a1133: (a1095): Haiti in Japan (painter F.Lamothe) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

> kevin pina <kpinbox@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Frantz Lamonthe, what a blast from the past. I remember
> when this extraordinary artist and friend consented to be
> my driver/translator in July of 1991.
(...)
> The new military dictatorship had had enough of Frantz and
> beat him pretty badly forcing him into exile in France.



This is entirely false.  My good friend Frantz Lamothe
confirms that he was never beaten up by any agent of the
military dictatorship and never forced into exile in France.

This list has heard a fair bit in recent weeks from people
accusing the media of getting facts wrong.  As ever (and
why-oh-why does it have to be pointed out so often?)
these critics urgently need to apply to themselves the same
standards of accuracy they demand from others, as here.

Lamothe is a well-known painter who, like most Haitian
artists, does not wish to be involved in politics.  These false
allegations are an affront to that choice and could, at worst,
lead to threats against him and his young family from certain quarters.


        Greg Chamberlain