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<a href="http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/securitycouncilgoeshaiti.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/securitycouncilgoeshaiti.html<br>
<br>
</a>U.N. Security Council Goes To Haiti to Stop Calls for<br>
Resignation of the Latortue Regime and support U.N.<br>
troops accused of a failed mission and of conducting<br>
summary executions,<br>
<br>
By Marguerite Laurent<br>
<a href="http://www.ezilidanto.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.ezilidanto.com<br>
</a>April 16, 2005<br><br>
*<br><br>
All 15 members of the United Nations Security Council<br>
are in Haiti from April 12 to April 16, 2005 to,<br>
according to their press release on the matter,<br>
"review progress achieved in areas such as security,<br>
development, the political transition, human rights,<br>
institution-building and the humanitarian situation."<br><br>
Well, if in fact it is human rights and security<br>
“progress” the U.N. Security Council wants to review,<br>
they won’t find any such progress. And please give<br>
Haitians some credit. The great show of slaughtering<br>
soldiers at Petit Goaves and Ravix and Jean Anthony<br>
(Grenn Sonen) in Port-au-Prince less than a week<br>
before the arrival of the U.N. Security Council’s<br>
unprecedented visit, does not suddenly make the U.N.<br>
troops in Haiti “progressive,” “un-biased” or<br>
“peacekeepers” instead of the negative and ineffective<br>
force they have been in Haiti since they got to Haiti.<br><br>
If the U.N. Security Council would deign to hear the<br>
sons and daughters of the majority of HAITIANS on the<br>
issue of democracy in Haiti, then they would know that<br>
Haitians are suffering more under the auspices of U.N.<br>
troops, there to support the U.N./U.S.-backed Latortue<br>
government, than they have ever suffered under the<br>
Constitutional government it replaced.<br><br>
If the U.N. Security Council would deign to hear the<br>
sons and daughters of the majority of HAITIANS on the<br>
issue of democracy in Haiti, then the Haitian Lawyers<br>
Leadership Network would urge the U.N. Security<br>
Council to pay very close attention to the new report<br>
on the socio-political, human rights and next<br>
electoral contest situation in Haiti, released by our<br>
lawyers in Haiti, The Association of University<br>
Graduates Motivated For A Haiti With Rights “AUMOHD.”<br>
(Aumohd’s report may be found on our website under the<br>
human rights section)<br><br>
Haitians are the most politicized people on earth and<br>
they well understand the subterfuges of diplomacy and<br>
the function of politics and propaganda. It is a<br>
mistake to believe that illiterate means<br>
unintelligent. Or, for that matter, that schooling<br>
means one is intelligent.<br><br>
Kanpe bourik la, that's kreyol for hold up!<br>
understand this - : To many Haitians the U.N. Security<br>
Council's visit is nothing more than an effort to<br>
reconcile the bourgeoisie forces who were just last<br>
week all clamoring for the resignation of Latortue.<br>
The visit’s purpose it to us basically an effort to<br>
solidify and reunite the unraveling immoral coalition<br>
of restavek-elites who helped overthrow Haiti's<br>
elected government. That’s it. A public relations<br>
STUNT to turn the tide towards the original agenda:<br>
Never let the Lavalas party ever be able to win an<br>
election in Haiti again and mount its socially<br>
progressive programs. That’s the agenda. It’s the one<br>
that is being put back on track by the U.N. Security<br>
Council’s visit. Already we are hearing: more<br>
policemen will be sent to Haiti. Of course no one<br>
mentions their function is to kill, kill, kill<br>
peaceful demonstrators and any one supporting Lavalas,<br>
democracy or resisting foreign debt, dependence and<br>
occupation. No that is what’s left unsaid. But there<br>
are plenty of announcements and hand shaking with Gwo<br>
Gerard Latortue and his other fat cats as he grins<br>
from ear to ear greedily thinking about more money for<br>
arms, for bullets, for paying down foreign debt. But<br>
