** Written 7:11 pm Dec 13, 1992 by hib in cdp:reg.carib **
From: Jane Regan <hib>
Subject: TWO MORE HAITIAN STUDENTS ARRESTED
From HAITIAN INFORMATION BUREAU
An alternative news and information service
Tel/fax: (509) 574047, E-mail: hib@igc.org
For human rights information:
Platform for Human Rights
Tel/fax: (509) 451653
* * * * URGENT RELEASE * * * *
AGRESSION AGAINST UNIVERSITY CONTINUES
TWO MORE STUDENTS ARRESTED DEC. 12
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Dec. 13 - Two more students were arrested
yesterday when the army closed down the teacher's college ("Ecole
Normale Superieure") at the State University of Haiti.
Pika Buron and another student, whose name is not known, were
arrested Saturday at the library by soldiers.
The de facto government put a "seal" on the college, legally closing
it, in another attempt to consolidate their control over the institution.
On Dec. 10 Gerard Bissanthe, a violent opponent of a return to democracy and the first de facto "Minister of Information" (under Jean-Jacques Honorat) was appointed rector of the university.
OTHER RECENT VICTIMS OF REPRESSION
Violent repression from soldiers and their armed civilian assistants
(section chiefs, "adjoints," "attaches," etc.) continues to rise.
* Maurice Damucy, a member of the KONAKOM party, was arrested
and beaten by soldiers on Dec. 11 near Port-de-Paix in the north of
the country. He is still believed to be in military custody.
KONAKOM, a party formed after a congress of democratic
organizations in 1987, is under direct attack from the de facto
regime. Two members were recently kidnapped and executed, and a
third (Luc Bresil) was kidnapped and is still missing.
* Elizda Franswa was publically beaten and killed by the local
section chief, Joel Jean-Baptiste, at his home in Port-de-Paix, also on
Dec. 10. Ceradye Franswa was also beaten and threatened at gunpoint when he attempted to take the body away. (Report according to Radio Tropique FM.)
CONTEXT OF REPRESSION
The university, high schools, and democratic organizations are
under increased attack from the de facto regime.
The regime has always been threatened by the partial autonomy
and democratic atmosphere of the university. Students have been
among the most outspoken critics of the coup d'etat, despite
continued repression and military presence in the schools.
This year's aggression against the university began Nov. 12 when
soldiers arrested a number of people attending a conference.
In late November the de facto government dissolved the
democratically elected "Conseils de Direction" of three of the colleges,
including the teachers' college, and on Dec. 1 replaced the dean of the
agronomy college.
That same day soldiers violently beat 62 agronomy students.
Twelve students are still missing, and some newspapers have
reported that their bodies might be among those recently discovered
in the state morgue and at Titanyen, an isolated area frequently used
by the army for dumping the bodies of their victims. Others believe
they are in army custody.
A number of highschool students and members of popular
organizations are also still missing since a military sweep of
communities around Port-au-Prince on Nov. 26-30.
While human rights organizations have verified that certain
people were definitely arrested, there are a number of others who
are simply missing. As many as 30 youths were arrested in Carrefour Feuilles, according to the Platform for Human Rights.
The army, attempting to justify their actions, said that the students and popular organizations were responsible for several small explosions around the capital in late November, but has produced no evidence to verify that claim.
PLEASE CONTACT THE PLATFORM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN HAITI FOR
MORE DETAILS ON THESE SPECIFIC CASES. Tel/fax: (509) 451563
PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP PRESSURE THE ILLEGAL
REGIME TO RESPECT THE PHYSICAL INTEGRITY OF THE DETAINEES
AND TO RELEASE ALL DETAINEES BY WRITING LETTERS, SENDING
FAXES, TELEXES, ETC. TO THE DE FACTO REGIME. (CONTACT LOCAL
AMNESTY OFFICE FOR ADDRESSES.)
ALSO, PLEASE PRESSURE YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO WORK MORE
SERIOUSLY FOR AN END TO THE ILLEGAL REGIME AND A RETURN OF
CONSTITUTIONALITY AND OF DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT
