<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br><br>
April 20, 2005<br><br>
Chavannes Jean Baptiste is wrong for the Goldman Award<br><br>
contact:<br><br>
Brian Concannon, Institute for Justice and Democracy<br>
in Haiti
[<a href="http://www.ijdh.org/" eudora="autourl">www.ijdh.org</a>] 541
432 0597<br><br>
Robert Roth, Haiti Action Committee<br>
[<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net/" eudora="autourl">
www.haitiaction.net</a>] 415-297-7869<br><br>
<br>
Today international human rights lawyer Brian<br>
Concannon described Goldman Award winner Chavannes<br>
Jean Baptiste as “a strong organizer behind the<br>
political end of the coup which drove Haitian<br>
President Aristide from power.” Concannon added that<br>
“Baptiste’s organization also directly supported<br>
paramilitaries that waged terror campaigns leading up<br>
to the February 29, 2004 coup.” The current coup<br>
government is conducting an ongoing campaign of<br>
violent repression that rivals the terror of the<br>
1991-1994 coup, when at least 3000-5000 Haitians were<br>
killed. <br><br>
Robert Roth of the Haiti Action Committee noted, “As<br>
director of Peasant Affairs Chavanne has assisted in<br>
the coup government’s persecution of thousands of<br>
pro-Arisitide peasants, resulting in many<br>
hundreds of killings of dissidents.”<br><br>
Robert Roth continued, “Chavanne and other members of<br>
the MPP hosted members of the former military when<br>
they began their terror campaign against Haitian<br>
civilians in the Central Plateau in January 2004.<br>
Peasants from Mirabalais in the Central Plateau, as<br>
well as union organizers and priests, have shown human<br>
rights observers evidence that most of the weapons and<br>
men moved from the Dominican Republic to start the<br>
terror campaigns in Gonaives and Cap Haitien in early<br>
February 2004, came through Chavannes' territory, and<br>
received his support.”<br><br>
Numerous elected officials from the Central Plateau<br>
including the mayor of Hinche and the director of the<br>
area’s literacy program are now in hiding due to false<br>
allegations Chavanne<br>
has made against them over Haitian radio and<br>
encouraged the notoriously brutal Haitian police to<br>
arrest them. These officials now live in hiding,<br>
unable to return to their communities. <br>
<br><br>
Scores of U.S. human rights leaders and lawyers have<br>
documented and denounced repression carried out by<br>
Haiti’s current illegal coup regime, including<br>
representatives of the Quixote Center, EPICA<br>
(Ecumenical Program in Central America and the<br>
Caribbean), The National Lawyers' Guild, The Black<br>
Lawyers' Association, and Amnesty International. <br><br>
<br>
For more information:<br><br>
University of Miami Law<br>
School Human Rights Report,<br>
<a href="http://www.law.miami.edu/cshr/CSHR_Report_02082005_v2.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.law.miami.edu/cshr/CSHR_Report_02082005_v2.pdf<br><br>
</a>Haiti's Disappeared by Tom Reeves,<br>
<a href="http://www.april6vt.org/HaitiMain/background/Reeves.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.april6vt.org/HaitiMain/background/Reeves.html<br><br>
</a>April 18 KPFA Flashpoints report on Goldman award to<br>
Baptiste<br>
<a href="http://www.flashpoints.net/index.html#2005-04-18" eudora="autourl">
http://www.flashpoints.net/index.html#2005-04-18<br>
</a></font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
</html>