9888: Re: 9860: RE: 9850: The Senate did not keep its promise (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: marinej@hrw.org

It should be noted that the UN/OAS report excerpted below is from 1993, during 
the period that the de facto military government was in power in Haiti. 

Joanne Mariner

> From: "Walton, Robert" <waltonr@emh1.ftmeade.army.mil>
>
> Zenglendo--A UN/OAS civilian mission report described the role and
> origin of zenglendos in Haitian society
> <http://www.hrw.org/about/projects/womrep/General-34.htm >:
>
> IMHO- Zenglendo violence is motivated by both criminal profit and
> support of
> the "thug portion" of Lavalas.
>
> Extracts--
>
> "Some of this violence may be assumed to be purely criminal, without
> political motivation. However, it is widely believed in Haiti that even
> zenglendos operate under the cover, or with the express tacit consent of
> the police, and that their operation, while involving armed robberies, may
> also be intended to intimidate the population of localities most opposed to
> the post-coup authorities and committed to the return of President Aristide.
>
> One Port-au-Prince women's rights activist told us that she believes:
> the military formed the zenglendos as a paramilitary force. All these people
> are connected with the military-they just do not have uniforms. The police
> let armed civilians do these things. They create an atmosphere in which
> lawlessness prevails. It is to their advantage to have the population
> cowed."


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