12178: Re: 12168: Re: 12166: Re: 12163: Haitian Refugees (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com

<< As long as Haitians are not treated the same as other groups of human
beings,
 WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION OF THE DIFFERENTIATION, I don't give
 a hoot as to what constitutes valid grounds for political asylum >>

Look, this boils down to the following - "I don't care if they deserve asylum
or not, I want them let go."

<<  let's say that indeed my life had been seriously threatened while living
in Haiti?  Does it follow then that I should be ecstatic to now live in the
jails of my rescuer? >>

I did not say "ecstatic".  I said that it is an improvement over being in a
place where your life is in danger, and indeed it is!  If I was genuinely
expecting to be shot or beaten to death at any moment, and I was able to get
to a safe place where I got three hots and a cot while my claim was being
adjudicated, I would definitely find that preferable.  But then, I have
indeed been in fear of my life, I've looked down the business end of a FRAPH
member's gun, I know what that feels like.

<< Finally, consider the argument that the asylum seekers' detention is
justified on the basis that they would go "marron"... (what an unfortunate
choice of words on the
 eve of Haiti's bicentennial!  Was this terminology selected because we are
dealing
 with Haitians>>

It's a Creole term.  We are talking about Haitians, on a list where most
people speak some Creole.  The correct English language terms are "going into
hiding" and "living underground" and "being an illegal alien", right?

<<Policy is policy and should be on the record and abided to uniformly>>

Absolutely!

You know, in most cases, the US government tracks country conditions in
various places, and once a decision is taken that people of such-and-such a
nationality or ethnicity, such as ethnic Chinese in Viet Nam, are deserving
of asylum because that *group* is the target of state-sponsored persecution,
the applicant need merely demonstrate that they are a member of that group.
They don't have to demonstrate that they, personally and individually, are at
risk.

But there is nothing in country conditions in Haiti today which warrants
political asylum!  That is the truth, that is the fact that all these
"advocates for Haitians" keep fancy-dancing around.  The government has not
launched a campaign of persecution against Convergence or OPL members, the
police are not going around rounding up Hubert de Ronceray's people or
beating up everyone who ever worked for Evans Paul.  It just isn't happening.


Not one of those applicants currently in detention merits political asylum in
my view, and I think the lack of specific information about their so-called
claims supports my assertion.  If they were tortured, beaten, raped,
mutilated, flogged, burned, arbitrarily arrested or kidnapped, let's hear
about it!  Otherwise, I continue to believe that this is nothing but a
campaign to discredit Aristide while giving asylum to a bunch of disgruntled
ex-FRAPH, ex-Macoute, ex-FAd'H, and ex-attaches.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare
     Haitian Proverb

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