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<font size=3>Haitian police provide machetes for attacks, UN bears<br>
responsibility by Ben Terral | 8/14/05<br><br>
<a href="http://haitireport.blogspot.com/" eudora="autourl">
http://haitireport.blogspot.com/<br><br>
<br>
</a>Reports continue to come in of UN and Haitian police attacks on <br>
civilians; go to
<a href="http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/08/1758961.php" eudora="autourl">
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/08/1758961.php</a> for an<br>
August 10 alert from the Haiti Action Committee, which includes<br>
chilling details of paramilitary thugs attacking unarmed civilians
with<br>
machetes. Haitian media outlets report that the machetes were<br>
distributed out of a National Police car. The attack described in
said<br>
alert took place in Solino, a neighborhood which was under siege when
I<br>
arrived in Haiti last month (see my post from Friday, July 22, 2005
:<br>
quick note on Friday).<br><br>
The action alert quotes a community leader: "They are trying to
<br>
dismantle the grassroots leadership of Lavalas by killing them -- in<br>
one neighborhood after another. This is all in preparation for the
sham<br>
elections they have cooked up for this fall to try and legitimize
the<br>
February 29, 2004 coup d'etat and the coup regime. By 'they' I mean
the<br>
death-squad government and their US, UN, French and Canadian
backers."<br><br>
On our July visit to Haiti, my colleague Doug Spalding and I spoke to
a<br>
community-based journalist who has been documenting UN and Haitian <br>
police attacks in popular (i.e. pro-Lavalas) neighborhoods during
the<br>
current coup period.<br><br>
The journalist, who I will call Pierre (for security reasons I prefer
<br>
not to risk using his real name) has been denouncing massacres on
radio<br><br>
stations in Miami and on MegaStar in Haiti. Pierre was told by a
friend<br>
with the Haitian Police that certain police will kill him if they
see<br>
him, as a special death squad called "Zero Tolerance" is after
him.<br>
Already, police have shot at Pierre.<br><br>
Pierre describes himself as "the human rights guy in the
popular<br>
neighborhoods," which is why he's being hunted. He has been in
hiding <br>
for several months but continues to risk his life by documenting human
<br>
rights abuses committed by police and UN peacekeepers.<br><br>
Pierre showed us video footage of a July 11 police operation, where <br>
about 15 people were killed on Rue Tiremase downtown, near Bel
Air.<br><br>
He also showed us footage of the aftermath of a July 5 combined <br>
operation between Haitian police and UN peacekeepers. It included<br>
images of a Bel Air resident named William St. Mercy, who was in a<br>
wheelchair in the courtyard in front of his residence when UN troops<br>
burst through the courtyard's gate and blew the top of his head off.<br>
William's sister testified on camera that Brazilian UN troops fired
gas<br>
and came into courtyard with no provocation.<br><br>
After the operation, a UN spokesperson said that "peacekeepers"
killed <br>
seven "bandits", which included William in his wheel chair and
a<br>
cobbler at work in his second floor residence. Pierre witnessed
eight<br>
people shot in the operation, four of whom let him film their
injuries.<br>
The survivors testified that UN soldiers were shooting "without
any<br>
control."<br><br>
Pierre explained the situation: "Right now there is a campaign in
the <br>
media to describe popular neighborhoods as unsafe, which keeps<br>
journalists from going into area to see what¹s really going on
there. <br><br>
There is no justice for the people in this country, one day the<br>
situation will be different, that's why I'm risking my life to
document<br>
that the coup government is shedding Haitian people's blood. So that<br>
one day, even if I'm not alive, there can be justice for these
crimes.<br>
It doesn't make sense that the international community maintains<br>
silence. People just want access to food, education, health care,<br>
justice, but it's still a situation where a wealthy few control the<br>
society. People are really suffering in the popular
neighborhoods.<br>
People are shot in the head so that others will be terrorized and
won't<br>
come out in the streets. I have footage of a massacre at Fort
Damanche,<br>
where a resident was hiding under a bed, and got shot multiple times
at<br>
close range - these are summary executions.<br><br>
"In the poorest neighborhoods people don't have anything, and often
<br>
can't survive. The government has excluded them from economic<br>
decisions. The government also created conditions where armed
