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- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: Haiti Info Newsletter V1N1
- Message-ID: <1992Sep3.020928.7843@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
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- Organization: PACH
- Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 02:09:28 GMT
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-
- /** reg.carib: 296.0 **/
- ** Topic: Haiti Info/First Issue!!! **
- ** Written 7:12 pm Sep 1, 1992 by newslink in cdp:reg.carib **
- ***************** Announcing ******************
-
- Haiti Info
-
- News direct from the people and organizations of Haiti's
- grassroots democratic movement.
-
- Published in Port-au-Prince every two weeks by the Haitian
- Information Bureau <hib>@igc.org.
-
- This file contains the first issue of Haiti Info for your review.
- If you want to stay in touch with the latest news and analysis
- direct from Haiti............READ ON!
-
- ABOUT HAITI INFO:
-
- * Haiti Info, a four page newsletter, is published every two
- weeks in Haiti by the Haitian Information Bureau, and is edited by
- a group of committed individuals from democratic and popular
- sectors.
-
- All articles ) HIB. REPRINTS ENCOURAGED. Please cite Haiti Info
- and send us copies of usage Contacts: Robert Duval/Jane Regan
-
- * HIB is a non-profit, independent, alternative news agency
- founded to end Haiti's isolation and promote democracy by
- disseminatiing information directly from members and organizations
- of the grassroots democratic movement. HIB also issues press
- releases and provides journalists with contacts and assistance.
-
- * Haiti Info is available by mail, fax and electronic mail.
- Subscription rates range from U.S. $18 to $100, depending on the
- subscriber and method of subscription. Haiti Info will be
- available in French and Spanish by the end of 1992.
-
- For North American/European subscriptions contact newsLINK, 67
- Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. Tel: 617-661-7592.
- E-mail: newslink@igc.org.
-
- Other correspondence: Haitian Information Bureau, c/o Lynx Air,
- Box 407139, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33340, USA or B.P. 15533, Ption-
- ville, HAITI. TEMPORARY Fax: (509) 573560 E-mail: hib@igc.org.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Haiti Info, August 31, 1992, No. 1
-
- Sections: NEWS, PROFILE (interview), HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT, BEHIND
- THE HEADLINES (analysis), DEVELOPMENT NEWS, COMMON GROUND
- (historical and political conjunctures),ABOUT HAITI
- INFO
-
-
- NEWS:
-
- RISING REPRESSION
- Aug. 29, Port-au-Prince: Repression of civilians in Haiti has
- increased dramatically and systematically over the past month,
- according to numerous human rights groups.
-
- More alarming still is the reorganization of the repressive
- structures from the Duvalier era.
-
- Even those allied with the coup d'tat leaders admit the situation
- is beyond their control. At a Senate hearing last week, a number
- of outspoken enemies of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
- complained about increasing violations in their departments.
-
- Ministers from the illegal government were forced to acknowledge
- the repression, but have attempted to diffuse the issue by
- focusing on individual cases rather than admitting to its
- pervasiveness.
-
- The situation has gained the attention of international
- organizations like Amnesty International.
-
- Their new report on Haiti said "The security forces and thousands
- of civilians acting in collusion with them carry out a wide range
- of abuses... The old repressive structures, which the deposed
- government had partly succeeded in dismantling, are back in
- place."
-
- In a letter to the U.N. Centre for Human Rights, the U.S. Lawyers
- Committee for Human Rights said, "The executions in Haiti simply
- do not stopI I urge you once again to take immediate action."
- Paradoxically, the increase in repression has been accompanied by
- an increase in "political space" as more people come forward with
- reports. Even the conservative Radio Metropole, often critical of
- Aristide, broadcast a report on conditions in the Petion-ville
- jail on Aug. 28.
-
- "They call that room the cemetery, said a former prisoner. "They
- beat you on the head, under your feet, in the stomach, they break
- your bones, and hit you with six whips tied together they call hot
- peppers."
-
- From the nature of the cases reported it is clear that much of the
- repression is being carried out by an increasingly organized
- structure. Under previous regimes, those structures were set up
- and supported by the Haitian military as well as representatives
- of foreign interests.
-
- Today human rights organizations and others are trying to discern
- who is supporting the "thousands of civilians" involved with the
- military in repressive acts.
-
- While there are still questions to be resolved, one thing is
- apparent -- armed soldiers and civilians are boldly using the same
- violent methods throughout the country. Church leaders, students,
- journalists, peasant and union leaders are harassed, arrested,
- tortured and killed. There are also numerous "disappearances."
-
- Members of democratic and popular groups see the reemerging
- structures of repression as the main obstacle in the quest for a
- democracy. "ItUs not a question of investigating individual
- cases," said one. "ItUs a matter of looking into the whole
- system."