none for literacy programs, affordable housing,<br>
schooling, potable water, electricity, roads,<br>
transportation, sewage systems, to subsidize the high<br>
price of rice, gas or to create jobs with a living<br>
wage for the people.<br><br>
Just more monies will be thrown to the Coup d’etat<br>
bunch. More and more, that is, for the people of Haiti<br>
to owe which foreign “experts” and the tiny rich<br>
elites will cash in foreign banks, all in an effort to<br>
legitimize the coup d’etat with a selection of Haiti’s<br>
next leader by the U.S., France and Canada.<br><br>
The presence of the U.N. Security council in Haiti is<br>
to have these colonized Haitian puppies, who have no<br>
popular support in Haiti, whose hold on power over the<br>
masses right now are threaded together only by foreign<br>
monies, foreign troops, a foreign-backed coup, and<br>
media disinformation. The U.N. Security council is in<br>
Haiti to pamper the bourgeoisies’ ruffled feathers <br>
hey they neither got the monies promised ($1 billion)<br>
as reward for giving a Haitian face to the coup<br>
d’etat, nor the government positions they thought were<br>
owed. The U.S. pulled out Gwo Gerard and not one of<br>
their own from the former opposition. But no worries.<br>
Papa U.S. will make it better through Brazil,<br>
through the U.N. Security Council, to show the support<br>
it cannot show publicly. See, President Bush can’t get<br>
too publicly INVOLVED with bringing back dictatorship<br>
to Haiti when he’s supposed to be spreading democracy<br>
around the globe.<br><br>
It’s all doable though. Because now that the Coup<br>
d’etat contingent are rubbing shoulders with the rich<br>
and powerful surrogates of the Western powers, the<br>
U.N. Security Council, no less. Well, they feel<br>
better. They’ll hold up on clamoring for Gwo Gerard’s<br>
resignation.<br><br>
That’s what all the theatrics (slaughtering of former<br>
soldiers) leading up to the meet with the<br>
powers-that-be-and-rub-shoulders-and-get-validated was<br>
about. The desires and democratic and justice needs of<br>
the ordinary Haitians in Cite Soleil, Bel Air, Milot,<br>
Petit Goave, Au Cayes, well, it’s not and has never<br>
been a real part of the equation. Ambassador Foley’s<br>
agenda for Haiti is simply back on track.<br><br>
HAITIAN STREET DEMONSTRATOR: "The Whites are shouting<br>
elections, elections, ELECTIONS for Haiti! Elections<br>
have become the new chain the former slave-owners and<br>
their black overseers want to encircle around black<br>
feet in Haiti. Where was the U.N. Security Council<br>
when Caricom called for assistance, when President<br>
Aristide called for assistance that would have shored<br>
up the elected Haitian government? Now that the<br>
people's voting rights have been trashed, their voices<br>
silenced, their freedom taken away, their country<br>
occupied, now the Whites and the bourgeoisie can't<br>
stop calling for elections in Haiti...."<br><br>
The demonstrators on the streets of Haiti are saying<br>
that Haiti's slide into complete lawlessness started<br>
with the bi-centennial coup and continues today with<br>
most of the former Haitian military, known human<br>
rights abusers, drug dealers, gangsters and rapists,<br>
paid 5,000 each and restructured into the new “law and<br>
order” state apparatus.<br><br>
The demonstrators cannot forget the U.N. entered Haiti<br>
to stop human rights abuses, protect civilians and now<br>
suddenly all they are there to do is “prepare the<br>
country for elections.” How can they when they are the<br>
victims of the U.N. troops’ unwillingness to disarm<br>
the coup d’etat instigators, the victims of the U.N.’s<br>
willingness to arm the former military, paramilitary<br>
and re-imaged them as “police” or so-called<br>
“legitimate” political party candidates. The peaceful<br>
demonstrators cannot conveniently forget that the<br>
U.S./Canada and French soldiers invaded Haiti with the<br>
U.N. Security council's permission to purportedly<br>
"stop a bloodbath from occurring" after the ouster of<br>
President Aristide. But a bloodbath wasn't averted at<br>
