NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9432

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Subject: HAITI: RESISTANCE AND DEMOCRACY December 5, 1992
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/** reg.carib: 454.0 **/
** Topic: HAITI BULLETIN #166 **
** Written  8:29 pm  Dec 14, 1992 by smalagodi in cdp:reg.carib **
HAITI: RESISTANCE AND DEMOCRACY
Bulletin # 166  December 5, 1992

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Port-au-Prince

UNIVERSITIES:

The decision of the Minister of National Education, Mr. Max
Carre, to dismiss the elected governing boards of some
faculties gave rise to a protest movement in various faculties of
the State University of Haiti. The students intended to protest
that measure, which constitutes a serious blow to the
autonomy of the University. The protest movement was
forcefully repressed by the military. This repression resulted in
many disappearances and serious injuries among the
students. In the evening of December 2, National Television
presented testimony by police affirming that they had attacked
the students because the latter had received them badly.

TEACHERS COLLEGE Tuesday December 1: Some
soldiers in uniform and civil militiamen were seen in the
morning of December 1st at the entrance of the Teachers
College, where the new officials appointed by the de facto
Minister of National Education, Mr. Max Carre, were preparing
to assume their duties, according to Professor Bernard
Senatus. The students of Teachers College were
demonstrating inside the building and the gate was locked.
(Tropic FM, December 1, 1992)

At about 7 a.m., the students were working normally when Ms.
Alezi arrived accompanied by three men in civilian clothing and
a policeman. The policeman told the students that he was
there to assure the security of the faculty. The students
refused that presence and locked the main gate to the school.
Faced with this categorical refusal, the lawyer, Alezi, served a
verbal process and departed.

At about 10 a.m., several heavily armed soldiers from the Anti-
Gang service entered the area of the Teachers College and
gathered around the building. To avoid being beaten, the
students remained inside the building all morning. They were
not able to leave the faculty until later in the afternoon.

FACULTY OF AGRONOMY: Installation of a new dean by
the military on December 1. Students of the Faculty of
Agronomy demonstrated this Tuesday against the de facto
government of Marc Bazin and in favor of the return of
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The demonstration, which
took place inside the Faculty of Agronomy, gave equal place to
the movement protesting the blow struck by Mr. Max Carre
against the elected governing boards of certain faculties in the
capital. (Tropic FM, December 2, 1992)

"Several dozen uniformed soldiers and civil militiamen arrived
this Tuesday at the Faculty of Agronomy to thwart the student
protest movement against installation of Mr. Robert Joseph as
head of that Faculty. Eight were seriously wounded, sixteen
were slightly wounded and a dozen disappeared. These were
the figures submitted by the Faculty of Agronomy Students
Committee Tuesday night." (Tropic FM, December 2, 1992)

At about 3 p.m. on Tuesday December 1, Minister Baker
installed the new governing council of the Faculty of
Agronomy. The students shunned the installation ceremony,
reciting slogans in favor of members of the dismissed council.
Then some soldiers arrived and began to beat many students
severely with clubs.

According to the information we have received, several
students who were already inside the bus which usually takes
them to the city (the Faculty being situated north of the city)
were injured by rocks thrown at the bus windows by soldiers.

Then they were forced to get out of the bus, one by one, and
were severely beaten by the soldiers. The women were struck
on the waist and the chest and the men on the head. One of
the soldiers directing the operation shot in that direction. The
bullet struck a tree where it remains lodged.

Among the injured students are the following: Simeon, Jean
Paul Dimanche, Sterlin, Seramiena, Carline, Demorcy Garcia,
Lyse Desamour, Romano, Cinteya Jean Baptiste, Claude
Phanord, Egalite Irlande, Serge Jean, Etienne Emmanuel,
Marie Carmel Joseph, Witny Garcon, Dayiti Felix, Balthazar,
Kesner Michel, Gregory Vieux, Lisere Giroinan, Noel Wisdel,
Michael Marcelin, Jean Vladimir, Jean Herold Limage, Gineus
Jude Petrus, Jean Panel, Wesner Antoine, Emmanuel
Jacques Joaquin and Michel Louis. The latter two are, at
present, in hospital in very serious condition. Their lives are in
danger, according to the physicians' diagnoses.

