13952: Caze: Press Release: HAITIAN COALITION EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN OVER VI OLENCE AND GROWING CHAOS IN HAITI (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Martine Caze <MCaze@nchr.org>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HAITIAN COALITION EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN OVER VIOLENCE AND GROWING CHAOS IN
HAITI

Contact:  Merrie Archer, 954-462-8231

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 3, 2002  -- The National Coalition for Haitian Rights
(NCHR) is deeply distressed by the events of the last two weeks in Haiti
which have left dozens of people, including high school and university
students, critically injured or dead, several radio stations burned and a
trail of destruction in cities and provinces from the north of the country
through Port-au-Prince, its capital. Beginning with a massive
anti-government protest in Cap Haïtien on Sunday, November 17, a series of
demonstrations, rallies and counter-rallies have pushed the country further
down the path of lawlessness toward the brink of disaster. The potential for
chaos has been evident for months now, highlighted by the events surrounding
the August 2nd Gonaïves jailbreak of the Cannibal Army leader, Amiot
"Cubain" Métayer (who, despite calls from human rights organizations and
international observers, has yet to be re-arrested) and the lack of will or
ability of the police and government to respond and restore order.

Particularly since the beginning of the demonstrations, a great deal of
information has been flowing both within and out of Haiti, although very
little of it is free of political bias added by those who would further one
or another political agenda. The system of teledjol (the gossip mill) has
flourished with countless rumors swirling over a range of issues from the
imminent departure of international agencies and government officials,
including President Aristide himself, to the nature and extent of damages on
both sides as a result of the demonstrations.  Not surprisingly, much of
this information has been difficult to verify, but it continues nonetheless
to fuel emotions already running high and to maintain conditions at a fever
pitch on both sides of the political spectrum.

"NCHR is unequivocal in its support of the Haitian people to exercise their
constitutionally guaranteed right to demonstrate peacefully and voice
political dissent with the current government without fear of reprisal,"
said Dina Paul Parks, Executive Director.  "We condemn the actions of mobs,
primarily pro-government, who have attacked demonstrators and the police who
have refused to provide protection and, on certain occasions, have
themselves perpetrated violence toward those protesting against the current
administration. However, it is important to understand that the right to
dissent does not exist in a vacuum but rather is integral to democracy.
Although extremely fragile in Haiti, a democratic process based in human
rights and the rule of law must be respected and aggressively pursued."

The failures of President Aristide's administration to advance democracy or
bring about any amount of stability to the country are unmistakable. Among
them are-:
-	Zero Tolerance - the policy which has resulted in countless acts of
violence and aggression against anyone perceived to threaten the status quo
of the Lavalas regime
-	Impunity - the continued lack of progress on key investigations such
as the lynching of journalist and political commentator Brignol Lindor one
year ago today
-	Insecurity - the attacks led by so-called popular organizations on
political party leaders, journalists and other opposition supporters in
retribution for the December 17th attack on the National Palace, which have
opened the door to the sacrifice of the liberties of association and
expression in Haiti.

As the increased tension and violence of the past few weeks painfully
demonstrates, Haiti is in desperate need of a viable mechanism to restore a
climate in which the rule of law and human rights can begin to take root.
While not in itself a solution to the current crisis, Resolution 822,
adopted by the OAS in September in an attempt to break the political impasse
of the past two and a half years, is one such tool that can assist Haiti in
moving in this direction. If obliges the government to fulfill the basic
requirements for stabilizing the situation such as making reparations for
the December 17th attacks and implementing a disarmament plan.  It also
recognizes the important role and responsibility that all sectors have.
This framework offers Haiti a path that will propel it beyond its tradition
of personalizing problems by unceremoniously - sometimes violently -
removing and replacing an failing leader and toward a democratic practice of
reforming the system and holding its leaders accountable through lawful
means.  Resolution 822 is not a zero-sum, winner-take-all solution that
provides a quick-fix, short-term remedy for some, but rather one that will
require painful concessions for all before the more lasting results can be
felt.

Immediately, the Aristide administration needs to take the first step by
ensuring that the police take any and all necessary and lawful action to
restore and maintain order and security while allowing the Haitian people to
fully voice their will and desire.  NCHR is also calling on leaders of all
sectors to allow calm and reason to guide their actions. "What is needed now
is a careful and objective analysis of the facts so that cooler heads may
prevail," said Merrie Archer, NCHR's Senior Policy Associate.  "Haiti's
leaders and people must begin to target the flaws in the system rather than
individuals if a durable solution is to be found.  It is the system, then,
in which individuals must measure up and be accountable.  One lesson that
hopefully all of us have learned in the 15 months since September 11 is that
however understandably tempting they may be, shortcuts to democracy,
including the limiting of civil liberties and due process, take us down a
dangerous path and do not, in fact, provide long-term solutions."

Similarly, given the seemingly unending deterioration of the situation, the
international community must acknowledge that it can no longer afford to
pursue an isolationist, wait-and-see policy. While we are hopeful that the
international community is beginning to realize Haiti's precarious perch, it
is not clear that the US has yet determined to reverse its policy of
inhumane containment.  Indeed, it is unconscionable that the US is providing
M-16s to the Dominican Army to militarize its border with Haiti on the one
hand while stepping up patrols on the high seas to interdict refugees
fleeing the crisis on the other.  Now it is the time for the US and others
to put their full force and support, as well as significant resources,
behind international organizations such as the OAS while stepping up
bilateral engagement in urgently needed sectors such as governance, judicial
reform and migration.  Haiti - and inevitably its neighbors - can ill afford
for the international community to continue dragging its feet.

National Coalition for Haitian Rights
275 Seventh Ave., 17th Floor
New York, NY 10001
ph:  212-337-0005
fax:  212-741-8749
www.nchr.org