-
- Washington, D.C., Aug. 27: The Organization of American States
- today invited Marc L. Bazin, "prime minister" of the military-
- backed de facto government, to send a representative for "talks"
- here on Sept. 1.
-
- The O.A.S. sent a mission to Haiti two weeks ago in an attempt to
- end the crisis. Representatives met with members of the
- constitutional government and parliament, church and non-
- governmental organizations and coup-leader Gen. Raoul Cedras.
- [See Behind the Headlines section]
-
- PROFILE: People working for democracy
- LILIAN PIERRE-PAUL
-
- "On the seventh of August I was on my way to the Congress of the
- Federation of Latin American Journalists when at the Dominican
- Republic's border I was arrested by military officers at the
- Malpasse barracks.
-
- "They came into the bus and said that they were looking for
- Tterrorists,U and they arrested me. After a few hours of detention
- I was denied the right to travel and I was sent back toward Port-
- au-Prince."
-
- Liliane Pierre-Paul is a 35-year-old journalist from Les Cayes, a
- town on the southern coast of Haiti. She is one of the numerous
- victims of the ongoing and systematic repression exercised by the
- de facto government headed by Marc L. Bazin and coup-leader
- General Raoul Cedras.
-
- Unlike many others that have disappeared under the same
- circumstances, Liliane was more fortunate.
-
- Her reputation as a militant journalist fighting for democracy
- and freedom of the press elicited a prompt response of protests
- and denunciations of the forces which have been attempting to
- eliminate Haitians involved in the democratic movement.
-
- "I have been involved in communications since 1977, when I first
- joined Radio Haiti Inter, said Liliane. At the time, that station
- was at the forefront of the fight for freedom of speech and
- democratic change in Haitian society.
-
- "That particular period of forward motion toward some democratic
- gains lasted from 1977 until 1980 when Jean-Claude Duvalier's
- government cracked down and sent all of us journalists into exile
- and hiding."
-
- Liliane left Haiti until after Duvalier fled the country in 1986.
-
- "Although that experience was a nightmare for all democratic
- forces, I feel that what has happened in this last coup d'tat of
- September, 1991, is far more damaging to Haitian society as a
- whole," she said.
-
- "Not only did they crush all independent radio stations,
- assassinate journalists and intimidate others into self-
- censorship, but most important they momentarily silenced the
- voices of the people.
-
- "You have to remember that the radio stations are the most
- efficient ways for the majority of the Haitian people to express
- their desires and their frustrations, especially when they do not
- find any institutions which take them into account.
-
- "The gains we fought for so strongly and thought were irreversible
- have been seriously hit. The dismantling of these gains was
- possible thanks to a well-planned and executed program that took
- place before, during, and after the coup d'tat.
-
- "Many journalists like myself have had to go into hiding, and
- still after we start circulating it's only to hear our names
- listed in the government media as targets for putchist fanatics."
-
- In spite of the unabated repression following the coup, Liliane
- found ways to continue her work. She stayed in touch with radio
- stations and reporters both inside the country and abroad, and
- kept them abreast of developments.
-
- Today she is circulating more publicly and is trying to continue a
- project she started before the coup with a group of other
- journalists, a radio station called Collectif Quisqueya. She is
- also freelancing and plans to visit the U.S. on a speaking tour to
- publicize the situation in Haiti.
-
- "We have to keep fighting," she said. "Being alive is a fight, so
- keeping democratic gains also has to be a constant struggle."
-
- HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT:
-
- MIRAGOANE PRIEST HELD FOUR DAYS
- Mirago ne, Aug. 28: Father Valry Rbecca and four others, arrested
- by a solider and three armed civilians on Aug. 24, were released
- today. Father Rbecca has been harrassed by military repeatedly
- since the coup.
-
- DEAD BODIES FOUND ON STREETS
- Port-au-Prince area, Aug. 28: Two more bodies riddled with
- bullets were found on the streets this morning, one in Canape Vert
- and the other in the suburb of Thomassin.
-
- Almost every morning bodies turn up in different parts of the
- country. Sometimes they are left out for hours in an attempt to
- intimidate passersby.
-
- FATHER, DAUGHTER, AND SON ARRESTED
- Gonaves, Aug. 24: A father and his daughter were arrested and
- beaten by military looking for the man's son, a student at the Law
- School. The boy had offended an army captain by responding to a
- question.
-
- Soldiers later returned to the home and arrested the boy. All
- three family members were severely beaten and are currently in the
- hospital.
-
- MORE DISAPPEARANCES
- Verrette, Aug. 24: Duval d'Arnaud Romlus disappeared four days
- ago, according to family members.
-
- The family blamed the local Chief of Section but would not give
- any more details because they had received death threats.