all. More than 10,000 Haitians have been reported dead<br>
as a result of the U.S.-backed regime change in Haiti.<br>
And the human right situation that the U.N. allegedly<br>
entered Haiti to stabilize has worsen, making Haiti a<br>
hell on earth for the majority of poor Haitians.<br><br>
In fact, let us not forget, the first thing the U.S.<br>
Marines, who preceded the UN troops, did in Haiti was<br>
allow the paid mercenary, Special forces-trained<br>
assassin, Guy Phillipe, into Port au Prince while the<br>
U.S. soldiers closed down the medical school doors to<br>
over 200 Haitian medical students turning the school<br>
into its army barracks.<br><br>
Let us not forget that with the February 2004<br>
bicentennial coup, more than three thousand (3,000)<br>
hard core prisoners from the National Penitentiary<br>
were simply let out of prison and are today roaming<br>
the streets of Haiti killing, pillaging, raping and<br>
generally presenting a significant danger and<br>
contributing to the question of insecurity that has<br>
increased rather than decreased as over 7,000 UN<br>
troops strut through the streets of Haiti, weapon at<br>
the ready.<br><br>
Weapons, a few Haitians are saying, used to force<br>
Haitian women into corners for UN soldiers to rape<br>
them. Weapons that have summarily executed suspected<br>
“chimeres” (“bandits”) including brutally murdered<br>
pregnant Haitian women, as in Cite Soleil last week,<br>
school children, market women, unarmed civilian<br>
demonstrators and an unknown number of young black<br>
Haitian men, who the interim government has<br>
criminalized to dehumanized as "bandits" to justify<br>
the summary execution. (See, Robert Muggah, Small Arms<br>
Survey,<br>
<a href="http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/occasional.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/occasional.htm<br>
</a>in the<br>
Globe and Mail, indicating that despite the U.N.<br>
troops public position that they are on operations to<br>
"disarm" armed factions, the Pentagon and the Bush<br>
administration have sold at least $7 million worth of<br>
arms to the<br>
current U.S. installed regime in Haiti to equip a<br>
police force summarily executing civilians in Haiti.<br>
See, the Issue of Disarmament under Matters for<br>
Investigations by OAS/Caricom, African Union, U.S.<br>
Congress in Haiti.)<br><br>
The U.N. soldiers along with Haitian police have been<br>
accused by human rights activist of summary<br>
executions. The current slaughter in Cite Soleil by<br>
MINUSTHA is an example. Yet, Haiti doesn't have a<br>
death penalty.<br><br>
Even criminals, like for instance the ex-soldiers who<br>
took up arms against the Constitutional government,<br>
such as Ravix and Grenn Sonen, do not deserve to be<br>
summarily executed by U.N. troops. No human being, who<br>
is unarmed, wounded and defenseless, even a Hitler<br>
deserves a trial if he could have been duly arrested<br>
without risking any more innocent lives. That is what<br>
civilization is about: the rule of LAWS!<br><br>
According to reports both Ravix and Grenn Sonen (Jean<br>
Anthony) were caught alive, were wounded, disarmed or<br>
not even armed in the case of Ravix, and couldn't<br>
defend themselves. Yes these guys are killers and<br>
needed to be stopped but where is the example of<br>
justice-at-work that the UN is supposed to be teaching<br>
Haitians? How is pumping so many bullets into Ravix<br>
and Grenn Sonen, to the point where their faces are<br>
unrecognizable, a sign of democracy-at-work, an<br>
example of "stopping the Haitian bloodletting?"<br><br>
Because people who went to see these two bodies found<br>
them so completely unrecognizably filled with bullets,<br>
some Haitians are even speculating that both these<br>
men, former military who took up arms against the<br>
Constitutional government, were not actually killed by<br>
their former benefactor's proxies, but were just taken<br>
off the scene for SHOW. To prepare for the U.N.<br>
Security Council's meeting in Haiti and show that the<br>
U.N. troops were not only, for a year, presiding over<br>