Disappeared students. Several other students, who were
caught in a classroom, were very severely beaten, then
arrested and taken to the Petite Place Cazeau, a police station
located near the Faculty. Relatives of these students have had
no news to date.

FACULTY OF SCIENCES: Justice seals the main gates.
Justice sealed the main gate of the Faculty of Sciences, where
students opposed installation of a new governing board. (Radio
Metropole, December 3, l992)

WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS. Since the
explosions of home-made bombs on November 23rd, the
situation in Port-au-Prince has been very tense. Arrests in
working class neighborhoods are increasing. On November
26, three students, including Souverain Jean Gardy (Lycee
Jean Jacques student) and, Patrick Joseph (Lycee Anacaona
in Leogane), were arrested in their homes by soldiers of the
Anti-Gang service on the charge that they were terrorists. On
November 27, these same soldiers raided homes of a dozen
students in neighborhoods of Avenue Bolosse, Martissant,
Fontamara and Carrefour. These students were barely able to
escape and go into hiding.

In Carrefour-Feuilles, more than 30 young people who
participate in a coordination of popular organizations, including
Mrs. William Benzaire and Jean Augustin, were arrested the
night of November 30. Taken to Anti-Gang prison, they were
all severely beaten. Jean Augustin is in very serious condition
and needs medical care. This information was confirmed by a
former Radio Cacique journalist (a radio station which is now
closed), named Rodaille. In connection with that arrest, this
journalist, who is a friend of Jean Augustin, was interrogated
on December 1st, taken to the Anti-Gang prison where he was
confronted with the detainee and subjected to a very close
interrogation. Rodaille was nevertheless released after two
hours of detention.

This manhunt continued until December 3rd in that
neighborhood, where the home of AMAPP member Lionel
Theodore was searched. Lionel Theodore, who has been in
hiding for 5 months, had come home to get some clothing that
day. He was able to escape with the help of some cousins.

Portail Saint Joseph. On Wednesday, December 2nd, police
dispersed a demonstration near the Portail Saint Joseph with
clubs. Several merchants' stores were sacked. Police arrested
"Ti Sannon" a small merchant of the area.

Martissant: Maurice (Djobo) executed. A man going by the
name of Djobo (real name Maurice), who was mentioned in
bulletin # 165 has having been arrested in Leogane, had
actually escaped and was able to hide in the Martissant area.
In the morning of December 3rd, this man was found dead, his
body horribly mutilated, in Pont Brea, route des Dalles. The
body, with one arm cut off, evidence of 4 bullet wounds and
long gashes on the face and back, was left on the street all
day.

Three students arrested. Three youths, Jean Gardy
Sauveur, Caudy Ganthier and Patrick Joseph, were arrested
on November 27 in Martissant. Up to now, charges against
these youths have not been filed. Relatives of the detainees
are asking that their cases be examined. (Tropic FM,
December 1, l992)

PROVINCES

Jean Rabel: On Sunday November 29, military authorities of
Jean Rabel arrested Burnet Moise, a New Jersey seminarian
the charge of having criticized prime minister Marc Bazin from
the pulpit, reports the Haitian Press Agency, citing a source
close to the Bishop of Port-de-Paix. According to friend of
Burnet Moise, his release was ordered by the Port-de-Paix
Civil Court, but the military is still holding him prisoner at the
Port-de-Paix barracks. (Tropic F.M., December 2, 1992)

Reacting to his arrest, a member of the Haitian Religious
Conference stated, "The Marc Bazin government will have to
open new prisons, because almost the entire population
criticizes the de facto prime minister." (Tropic FM, December
1, 1992)

NEW DISAPPEARANCE OF A KONAKOM MEMBER

Mr. Jacques Derenoncourt, member of the Congress of
Democratic Movements (KONAKOM), has disappeared since
December 2nd. According to some testimony, he was
abducted by armed civilians in the center of Port-au-Prince.
Mr. Derenoncourt, a 40 year old engineer, was also an official
in a non governmental organization working with peasants, the
"Association for Integrated Economic Development".

A little later in the evening, Felder Domond, AIED member,
was arrested in his home by soldiers from the Cafeteria
station. According to information received on that arrest,
Felder, who is a friend of Mr. Derenoncourt, was with him
shortly before his abduction. His home was identified by
Jacques Derenoncourt's son, from whom the soldiers obtained
information.

