#882: [Fwd: Update Internet Haiti situation.] (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Yacine Khelladi <yacine@aacr.net>

Daniel Pimienta wrote:
> 
> Some days ago we have made an international call to protest
> against a brutal decision in Haiti which prevent the majority
> of Internet users to access.
> 
> What happened since then? No progress. Furthermore, we
> got the feeling that only an international pressure could
> trigger some changes, since at the national level, the
> efforts are getting tired.
> 
> - The cloesed company (ACN), after having tried succesively
> to use dialog, its customers and medias is now going to court
> againt the regulatiry body and hence has silences publically.
> The fact it have get rid of the majority of its employees is
> a signal of pessimism about short term solutions.
> 
> - The ISPs which strayed in operation do not have the capacity
> to deal wuth the demand from ACN customers (80% of the market).
> As a consequence, most of the users have remained without access,
> including the students of the University of Haiti.
> 
> - Some pilitical representatives has spoken out protestations,
> the same with defenders of free enterprise. However, people
> appear now to let it go.
> 
> - Agreements have been settled between the regulatory body and
> the other ISPs, trying, with some success, to divide the profession
> so to avoid a front of protests from ISPs. Some level
> of intervention in thge market seems to be applied, not very
> compatible with free market competitiom.
> 
> - Many papers in local newspapers has commented the situation.
> ACN has put statements in the press and the local Internet portals
> has expressed on the subject. However, the subject is losing
> space in the medias.
> 
> - Haiti's Embassy in Washington answered some days ago the
> various protest emails sent after our public call.
> 
> - Funredes has just answered the Embassy, from information
> we have gathered, to reject the arguments exposed in defense
> of the closing of the main ISP (and Internet pioneer).
> 
> All of can be accesed in the page we try to maintain,
> on a solidarity basis:
> http://www.funredes.org/funredes/ht-tld.htm
> 
> On the other hand, Internet Society President voiced his
> worry and informed us he contacted the Haitian Embassy.
> 
> Without additional reactions from International solidarity,
> it seems that the game is over...
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Daniel Pimienta                 Tel.:   +1 809 686 2804
> Presidente de FUNREDES          Fax:    +1 809 689 3388
> Fundacion Redes y Desarrollo    pimienta@funredes.org
> PO BOX 2972                     http://funredes.org
> Santo Domingo (Republica Dominicana)
> ------------------------------------------------------