14651: This Week in Haiti 20:46 1/29/2003 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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                           HAITI PROGRES
              "Le journal qui offre une alternative"

                      * THIS WEEK IN HAITI *

                  January 29 - February 4, 2003
                          Vol. 20, No. 46

FORMER HAITIAN ARMY OFFICERS DEPORTED TO HAITI

Carl Dorelien and Herbert Valmond, two former colonels of the Armed
Forces of Haiti (FADH), were deported from the U.S. on January 27 and
returned to Haiti, where they were arrested and placed in the National
Penitentiary.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawyers have filed a civil suit in Miami against
Dorelien for supervising over killings, torture, and other abuses.

A Haitian jury in November 2000 convicted both men in absentia as
members of the FADH's High Command of responsibility for the April
1994 massacre of at least 26 people in Raboteau, the seaside slum of
Gonaïves. They were both sentenced to life imprisonment with hard
labor.

"It is a great day for justice in Haiti," said Brian Concannon, an
American attorney who worked for the Haitian government in prosecuting
the Raboteau trial.

Dorelien, 53, fled to the U.S. in 1995 with the assistance of a U.S.
military attaché and had been living in Florida's Port St. Lucie until
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) agents arrested him at
his home in 2001 for overstaying his visa. Valmond was picked up on
the same grounds.

Dorelien was just one of over 15 former putschist FADH officers who
have found sanctuary in the U.S. or in countries like Panama and
Honduras through U.S. government arrangements. But Dorelien's presence
in the U.S. had particularly galled Haitians after he won half the pot
of the Florida State Lottery in 1997, some $3.2 million.

On Jan. 13, the U.S. Court  of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta
denied Dorelien's appeal of his original deportation order, thereby
removing the last obstacle to his long-battled deportation. His
supporters even constructed a web-site to argue his defense.

Dorelien had contended that he would be subjected to torture in Haiti.
But the Appeals Court was unconvinced."He was a military leader from
1991 until 1994 during the [Gen. Raoul] Cédras military regime," the
court's decision read. "Due to his involvement in a massacre during
that regime, Dorelien was convicted of mass murder, albeit in
absentia. After the democratically elected President Aristide returned
and the military was dismantled in 1994, Dorelien's wife and child
remained in Haiti for some time and never were harmed, arrested, or
mistreated by the Aristide government. Dorelien, a college-educated
engineer, still owns a residence in Haiti and a share in a private
engineering firm in Haiti; his wife still owns a day care center in
Haiti. Dorelien's motion for a stay based on his torture claim under
[the Convention Against Torture] does not satisfy even the traditional
injunctive relief standard."

Valmond, 52, had been living in Tampa before he was arrested by the
INS. He sought to beat his deportation by arguing that he was married
to a U.S. citizen, but the courts rejected that too.

In 1993 and 1994, Dorelien had been Cédras' Asst. Chief of Staff (G1)
in charge of personnel while Valmond had been Asst. Chief of Staff
(G2) in charge of intelligence.

"After the Raboteau massacre on April 22, 1994, Valmond was charged
with forming a commission to investigate the matter, which was
basically a cover-up," Concannon said.

The two former officers were flown back to Haiti on a special U.S.
government aircraft from Opa Locka airport in Miami on Monday morning.
"There's symmetry to that," Concannon said. "The U.S. military helped
Dorelien come, and it helped him return."

On Jan. 24, the San Francisco-based Center for Justice &
Accountability (CJA) filed a civil lawsuit against Dorelien on behalf
of some Raboteau victims in Miami federal court using the Alien Tort
Claims Act, the same legislation which was used to win a monetary
judgement of $41 million in 1994 against Gen. Prosper Avril for
torture.

"Defendant Dorélien planned, ordered, authorized, encouraged, or
permitted subordinates to commit acts of torture, disappearance and
extrajudicial killing, and exercised command responsibility over,
conspired with, and aided and abetted military and paramilitary forces
in their commission of, and in covering up, these abuses," the
complaint charges. "These actions and omissions were outside the scope
of his lawful authority, and were not authorized by Haitian law."

CJA attorney Joshua Sondheimer is reaching out to other victims of
FADH violence during the 1991-94 coup to sign them onto the suit. "In
short, Dorelien was uniquely placed to be able to discipline soldiers
who committed abuses, but he didn't choose to do that," Sondheimer
said.

People who think they may be eligible to make a provable claim against
Dorelien as victims of FADH violence during the coup d'état can
contact the CJA at center4justice@cja.org.


I AM WHAT I AM
by Wendy François

I am Haitian-American, young, Christian, and female. I am short in
stature but tall in spirit. Although each of these words describes me,
the one I would choose to define myself is François, because it
reflects my cultural background. I wear the name François like a badge
of honor.

François is my last name. Upon hearing it you can infer that I am
French or from a French-speaking place. This is important to me
because my culture shapes who I am and who I will become.

One day a classmate was returning work that had been submitted to the
teacher. He called out "Wendy?" and I raised my hand. Astonished, he
asked: "Isn't that a white girl's name?" Quickly he glanced again at
my last name and said  "But, oh, you're Haitian."

I want to reflect my culture, but I do not want to be characterized by
one name. The name François allows my culture to remain a part of who
I am. As author Rodolfo Gonzales stated: "I am the masses of my
people, and I refuse to be absorbed."

Haitian youths today are often called derogatory names: "cat eaters,"
"refugees" and "just comes" are among the many. "Define us by the
great deeds and countless sacrifices of our ancestors," Haitian youths
respond, "by the glory and heroism of Haitian history." Glance at
their last names and you might glimpse a reference to revolutionary
leaders like Toussaint L'Ouverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Henri
Christophe, or Alexandre Pétion.

The pride which I have for my name is characteristic of many Haitian
youths."My last name is Toussaint," Karlyne Toussaint comments. "I
love it because it carries a legacy. I want to keep my last name even
after marriage!"
            I would choose François to define myself because all other
names fall short of defining who I am. They lack depth and
explanation; they are too ambiguous. François conveys the essence of
what I am: Haitian and proud.

WENDY FRANÇOIS is a senior and class valedictorian at Homestead Senior
High School. On the National Honor Roll in 2000 and 2001, she also
hosts a local radio show on issues affecting Haitian teenagers.

All articles copyrighted Haiti Progres, Inc. REPRINTS ENCOURAGED
Please credit Haiti Progres.

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