the killing of Lavalas supporters but are "fair and<br>
even-handed" and are neutralizing all armed factions.<br>
(See, Andrew Buncombe's article, "Bush Administration<br>
'Broke its own embargo to sell arms to Haiti police'<br>
and Robert Muggah's article in the globe and Main in<br>
Canada "U.S. Funnels $7 million in Arms to haiti's<br>
Puppet Regime, Death Squads"<br>
<a href="http://auto_sol.tao.ca/node/view/1303" eudora="autourl">
http://auto_sol.tao.ca/node/view/1303</a> )<br><br>
The truth of the matter is, it is not hard to see why<br>
Haitians don't trust the U.N., the U.S. or any of the<br>
International Community bodies traditionally<br>
supporting the armed factions for the bourgeoisie<br>
against the people's liberation. The Haitian people<br>
have been clear, they prefer to die than abdicate<br>
their power as a nation, as a people to foreign-made<br>
sweatshop kingpins and the variously elite architects<br>
of the demise of justice and democracy in Haiti.<br><br>
The U.N. Security Council members in Haiti could learn<br>
a lot about what democracy means if they would come<br>
down from the Montana mountain to observe the daily<br>
demonstrations against the Coup d’etat which are bound<br>
to continue. Even as they fall down under U.N.<br>
bullets, even (it was reported that at yesterday’s<br>
(April 15, 2005) demonstration for the return of<br>
President Aristide, at least 10 peaceful demonstrators<br>
were slaughtered) as innocent Haitian civilians<br>
attempt to make their voices heard, even as young<br>
Haitian men, who unlike the criminals freed from<br>
prison as a result of the U.N. security council's<br>
intervention, men who had no criminal record, are<br>
continually arrested, brutally murdered by both<br>
Haitian police and UN soldiers, they refuse to stop<br>
calling for the physical return of President Aristide<br>
and the Constitutional government.<br><br>
“Democracy” the people of Haiti are saying means the<br>
process by which they get better access to literacy,<br>
health care, a living wage.<br><br>
Elections is not a means in and of itself. It must<br>
represent a believable-by-the people, for-the-people<br>
push towards potable water, peace, justice, freedom of<br>
expression, end of social repressions, summary<br>
executions!. There can be no elections if the peoples’<br>
call for justice, civil and human rights, for return<br>
of President Aristide, for validation of their last<br>
election, for respect for their will, there can be no<br>
legitimate elections in Haiti if these demands of the<br>
people of Haiti, are not part of the equation for the<br>
U.N. security councils-backed elections in Haiti. Will<br>
the U.N. Security Council hear the people of Haiti or<br>
turn a deaf ear, blind eye and unwisely and<br>
undemocratically continue pushing for an election the<br>
Haitian majority has said it will not stand for unless<br>
President Aristide is physically returned to Haiti,<br>
all political prisoners are released, and all illegal,<br>
arbitrary arrests, extended and improper detentions<br>
and summary executions in Haiti stops.<br><br>
*****<br><br>
<br>
*******<br>
Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers' Leadership Network<br>
******<br><br>
"Men anpil chay pa lou" is Kreyol for - "Many
hands<br>
make light a heavy load."<br><br>
See, The Haitian Leadership Networks' 7 "Men Anpil<br>
Chay Pa Lou" campaigns to help restore Haiti's<br>
independence, the will of the mass electorate and the<br>
rule of law.<br>
<a href="http://www.margueritelaurent.com/law/lawpress.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/law/lawpress.html<br>
</a>*******************<br>
Here is what you can do to help us help the people of<br>
Haiti:<br>
***************<br>
Action Requested from Haiti solidarity groups and<br>
activists for justice and democracy<br>
**********************<br><br>
Please circulate our mailings and posts to your<br>
mailing list and e-mail contacts. Subscribe by writing<br>
to: Erzilidanto@yahoo.com<br><br>
Read, adopt and circulate the Haiti Resolution (see<br>
below) from the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network<br>