actions<br>
are sometimes <br>
taken for survival."<br><br>
Good luck finding such analysis in the mainstream. Typically, the <br>
emphasis is on violence attributed to the sectors who have been
under<br>
attack since the February 29,2004 coup which ousted not only
President<br>
Aristide but also his entire government. A good example of such<br>
accepted framing can be found in a May 16, 2005 letter from Human<br>
Rights Watch to the UN Security Council on the Renewal of the
Mandate<br>
of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The<br>
Washington-based NGO writes, "During a recent mission to Haiti,
Human<br>
Rights Watch documented daily acts of violence in Port-au-Prince. We<br>
found that much of the violence is perpetrated by armed gangs
claiming<br>
affiliation with former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.<br><br>
Despite security operations carried out jointly by MINUSTAH and the <br>
Haitian National Police (HNP), neighborhoods such as Cite Soleil
remain<br><br>
paralyzed by violence."<br><br>
Whether or not the UN participates in attacks on civilians (sometimes
<br>
they are joint operations, sometimes just the Haitian police), under<br>
its new mandate, the UN has responsibility for oversight of police.
But<br>
the UN's approach is to not acknowledge the realities of repression it
is<br>
in Haiti to support. In response to demands for an investigation of July
6<br>
Cite Soleil attacks in which UN forces killed women, children and
men,<br>
a UN press release claimed, "MINUSTAH forces take all possible
measures<br>
to reduce the risk of civilian casualties in their operations.
MINUSTAH<br>
forces did not target civilians in the operation on 6 July, but the<br>
nature of such missions in densely populated urban areas is such
that<br>
there is always a risk of civilian casualties. MINUSTAH deeply
regrets<br>
any injuries or loss of life during its security
operation."<br><br>
For another example of MINUSTAH's slippery approach to the truth, see
<br>
photos of holes blown in roof of Cite Soleil dweller's home by<br>
a helicopter which the UN denies fired any weapons:<br>
<a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0532,hunterweb,66630,2.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0532,hunterweb,66630,2.html<br>
</a>***********<br><br>
<b>U.S. envoy criticizes release of Haiti rebel<br>
</b>By Joseph Guyler Delva Fri Aug 12, 7:20 PM ET<br><br>
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Haiti on Friday
called the release from jail of a former death squad leader "a
scandal" and criticized the detention of former Prime Minister Yvon
Neptune as a human rights violation.<br>
ADVERTISEMENT<br><br>
U.S. Ambassador James Foley said the release on Thursday of Louis Jodel
Chamblain, who helped lead the armed rebellion that drove president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power last year, was proof that Haiti's
judicial system was not working.<br><br>
Chamblain is a former army officer who was one of the leaders of the
paramilitary group Front for the Advancement of Progress of the Haitian
People, which was blamed for some 3,000 deaths after a military coup
ousted Aristide in 1991 during his first presidency.<br><br>
"The release of Chamblain is a scandal for the country and for its
image around the world," said Foley, who is about to leave his post
in Haiti.<br><br>
Chamblain was convicted of the 1993 murder of a Haitian businessman and
for the 1994 killings of more than two dozen people in the northern city
of Gonaives.<br><br>
He surrendered in April 2004 under international pressure. His
convictions were overturned but Haitian authorities continued to detain
him on other allegations.<br><br>
Chamblain was released on Thursday after judicial authorities decided
there was no evidence to hold him.<br><br>
"We know that he is a man who had been found guilty on several
occasions of horrible crimes," Foley said. "Imagine, one
moment, the tarnished image of Haiti today, with Chamblain being released
and a former prime minister who continues to stagnate in
prison."<br><br>
Neptune, who served as prime minister under Aristide, was arrested in
June 2004 on allegations he masterminded killings in the village of La
Syrie in February 2004.<br><br>
Neptune has denied the accusations and has accused the U.S.-backed
interim government of holding him for political reasons. Human rights
groups have criticized the government for jailing hundreds of Aristide
supporters.<br><br>
Foley said Neptune's detention was a violation of human rights and
questioned whether he was involved in the deaths in La Syrie.<br><br>
"Was he part of it, did he give any order?" Foley said.
