>April 8th, 2005<br>
Tel: 718-749-7615<br>
<a href="mailto:fanmilavalas@yahoo.com">fanmilavalas@yahoo.com</a>
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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)<br><br>
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.”<br><br>
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)<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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..<br><br>
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:<br><br>
1- Cessation of political persecution directed towards its members and
supporters;<br>
2- Liberation of all political prisoners;<br>
3-End of illegal arrests and summary executions;<br>
4- Effective disarmament of groups and/or individuals illegally
armed;<br>
5- Restoration of the constitutional order in Haiti by the physical
return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; and<br>
6- Organization of free, honest and democratic general elections in
Haiti<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
Commission of Communication Fanmi Lavalas <br><br>
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