-
- ARMY SHOOTS THREE
- Port-au-Prince, Aug. 18: A group of men putting up Aristide
- posters hours before the arrival of the O.A.S. mission were killed
- by soldiers, according to neighbors who later found blood in the
- area. Thier bodies were later recovered.
-
- ARISTIDE INFORMATION OFFICER SHOT
- Port-au-Prince, Aug. 17: Clifford Larose, a former employee of
- Ministry of Information under Aristide, was shot twice by armed
- men at his home.
-
- ARMY KILLS 30 REFUGEES
- Port-au-Prince, Aug. 11: At least 30 people were killed by
- Haitian military as they tried to leave Haiti on July 17. In a
- recently released interview, survivors said four or five Rmen in
- blue uniformsS carrying Rguns with long barrelsS shot from shore
- at Sources Pauntes, 20 km. north of here.
-
- RThey started to shoot and we were thrown into the sea,S said one
- survivor. RThere were forty or fifty killed.S
-
- The survivor said it was his third attempt to leave the country
- because of the general repression. He believes that the soldiers
- and the boat captain arranged the massacre in order to split the
- fares of the would-be refugees, about U.S. $250 each.
-
- REvery time [we leave] we have to pay,S the survivor said. RThe
- army wants us dead. They are the ones creating the problems.S
-
- Note: Information gathered with the help of Carl Leveque Center
- and The Platform for Human Rights.
-
- BEHIND THE HEADLINES:
- IS THE O.A.S. HELPING HAITI?
-
- Eleven months after the military coup dUtat, HaitiUs population is
- still in the grips of a brutal repression. President Jean-
- Bertrand Aristide remains in exile.
-
- The Organization of American States sends representatives back and
- forth across the Caribbean, but exactly what are they trying to
- achieve? Is there still a chance for democracy in Haiti?
-
- Sorting through the different reports, opinions, and
- "indications," one fact is indisputable. Despite international
- disinformation campaigns conducted by coup leaders and their
- foreign supporters, President Aristide is still crucial to solving
- the crisis.
-
- But as the months go by and the bodies pile up, Haitians are
- wondering how far the O.A.S. commitment goes.
-
- Just last week the organization reaffirmed their Oct. 8 resolution
- calling for the return of President Aristide and of constitutional
- order. But inviting a representative of the current illegal prime
- minister to Washington for "talks" implies to some that the O.A.S.
- version of a solution calls for Aristide to share power with coup
- leaders.
-
- The Oct. 8 resolution also imposed an embargo on Haiti, but
- throughout the previous eleven months of sanctions dozens of boats
- from O.A.S. countries have helped keep the illegal government
- afloat with a steady supply of oil, gasoline, and other
- necessities. This spring the organization called for
- "reinforcement" of the embargo, but most member states have not
- taken any concrete steps toward making it more effective.
-
- The Organization of American States' support of democracy is
- certainly commendable, but also not surprising given the current
- world climate. In fact, O.A.S. leaders have no choice but to
- continue to support Aristide. Many have had their own problems
- with armies, and must be careful not to appear too weak to the
- generals at home.
-
- Those who put faith in the O.A.S. words are losing their patience.
- After the delegationUs visit to Haiti, Monsignor Willy Romulus
- said, "And you, members of the O.A.S. and U.N. mission, what role
- are you playing? What are you doing? ItUs been 11 monthsI ItUs
- about time that you put an end this game."
-
- Others are tired of the rhetoric, and do not trust the
- organizationUs declarations.
-
- As the leader of one group pointed out, "If they only blocked the
- gas, in three days the military would fall."
-
- DEVELOPMENT NEWS:
- Farmers Paid Less, Consumers Spend More
-
- Port-au-Prince, Aug. 31: Merchants have been paying Haitian
- peasants less for their products while simultaneously charging
- more to consumers, especially in the capital.
-
- That finding was one of a number uncovered in a report on the
- economic and social effects of the coup d'tat released earlier
- this month by a new umbrella organization, the Permanent
- Commission on Emergency Aide, which represents over 60 non-
- governmental democratic and popular organizations from health,
- development, research, human rights and other sectors.
-
- The report accuses the illegal government of ignoring the "grave
- consequences" of the coup and its aftermath, analyzes a number of
- facets of Haitian life, and proposes a detailed emergency plan,
- the first phase of which requires about U.S. $17.5 million.
-
- "One observes a brutal and marked accentuation of the state of
- stagnation which the national economy..." the report begins. "The
- destruction of the national production structuresI of the
- national economy by contraband, and a general and marked
- decapitalization."
-
- The Commission hopes organizations and governments will resume or
- increase their funding and channel it through their organizations.
-
-
- Millions of dollars worth was cut off last October when the O.A.S.
- imposed an economic embargo. Ten months later however, the poor
- and the environment are suffering the effects.