"No one has ever provided the least evidence, the least clue, the
least testimony about Neptune's involvement ... They bear a grudge
against him for Aristide's legacy."<br><br>
Aristide left Haiti on February 29, 2004, in the face of an armed
rebellion and under pressure from Washington and Paris. He is living in
exile in South Africa.<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><h1><b>Haiti: 29 Members of Congress pressure Bush for the release
of political prisoner Father Gerard
Jean-Juste</b></h1><font size=3>August 12, 2005<br><br>
<b>Washington, D.C.</b> -- Today, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) sent a letter
to President Bush, urging him to take action to obtain the release of
Father Gerard Jean-Juste from prison in Haiti. A total of 29 Members of
Congress signed the Congresswoman's letter. Copies of the letter were
sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, United Nations Special
Representative Juan Gabriel Valdés, and Ambassador James Foley, the U.S.
Ambassador to Haiti. The text of the letter follows:<br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>We write to express our
profound concerns about the unjust imprisonment of Father Gerard
Jean-Juste in Haiti. We urge you to take action at once to seek his
immediate and unconditional release from prison.<br><br>
Father Jean-Juste is a widely-respected Catholic priest and a courageous
advocate for peace and human rights in Haiti. During the 1970's, he
founded the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, Florida, where he worked to
provide assistance to refugees who were fleeing persecution under the
Duvalier regime. He returned to Haiti in 1991 and currently serves as the
pastor of Saint Claire Church in Port-au-Prince and runs a soup kitchen
for impoverished children in his parish. Fr. Jean-Juste has always spoken
out forcefully against all forms of violence.<br><br>
Father Jean-Juste was arrested on July 21, 2005, while attending the
funeral for Jacques Roche, a Haitian journalist who was kidnapped, held
for ransom and then murdered. Haitian police claimed he was arrested
because a "public clamor" at the funeral accused him of
murdering Jacques Roche, although he was in Miami at the time of the
murder. He currently is being detained in the Haitian National
Penitentiary.<br><br>
Amnesty International has determined that Father Jean-Juste is a prisoner
of conscience, who is detained solely because he has peacefully exercised
his right to freedom of expression. Amnesty International has urged that
he be immediately and unconditionally released.<br><br>
We respectfully request that you urge the Interim Government of Haiti to
release Father Jean-Juste immediately and unconditionally. We appreciate
your attention to our concerns.<br><br>
</font>Sincerely,<br>
<b>Maxine Waters</b> <b>Jan Schakowsky</b> <b>Barbara Lee<br>
John Conyers</b> <b>Charles Rangel</b> <b>Barney Frank<br>
Lynn Woolsey</b> <b>Sherrod Brown</b> <b>Maurice Hinchey<br>
Sheila Jackson-Lee</b> <b>Corrine Brown</b> <b>Earl Blumenauer<br>
Eleanor Holmes Norton</b> <b>Edolphus Towns</b> <b>Melvin L. Watt<br>
Tammy Baldwin</b> <b>Kendrick B. Meek</b> <b>Raúl Grijalva<br>
Donna Christensen</b> <b>Al Green</b> <b>Julia Carson<br>
Carolyn Kilpatrick</b> <b>Gregory Meeks</b> <b>Dennis Kucinich<br>
Donald Payne</b> <b>James P. McGovern</b> <b>Robert Wexler<br>
Major R. Owens</b> <b>Bob Filner</b> <br><br>
<br><br>
<div align="center"><font size=6><b>Haiti's leading political party
condemns "sham" elections, proposes censure of former Lavalas
representatives <br><br>
</font></div>
<font size=3 color="#BD0000"><i>Yon sèl randevou: randevou bò tab la</b>
<br><br>
</i></font><font size=4><b>Fanmi Lavalas asks its members not to stand in