Two other KONAKOM activists, Wesner Luc and Justin Bresil,
were abducted on November 22 by armed civilians in suburbs
south of Port-au-Prince. Mr. Luc's body was found on
November 24, north of the city, with bullet wounds and knife
cuts. Mr. Bresil is still disappeared. (Tropic FM, December 3,
1992)

REFUGEES

Repatriation: 263 Haitian refugees, intercepted on the high
seas while trying to reach the shores of Florida, were
repatriated on the morning of December 1st to Port-au-Prince
by the American Coast Guard. Last Tuesday, 159 other
refugees were returned the same way. This brings to 5,369 the
number of Haitian refugees intercepted on the high seas and
repatriated directly to Haiti, following American President
George Bush's decision last May 24. (Tropic FM, December 2,
1992)

American lawyers denounce the treatment of Haitian
refugees with the AIDS virus. A group of American lawyers
from an American university denounced the conditions of
detention of Haitian boat people infected with the AIDS virus at
the Guantanamo base in Cuba. According to these Americans
who visited the camp, the Haitians live in a situation
comparable to prisoners in the Second World War. The group
also noted the deplorable sanitary conditions in which these
compatriots are living. (Metropole, December 3, 1992)

POLITICAL SCENE

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, addressing a youthful crowd
at New York City College on November 27, announced that he
had already met with American president-elect Bill Clinton and
that he is confident in the support that the latter promised to
restore the elected democratic government of Haiti to its
functions. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide also expressed the
same thoughts in a Voice of America broadcast received in
Haiti. (Tropic FM, December 3, 1992)

Press communique of the Presidential Commission. "The
de facto government is launching a course of action which
risks involving Haiti in a catastrophe of unpredictable
magnitude", warned the Presidential Commission formed by
President Aristide in a press communique dated November
3O, 1992.

On the political plane, affirms the Presidential Commission,
"the de facto (government) seems to have a single
preoccupation: to conquer power by placing a heavy hand on
key institutions." The Commission protested the
"institutionalized lack of respect for human rights by the Army
and the de facto government" and recalls that four months ago
it proposed a plan to end the crisis by returning to a state of
law. No response was given, even by those who claim they
want to negotiate, no matter where, no matter when. (Tropic
FM, December 1, 1992)

Gonaives. A delegation of the OAS-DEMOC civilian mission
in Haiti arrived in Gonaives on Tuesday. Their objective: to find
a house to serve as their base. (Tropic FM, December 1,
1992)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Amnesty International protests. The Amnesty International
human rights organizations declares that it is seriously
concerned by the arrest of at least a dozen students on
Tuesday at the Faculty of Agronomy. Amnesty International
also denounces the fact that soldiers mistreated students who
organized a peaceful demonstration against the decision to
appoint new officials in the Faculties of the University. (Tropic
F.M., December 3, 1992)

Statement of Mrs. Barbara McDougal. The Foreign
Secretary of Canada, Ambassador Barbara McDougal,
requested that United Nations Secretary General Boutros
Boutros Ghali take necessary measures to help resolve the
crisis in Haiti. In a communique made public after the recent
resolution by the United Nations General Assembly
condemning human rights violations in Haiti, Mrs. McDougal
announced that her country will intensify its efforts to have the
United Nations Security Council study the question and take
action. (Tropic FM, December 1, 1992)

Statement of American congressman Robert Torricelli. In
Miami, American congressman Robert Torricelli stated that he
is more confident of a resolution of the Haitian crisis, while
emphasizing on the Voice of America that the embargo is the
only measure which is able to prepare the ground for an action
favoring a solution of the Haitian crisis. Mr. Torricelli, who did
not explain what action, was participating last Tuesday in a
meeting on the Caribbean region. He indicated that the Clinton
Administration will adopt a firmer stance vis-a-vis the regime in
Port-au-Prince. (Le Nouvelliste, December 1,1992)

OTHER ITEMS

Food donated by US-AID on the Island of Gonave is
diverted into commercial trade.

According to an organizer working on the Island of Gonave, a
large quantity of wheat, oil, beans and flour which should be
distributed without charge to children, is stocked in the
barracks of the town to be sold at a good price on the market.
(Tropic FM, December 2, 1992)

###

Translated by Haiti Communications Project - Boston

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