and/or the Porto Alegre Declarations on Haiti adopted<br>
at the World Social Forum in 2005:<br>
<a href="http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/declaration.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/declaration.html<br><br>
</a>Circulate the human rights reports, especially the<br>
latest Miami Law Center report:<br>
<a href="http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/human_rights_reports/c1humanrightsreports.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/human_rights_reports/c1humanrightsreports.html<br>
<br>
</a>Do Press Work: Join our letter writing campaigns to<br>
help free the political prisoners in Haiti, stop the<br>
persecution of Haiti's most popular political party<br>
and restore Constitutional rule. Write a letter, call<br>
the media, fax, - See our Press Work page for sample<br>
letters and contact information:<br>
<a href="http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/presswork/pressreleases_hll.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/presswork/pressreleases_hll.html<br>
<br>
</a>HLLN Networkers are urged, in addition to the general<br>
writing campaigns and e-mail circulations, to also<br>
consider volunteering as primary<br>
coordinators/contributors to one of our seven<br>
campaigns:<br>
<a href="http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html<br><br>
</a>Support our lawyers in Haiti and HLLN projects, such<br>
as, our partnership with AUMOHD, the young human<br>
rights lawyers in Haiti who are defending the<br>
defenseless poor whose only crime is that they voted<br>
for Lavalas, supported Constitutional rule or are<br>
resisting a return of the bloody U.S.-trained Haitian<br>
army and US-sponsored dictatorship. For information on<br>
AUMOHD, go to:
<a href="http://www.april6vt.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.april6vt.org/<br>
</a>*********<br><br>
Support the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Haiti<br>
Resolution:<br><br>
1. Demand the return of constitutional rule to Haiti<br>
by restoring all elected officials of all parties to<br>
their offices throughout the country until the end of<br>
their mandates and another election is held, as<br>
mandated by Haiti's Constitution;<br><br>
2. Condemn the killings, illegal imprisonment and<br>
confiscation of the property of supporters of Haiti's<br>
constitutional government and insist that Haiti's<br>
illegitimate "interim government" immediately cease<br>
its persecution and put a stop to persecution by the<br>
thugs and murderers from sectors in their police<br>
force, from the paramilitaries, gangs and former<br>
soldiers;<br><br>
3. Insist on the immediate release of all political<br>
prisoners in Haitian jails, including Prime Minister<br>
Yvon Neptune, Interior Minister Privert and other<br>
constitutional government officials and<br>
folksinger-activist Sò Ann;<br><br>
4. Insist on the disarmament of the thugs, death squad<br>
leaders and convicted human rights violators and their<br>
prosecution for all crimes committed during the attack<br>
on Haiti's elected government and support the<br>
rebuilding of Haiti's police force, ensuring that it<br>
excludes anyone who helped to overthrow the<br>
democratically elected government or who participated<br>
in other human rights violations;<br><br>
5. Stop the indefinite detention and automatic<br>
repatriation of Haitian refugees and immediately grant<br>
Temporary Protected Status to all Haitian refugees<br>
presently in the United States until democracy is<br>
restored to Haiti; and<br><br>
6. Support the calls by the OAS, CARICOM and the<br>
African Union for an investigation into the<br>
circumstances of President Aristide's removal. Support<br>
the enactment of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's T.R.U.T.H<br>
Act which calls for U.S. Congressional investigation<br>
of the forcible removal of the democratically elected<br>
President and government of Haiti.<br>
***************<br>
To subscribe or unsubscribe, contact<br>
Erzilidanto@yahoo.com<br><br>
<br>
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