a1718: Regarding Amnesty for the Scums (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Vilaire@aol.com

Bob Walton writes:
"During the 1994 military operation to restore Haiti's legal government, the US and the Cedras "government" reached an agreement that provided guarantees for the personal safety of many of its senior scum in exchange for avoiding a blood-bath. Would the Haitian people preferred the alternative?"

Bob, you're probably referring to the infamous amnesty deal, which was the focus of much debate back in 93-94. However, the final agreement settled on a "political" amnesty, meaning no one involved in the plotting and execution of the coup (a crime of high treason) would be prosecuted, as the Haitian Constitution would normally prescribe. The amnesty actually granted the coup leaders did not go so far as to prevent individuals who were victims -- torture, rape, deaths -- from filing charges against the putschists and their acolytes.

Regards,
Marx-Vilaire Aristide