20488: Esser: Some 200 Haitians riot in Dominican custody (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Associated Press

March 16, 2004

Some 200 Haitians riot in Dominican custody

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Some 200 Haitian migrants
rioted while in detention in the neighboring Dominican Republic,
likely protesting plans for their repatriation to their troubled
country, the immigration department said.

The migrants were transferred to the capital of Santo Domingo after
the riot Monday in a public jail in Santiago, about 93 miles (150
kilometers) north of the capital, assistant head of migration, Sabas
Burgos, said.

"They broke some bars to the cells, but did not escape due to the
prompt intervention by guards," Burgos told reporters.

Dominican officials were still plan to return the migrants to Haiti,
though could not say when.

Haiti has been plagued by growing poverty and instability, which
recently culminated in a popular rebellion that forced former
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to resign Feb. 29.

The Haitians were detained over a period of time for entering the
Spanish-speaking country illegally, Burgos said. They were not
fleeing the rebellion, but simply seeking better economic
opportunities, he said.

The government estimates 1 million Haitians live in the Dominican
Republic, many illegally.

The two countries share the island of Hispaniola and a porous
362-kilometer (225-mile) border which has become tense since Haiti's
Feb. 5-29 uprising.

The Dominican army has doubled its border presence to 3,000 to
provide more security, with the government saying it cannot handle an
exodus of Haitian refugees.

On Friday, a group of Haitian rebels kidnapped 10 Dominicans, but
freed them Saturday after Dominican authorities said they would free
a Haitian suspect, Jean Robert, who was being investigated in the
killing of two Dominican troops.

Haitian rebels also prevented thousands of their countrymen on Monday
from reaching the border city of Quanaminte, where they traditionally
participate in a cross-border market with the Dominican city of
Dajabon.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.
.