8934: FW: DR1 Daily News -- Wednesday, 22 August 2001 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Merrie Archer <MArcher@nchr.org>


9. Dominican solidarity with Haitians
Diplomat and university professor Jean G. Bissainthe wrote today in his
column in Hoy newspaper about the long years of Dominican solidarity with
Haitians. He comments that he frequently stops to talk to Haitian
construction workers in Santo Domingo who tell him about the support they
have received from Dominicans. "They confirm their well being here," he
says. "At least they can eat, a right that is denied to them in Haiti," he
writes. 
He comments there are those in Haiti who continue to harp on the DR
enslaving Haitains and not respecting their human rights. He attributes this
stereotype to the 1937 killing spree under dictator Trujillo and the living
and working conditions of the Haitians who cut sugar cane. 
"One cannot under any circumstance accuse this country of not respecting
human rights, when the countries share an island with unequal levels of
poverty," he explains.
"It is childish to believe that the DR can resolve all the problems of its
neighbors when the situation of illegal workers is due to the incapacity of
the Haitian state to assume its responsibility," he says. "The respect of
men should start in Haiti where most of the poor, especially the farmers,
survive under subhuman conditions, most without any legal identification
papers," he writes. He urged the Haitian government to assume its
responsibility as a state. Only about 1.5 million Haitians, out of a
population of 8 million, have any kind of identification papers.

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