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Urgent action alert from the Haiti Action Committee -<br>
December 24, 2006<br>
The UN’s Christmas present to Haiti -- A<br>
pre-dawn, heavy-caliber assault on the men, women and<br>
children of Cite Soleil<br>
<br>
In the early morning of Friday, December 22nd,<br>
starting at approximately 3 a.m., 400 Brazilian-led UN<br>
occupation troops in armored vehicles carried out a<br>
massive assault on the people of Cite Soleil, laying<br>
siege yet again to the impoverished community.<br>
Eyewitness reports said a wave of indiscriminate<br>
gunfire from heavy weapons began about 5 a.m. and<br>
continued for much of the day Friday -- an operation<br>
on the scale of the July 6, 2005 UN massacre in Cite<br>
Soleil. Detonations could be heard for miles, AHP<br>
reported.<br>
<br>
Initial press accounts reported at least 40<br>
casualties, all civilians. According to community<br>
testimony, UN forces flew overhead in helicopters and<br>
fired down into houses while other troops attacked<br>
from the ground with Armored Personnel Carriers<br>
(APCs). People were killed in their homes. UN troops<br>
from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia took part in<br>
the all-day siege, backed by Haitian police. UN<br>
soldiers once again targeted the Bois Neuf and<br>
Drouillard districts of Cite Soleil -- scene of the<br>
July 6th massacre.<br>
<br>
While reports are still coming in, this is what we do<br>
know right now:<br>
* A Reuters photographer "counted 9 bodies, and<br>
eyewitnesses counted 4 others dead. As many as 30<br>
people were wounded, humanitarian workers said. All of<br>
the casualties are believed to be civilians."<br>
(Reuters)<br>
* One Haitian human rights observer personally<br>
counted at least 17 dead bodies on the ground. This<br>
eyewitness also reported:<br>
+ A woman 6-months
pregnant was shot in the<br>
stomach, killing the unborn child. <br>
+ A man and his
8-year-old boy were in their<br>
beds when a helicopter rained bullets into their<br>
house, wounding both.<br>
+ A man named
Jacquelin Olivier was killed<br>
in his bed when bullets pierced the walls. He leaves a<br>
wife and 3-year old boy.<br>
* "The foreigners came shooting for hours without<br>
interruption and killed 10 people," said Bois Neuf<br>
resident Johnny Claircidor, quoted by Reuters. "They<br>
came here to terrorize the population," Cite Soleil<br>
resident Rose Martel told Reuters, referring to UN<br>
troops and police. "I don't think they really killed<br>
any bandits, unless they consider all of us as<br>
bandits."<br>
* Agence Haitienne de Presse (AHP) said Cite
Soleil<br>
"residents report very serious property damage and<br>
there are concerns that a critical water shortage may<br>
now develop because water cisterns and pipes were<br>
punctured by the gunfire." <br>
* "Local residents say the victims were ordinary<br>
citizens whose only crime was that they live in the<br>
targeted neighborhood." (AHP)<br>
<br>
UN soldiers block Red Cross vehicles from coming to<br>
aid the wounded -- According to Pierre Alexis, the<br>
Haitian Red Cross coordinator for Cite Soleil, the UN<br>
soldiers prevented the Haitian Red Cross from treating<br>
children injured during the assault. Alexis said that<br>
many children were suffering serious injuries, but<br>
that UN soldiers blocked Red Cross vehicles from<br>
entering Cite Soleil. AHP reported that "residents<br>
were outraged that [UN] soldiers refused to allow<br>
medical care...for people they had injured." Despite<br>
this, St. Catherine's Hospital in Cite Soleil reported<br>
receiving many wounded.<br>
<br>
Why this latest assault on the people of Cite Soleil?<br>
-- UN occupation authorities in Haiti claim it is part<br>
of their fight against "bandits" and
"kidnappers,"<br>
scapegoating the 300,000 residents of Cite Soleil.<br>
However, it is widely known throughout Port-au-Prince<br>
that kidnappers are coming from all sectors, including<br>
corrupt police officials and the wealthy. Does the UN<br>
lead military assaults on affluent neighborhoods where<br>
kidnappers are known to operate? Of course not.<br>
<br>
A more plausible explanation comes from grassroots<br>
activists in Cite Soleil. They argue that this is<br>
"punishment" for their ongoing protests demanding an<br>
end to the UN occupation, restoration of full<br>
democracy, return of President Aristide, and the<br>
release of political prisoners. Additionally, the<br>
people of Cite Soleil have been vigorously protesting<br>
the December 3rd municipal elections, in which there<br>
were widespread allegations of fraud and many from the<br>
popular neighborhoods were prevented from voting. <br>
<br>
Just recently, on December 16th, the people of Cite<br>
Soleil led a massive protest throughout Port-au-Prince<br>
marking the anniversary of Jean-Bertrand<br>
Aristide’s first election as president in 1990.<br>
[They marched despite the UN shooting up the district<br>
the night before, in what was widely viewed as a UN<br>
attempt to intimidate the populace on the eve of the<br>
march.] In the week following the march, tensions<br>
continued to escalate, culminating in the December<br>
22nd assault by UN forces under Brazilian command.<br>
<br>
Enough is enough! Join us in denouncing the ongoing UN<br>
terror attacks on the Haitian people!<br>
<br>
Now is the time for people in the US and throughout<br>
the world to step up our solidarity efforts with the<br>
people of Haiti. Our protests, calls and letters after<br>
the UN massacre in Cite Soleil on July 6th, 2005 --<br>
and the many UN attacks since then -- need to be<br>
updated, expanded, intensified. Demand an end to the<br>
UN’s repeated, brutal assaults on this besieged<br>
community. <br>
<br>
Email or fax the UN official below. Keep it brief.<br>
*** Denounce the massive, heavy-caliber assault on the<br>
citizens of Cite Soleil by UN occupation forces on<br>
Dec. 22, 2006. <br>
*** Demand reparations for the victims and their<br>
families. <br>
*** Demand prosecution of the UN officials, commanders<br>
and soldiers responsible for this latest UN atrocity<br>
in Haiti.<br>
<br>
TO: Edmond Mulet, UN Special Representative in Haiti<br>
-- mulet@un.org fax 011-509-244-3512<br>
cc to: Thierry Fagart, UN Human Rights chief in Haiti<br>
-- fagart@un.org fax 011-509-244-9366<br>
cc to: Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human<br>
Rights -- ngochr@ohchr.org fax 011-41-22-917-9011<br>
<br>
For more information: 510 483 7481 or email <br>
haitiaction@yahoo.com <br>
<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net /" eudora="autourl">
www.haitiaction.net </a> and
<a href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net /" eudora="autourl">
www.haitisolidarity.net </a> <br>
<br>
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