#1291: Delatour responds to Mignot

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Mario L. Delatour <mardel@gol.com>
Tokyo Japan

> From: Sandra Mignot <s-mignot@designer-gift.com>
> 
> <<The comment from Delatour seems a little bit dramatizing about the
> deportees. What are the proofs linking deportees with drug trafficking in
> Haiti ? There is an interesting article on Medianet (Panos Institute
> http://www.panosinst.org/Haiti/h5-99e.htm), about the subject of
deportees. 
>  According to the article above : 3 deportees out of 202 were sent to
Haiti
> after being accused of manslaughter in the States
> (source : Office of policy and planning, US Immigration and
Naturalizeation
> service). Who's right ? Maybe the stats has suddenly  increased in 99 or
> haitian jails are really small...>> 
>  
Point well taken Ms.Mignot that it would be hard to link all US deportees
to drug trafficking.But can anyone be certain that they are not.Its the old
$64,000 question.Also regarding the stats from the US immigration and
Naturalization service,did you know that most deportees whether from the US
or Canada dont serve time in Haitian jails. I will ask you the
following.What happens to a criminaly inclined individual who disembarks in
a country where there are weak institutions? Inadequate police presence and
 lack of a robust judicial system.

In my humble opinion, this individual is likely to take advantage of the
situation.They may have been sent back as petty criminals but a good many
will graduate to manslaughter in Haiti.You may come back and say once again
Mr.Delatour is "dramatizing" the issue but there have been cases in the
past. One that comes to mind is the brutal murder of "Brit"Coles in his
home in Montagne Noire in late 96.When the responsible individuals had been
apprehended it turned out that the gang leader had been a young Haitian
deportee from Canada.

In regards to "Haitian Jails are really small".Yes they are very
small,inadequate and few.The Penitencier National which goes back to the
days of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam was conceived for 300 to 400
individuals.It now holds 1781 inmmates.Out of a country of 8 million people
they are roughly 3500 inmates nationwide.

As a final note I would like to add that Haiti is not the only country
suffering from "Deportees".
El Salvador too was turned upside down with "deportees" from major Los
Angeles gangs.

>>> Don't forget that what is happening in PAP is not always happening
anywhere
> else in the country. Maybe you've seen a dozen of those youngsters on the
> Champ de Mars at night. But please, don't generalize. 
> And sorry for my bad english, one of the reasons why I'm not
participating
> often on Corbettlist.>>>

In my previous post I mentionned about a Haitian version of "Ebonics".These
youths were encountered in an upscale bar in Petion Ville. Champs de Mars
youngsters keep a different lingo. You see their activities deal more with
the seedy underworld of Port au Prince.Male prostitution,crack cocaine
(Roche) etc...
And thank very much for your "bad english",I was beginning to feel alone on
this
list.
> 
> 
>