12990: Human rights deteriorating in Haiti, OAS says (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     By Michael Deibert

     PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The Organization of American
States has released a grim assessment of deteriorating human rights in
Haiti, saying armed gangs act with impunity while health conditions were
worsening.
     The organization's Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said in a
report released on Thursday that it was "deeply preoccupied by the weakness
of human rights in Haiti, the lack of an independent judiciary ... the
climate of insecurity, the existence of armed groups that act with total
impunity and threats to which some journalists have been subjected."
     The rights delegation, which met with government, police and judicial
officials, also cited higher rates of illiteracy, maternal-infant mortality
and undernourishment in the Caribbean nation of 8 million which, it said,
"represent by themselves human rights violations."
     Nonetheless, the hemispheric organization said it was still willing to
"collaborate with the government as well as society as a whole" to improve
conditions.
     Relations between Haiti's government and the political opposition have
been strained since the May 2000 legislative elections. The Democratic
Convergence opposition coalition and international observers charged that
the elections were tabulated unfairly to favor President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide's Lavalas Family political party.
     In December, gunmen stormed the National Palace in what the government
called a coup attempt. Thousands of armed government supporters poured into
the streets afterward, threatening journalists and burning down the
headquarters and private homes of opposition members. Ten people died in
the violence.
     Unrest flared in the provincial town of Gonaives on Aug. 2, when Amiot
Metayer, a former Aristide supporter and gang leader, escaped from prison.
     Metayer, who had been arrested on arson charges, was freed from jail
along with over 150 other prisoners when machine-gun wielding members of
his "Cannibal Army" gang attacked the prison with a bulldozer. Metayer
partisans rioted for three days, burning government buildings in Gonaives
and calling for Aristide's overthrow.