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<font size=3><br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=3 color="#333333"><b><u>Haiti
Action Committee Urgent Alert - Take Action Now!<br>
</u></font><font face="Times, Times" size=4 color="#FF0000">Protest
Brutal Attack on Haitian Street Vendors by U.N. Soldiers<br>
</b></font><font size=4> <br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=4>On Saturday, April 11th, a little
past 3 p.m., a MINUSTAH (UN) soldier, Nigerian Cpl. Nagya Aminu, was shot
and killed in downtown Port-au-Prince. While this killing was widely
reported in the international media, what followed the killing was
not.<br>
<br>
In the immediate aftermath of the killing, at approximately 3:30 p.m.
that same afternoon, MINUSTAH troops launched a massive assault on
Haitian vendors at the open-air sidewalk market near the main Cathedral
in downtown Port-au-Prince—the area where the soldier had been killed.
<br>
<br>
According to many different street vendors who directly witnessed the
MINUSTAH assault, four or five MINUSTAH soldiers emerged from parked
trucks near the market and began smashing up the property of street
vendors, setting the market on fire, setting off tear gas, and shooting
directly at unarmed vendors. <br>
<br>
According to one vendor, MINUSTAH soldiers used flame throwers to torch
the stalls. He said the soldiers also grabbed hammers and began
destroying property. This vendor was hit in the head by MINUSTAH soldiers
with these hammers. On April 17th, he showed a member of the Haiti Action
Committee and other US human rights observers a massive wound to his head
and a blood soaked shirt. He lost consciousness and was taken by a friend
to the St. Joseph Hospital nearby.<br>
<br>
Another vendor reported that he was shot in the leg by MINUSTAH soldiers
and showed his wound to the delegation. He also showed his medical
records from St. Joseph's Hospital where he had gone to be treated.<br>
<br>
Vendors spoke of people killed by MINUSTAH gun fire. According to an
officer of the National Association of Vendors, at least three people
were shot and killed by MINUSTAH soldiers, who allegedly zipped bodies
into bags and took them away. Reportedly, the families could not locate
the bodies in the local morgue. A different source indicated that more
people may have been killed. The Vendors Association officer also stated
that several hundred vendors may have lost their property in the
raid.<br>
<br>
The National Association for the Defense of Haitian Vendors and Consumers
has filed a formal complaint asking the Haitian President to take action
and secure compensation for the 263 Haitian vendors whose property was
reportedly destroyed by the MINUSTAH troops. Members of the association
provided our human rights delegation with a full listing of the names of
these vendors, what property they lost, and how much it was valued. For
many of these vendors, who live in dire poverty, the loss in property is
truly devastating. Additionally, the Association provided us with a list
naming seven people who were injured and two killed -- Amonese Pierre and
Anna Ainsi Connu -- by the MINUSTAH troops.<br>
<br>
This kind of massive assault by MINUSTAH troops on the civilian
population has happened many times before, such as the notorious attack
on the people of Cite Soleil on July 6th, 2005. It is time for the
international human rights community to stand up in defense of the street
vendors and the Haitian people.<br>
<br>
<b>Take action to demand that the MINUSTAH soldiers involved in this
latest outrage are prosecuted for crimes against civilians!<br>
</b> <br>
MINUSTAH, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, was brought
into Haiti by the UN in June 2004, several months after the U.S., Canada
and France forced then-President Jean Bertrand Aristide out of office and
into exile. Some 9,000 military and police officers from different
countries are charged with keeping the peace, but have been accused by
many of targeting Aristide supporters. More than 100 U.N. soldiers have
been deported from Haiti, having been accused of sexual abuse. The June
2007-July 2008 budget for the UN operation in Haiti is $535 million.<br>
<br>
<b>Take action to demand that the street vendors receive full
compensation for what they
lost!</b></font><font face="Times, Times" size=5>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=4> <br>
</font> <br>
<font face="Times, Times" size=4>Contact:<br>
</font><font size=2>UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)<br>
Tel: 011-509-244-0650/0660<br>
FAX: 011-509-244-9366/67<br>
Or, Fax Office of Secretary General (New York): 212-963-4879<br>
</font><font size=4> <br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=2>President Rene Preval<br>
Fax to 206-350-7986 (a US number) or email to
<a href="mailto:avokahaiti@aol.com">avokahaiti@aol.com</a> <br>
Your letter will be hand-delivered to the Presidential Palace in
Haiti.<br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=4 color="#333333"> <br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=2>Haitian Ministry of Justice<br>
Tel: 011-509-245-0474<br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=4 color="#333333"> <br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times, Times" size=2>Contact Haiti Action Committee at
<a href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net">www.haitisolidarity.net</a><br>
More news & information at
<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net">www.haitiaction.net</a> <br><br>
<br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
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