line to be assassinated once more, as has occurred in Solino, Bel-Air,
Cite Soleil, Grand Ravines, La Saline, Barriere Bouteille, etc.<br><br>
</font><font size=5>Fanmi Lavalas Press Release:<br><br>
</font><font size=3>Whereas</b> President Jean Bertrand Aristide was
elected National Representative at the last convention of Fanmi
Lavalas.<br><br>
<b>Whereas</b> Article 29 of the Fanmi Lavalas Charter states: "The
National Representative is the chief executive of the Organization and
must ensure that the organization is run effectively. The National
Representative is obligated to protect and defend the organization and
its rights and to promote its work. The National Representative executes
all tasks as described in the statutes."<br><br>
<b>Whereas</b> the April 19th 2005 press release by the National
Representative of Fanmi Lavalas, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide,
stated: "Today in 2005, who can expect free, fair and democratic
elections in Haiti while thousands of Lavalas members and supporters are
in jail, exile and hiding?"<br><br>
<b>Whereas</b> the May 14th 2005 New York Resolution of Fanmi Lavalas,
delegates from Haiti, the 11th department, militants in exile,
representatives from Haitian peasant, trade union organizations and
grassroots organizations issued the clear position of the Organization
regarding the next elections.<br><br>
<b>Whereas</b> the July 28th 2005 press release by President Aristide's
spokeswoman denounced the allegations made by some sectors that they had
reached agreement with President Aristide to participate in the upcoming
sham elections.<br><br>
<b>Whereas</b> the August 4th 2005 press release by the interim
representative of Fanmi Lavalas reiterated once more, to whomever would
listen, that Fanmi Lavalas will neither participate nor send anyone to
participate in the sham elections organized by the February 29, 2004 Coup
d'État regime.<br><br>
<ol>
<li><b>The Political Organization Fanmi Lavalas</b> denounces and
strongly condemns the behavior of Senators Yvon Feuille and Louis-Gerard
Gilles, and Congressman Rudy Heriveaux and others who have neither the
authority nor the mandate to register the Organization into the next
elections. To register Fanmi Lavalas into these sham elections is a
demagogic maneuver and will not succeed.
<li><b>The Political Organization Fanmi Lavalas</b> will take the legal
and disciplinary measures that are appropriate in this case.
</ol><br>
<b>Because the people refuse to follow the de facto government's logic of
"election-by-selection", Fanmi Lavalas is asking the people not
to stand in line for the rigged electoral card.<br><br>
</b>Furthermore, Fanmi Lavalas asks its members not to stand in line to
be assassinated once more, as has occurred in Solino, Bel-Air, Cite
Soleil, Grand Ravines, La Saline, Barriere Bouteille, etc. People will
not bring themselves to the butchers. Remember November 29th, 1987 in
Ruelle Vaillant; remember September 11th, 1988 in Saint Jean
Bosco.<br><br>
<i>Remember, the one causing the pain may forget, but the one who bares
the scar always remembers.<br><br>
</i>Fanmi Lavalas asks the people to redouble their efforts to
relentlessly reinforce their mobilization and non-violent resistance
until the return of constitutional order and the hoisting of the people's
flag of dignity.<br><br>
With continuous mobilization and peaceful resistance, our liberation and
deliverance will come very soon. LIBERATION AND NON-VIOLENT MOBILIZATION
GO HAND IN HAND.<br><br>
Fanmi Lavalas Communication's Commission<br><br>
Mr. Angelot Bell<br><br>
Mr. Mario Dupuy<br><br>
Dr. Maryse Narcisse<br><br>
<br>
</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>
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