12037: BBC: Haiti's Aristide launches disarmament campaign (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Robert Benodin <r.benodin@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti's Aristide launches disarmament campaign
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 15, 2002


[Announcer] President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Port-au-Prince this
morning for Madrid, where he will participate in a summit of the EU and
Caribbean countries. Before leaving the airport, the president expressed his
desire for peace to return to the country's shantytowns. He tells the police
not to use force against the armed groups of low-income neighbourhoods. He
also announces the launching of a disarmament campaign. Those who are in
possession of illegal arms can sell them at various police stations around
the country, and they will be paid twice their worth. Aristide spoke as
follows:
[Aristide - recording, in Creole] I was really happy last time to see how
the flag is raised in several areas of the capital. Places are decorated in
red and blue like on the Delmas Road. I rejoice when I see these kinds of
things going on. But at the same time we will be even happier if while
getting ready to celebrate Flag Day, the flag of peace flies over all the
people's neighbourhoods, starting from La Saline, which is not far from
Raboteau, which is farther than La Saline, to the northern part of the
country, Northwest, Northeast, Grand-Anse, South and Southeast. The flag of
peace should fly over the whole country to help us prepare the celebration
of our red and blue flag. The flag of peace requires much wisdom. Where
there is disagreement, wisdom is what can help us find an agreement. When it
is the state that should stand up to disarm those that ought to be disarmed,
then it will do so without violence. For peace does not go with violence,
peace does not go with beatings and peace does not go with shooting. But
peace goes with discipline, order, wisdom and comprehension. Sometimes,
people are shocked to see me sitting down with citizens of the country to
try to find ways to enhance the road of peace. They think that that should
not be done because, according to them, I sit down with people who are
perpetrating violence. Throughout the world, the important thing is that
even in countries where there are guerrillas, heads of state sit down with
guerillas so that they may make peace. There is the disarmament operation
that we have launched and that is moving very slowly. We remember how we
fought peacefully in 1995 so we could carry out a serious disarmament. There
were people then who could not see the importance of the disarmament. Had
there been more encouragement and cooperation for the disarmament operation
then maybe now there would be fewer arms in circulation. [End of recording]
Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 15 May 02
/¸ BBC Monitoring