-
- (In spite of such hardships, most popular and democratic
- organizations continue to see the embargo as the only way to
- restore constitutional President Aristide.)
-
- "Emergency interventions are crucial," says the report, referring
- to much-needed aide. "HoweverI assistance and actions will not
- halt the current process of degradation if there is not an
- effective resolution of the current [political] crisis which
- favors the majority of the population."
-
- (Future issues of Haiti Info will contain summaries of the
- report's findings.)
-
- COMMON GROUND:
- FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM FOR 201 YEARS
-
- "Do we have to give way before the threats of an inferior caste
- and grant them full civil rights, as blackmail for the trouble
- they can stir up?"
-
- A white soldier uttered these words as he contemplated the slave
- rebellion brew-ing in the French colony of St. Domingue. Two
- hundred and one years later, HaitiUs soldiers and elite entertain
- the same thoughts.
-
- HaitiUs "democratic revolution" of 1990 and her 20-year slave
- rebellion which began in August, 1791, both faced bitter enemies
- at home and abroad.
-
- Haiti sets a "bad" example
-
- From Boston to Buenos Aires the black slaves of St. Domingue were
- seen as "less fearsome for their weapons than for their words,"
- according to the Spanish governor in Havana. An Englishman
- wondered if slaves would "bear the continuance of slavery when in
- a neighboring island... the Negroes are all free?" (1)
-
- Just as in Haiti today, governments cracked down on anyone
- discussing equality, liberty, or the St. Domingue rebellion.
- Perhaps for the first time in colonial history, hundreds of
- "political prisoners" of all colors were rounded up all over the
- Caribbean. The mayor of Norfolk, Virginia, even deported some
- French-speaking blacks because he detected "the squint of freedom"
- in their eyes.
-
- Nevertheless, the news spread like wild-fire and soon slave-
- holders were faced with a series of uprisings. They reacted
- violently. In Charleston, North Carolina, five "French Negroes"
- who "intended to make a St. Domingo" where hanged. In Louisiana
- rebellion leaders' heads were displayed on spikes up and down the
- Mississippi River.
-
- History Revisited
-
- Two hundred and one years later Haitian demands for justice and
- democracy echo again across the continents and are fought with
- violence and words.
-
- Leaders of grassroots organizations have been killed, tortured or
- "disappeared," offices destroyed, and the press is virtually
- controlled by the military-backed illegal government.
-
- Outside the country, members of the Haitian and foreign elite have
- fought with more subtle methods.
-
- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a common target because of his
- enthusiastic support of the poor. He is called "a danger-ously
- erratic charismaticS and is criticized for promoting Rpopular
- democracy,"(2) as though democracy was meant to be un-popular.
- In The Washington Post, Jean Kirkpatrick compared him to Papa Doc
- and said he preached "class hatred," while columnist William
- Raspberry said his return "has nothing to do with democracy... a
- tyrant of the left is still a tyrant."(3)
-
- The Haitian elite says Haitians are not "ready" for democracy.
- Michle Bennett, ex-wife of former dictator Baby Doc Duvalier said,
- "How can you have a democracy when you have so many illiterate
- people?"(4)
-
- A Haitian insurance executive explained, "Aristide is popular in
- the slums, but slums donUt make the country work."(5)
-
- There has also been a campaign to discredit AristideUs election
- victory of 67 percent. According to coup-leader General Raoul
- Cedras, "To organize a country, you need strong institutions. One
- cannot... by elections establish democracy in a country."(6)
-
- Elliot Abrams, former Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs, says
- Washington policy-makers agree. "The first American mistake was to
- equate Aristide and democracy," he reported.(7)
-
- Against those enemies thousands of supporters continue to press
- for AristideUs return to office, because as he said last fall,
- "ItUs not a just question of democracy in Haiti. ItUs a question
- of democracy for the world."
-
- The eyes of the hemisphere are once again watching Haiti to see if
- true democracy and self-determination will be permitted in a
- region so long-subject to gross inequalities and tyranny.
-
- FOOTNOTES:
- 1) Revolutionary quotations from American Communication in the Era
- of the Haitian Revolution, Julius Sherrard Scott, III, Duke
- University, 1986.
- 2) New York Times and Boston Globe.
- 3) Dec. 7, 1991, and June 1, 1992.
- 4) Quoted in Vanity Fair, April, 1992.
- 5) Quoted in The Militant, Oct. 25, 1992
- 6) Interview with Radio Canada, August 5, 1992.
- 7) The Nation, March 30, 1992. Since leaving government
- employment after conviction in the Iran-Contra Affair, Abrams has
- worked as a consultant and lobbyist for businesspeople operating
- in Haiti and the Caribbean.
- ** End of text from cdp:reg.carib **
-
-