20515: White: ORGANIZATIONAL PETITION ON HAITI (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Randall White <raw@haitiaction.org>

URGENT ACTION ALERT

ORGANIZATIONAL PETITION ON HAITI
As organizations and institutions working for global justice

Dear friends and supporters of Haiti

We are all deeply troubled by the daily horrors of civil unrest in
cities across Haiti costing the lives of hundreds and thousands of
Haitians. The overthrow of the democratically elected government of
Haiti by  a superpower like the US is a dangerous precedent. We need
to send a clear message to the Bush Administration that such actions
are unacceptable and we will hold accountable those responsible for
these acts of injustice.

You will find below a petition letter that expresses our sentiments
of outrage on the act by the US government to depose the leader of a
sovereign state. President Jean Bertrand Aristide is the choice of
the Haitian people and only they should have the final say on
electing their leader.

We ask you to sign the petition asking for immediate and
unconditional re-instatement of President Aristide of Haiti. We are
also demanding an investigation into the role of the Bush
Administration in its violation of international laws. We will use
this letter to support current demands for Congressional
investigation. Congressmembers Barbara Lee and John Conyers, along
with 24 of their colleagues have proposed the TRUTH Act, which calls
for such an investigation. (Non-profit organizations need not be
concerned about violating the "advocacy on legislation" clause of
their 501.c(3). The petition does not mention this or any other
specific Bill before Congress)

At this time, we are only asking for organizational endorsement of
this petition. Please fill out the form below as completely as
possible and clip and paste to send to: petition@haitiaction.org.

For more information on current conditions in Haiti, please visit:
http://www.haitiaction.net

Walter Turner & Kevin Danaher
Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA

Reverend Dr. J.Alfred Smith Sr.
Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, CA

Pierre Labossiere
Haiti Action Committee, Berkeley, CA

Nunu Kidane & Gerald Lenoir
Priority Africa Network, Berkeley, CA

Dale Sorenson
Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas
Marin, CA

---------------------------------- text of petition below

ORGANIZATIONAL PETITION ON HAITI

As organizations and institutions working for global justice:

- We denounce the US government for its role in the coup overthrowing
the democratically elected government of Haiti and the forced removal
of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from his elected office by the
United States military.

- We are outraged at the imprisonment of President Aristide in the
Central African Republic, where he was held virtually incommunicado
under house arrest for two weeks. We oppose any attempt that seeks to
restrict President Aristide's freedom of speech and movement.

This act of "regime change" sets a dangerous precedent for the world
and has a particularly destabilizing effect on Latin American
countries. This US-engineered coup in Haiti is unethical and immoral
and in clear violation of international and federal laws, for which
the Bush Administration should be held accountable.

We demand a Congressional investigation into the Bush
administration's removal of a foreign country's leader from power. We
join CARICOM and Africa Union in condemning this removal of a
democratically elected president. This is not the first time the US
government has acted in direct military retaliation against
governments who differ from its economic and political policies.

Finally, we strongly question the role of the "free" press in its
biased coverage of events in Haiti. Corporate media legitimizes the
new government appointed illegally by the United States and France,
and continues to report that President Aristide left voluntarily,
when in fact he was forced out of office through coercion,
specifically by threats to the safety of his followers.

For the above reasons, we demand:

-The unconditional and immediate return of President Aristide to
Haiti in order to serve out his term of office until 2006. Respect
the vote of the Haitian people.

- A congressional investigation into the role of the US government in
the deliberate destabilization of the Haitian government and the
implementation of the coup.

- An immediate end to the repression and daily attacks on Lavalas
supporters and those demanding the return of President Aristide.

- Support for Haitian refugees, including Temporary Protective
Services (TPS) to refugeesfrom Haiti who are fleeing the terror of
their home country.

In conclusion, we are alarmed by the Bush Administration's audacity
in forcibly removing an elected President from office in total
disregard of international norms and laws. We are highly concerned by
the overall negative image of the US in global politics. As
progressive members of the global community, we strive to co-exist
with people and governments of the world in total respect for their
sovereignty, which precludes coercive military attacks on foreign
countries and their elected officials.
-----------------------------------
HAITI PETITION FORM

Please fill out completely and clip and paste to send to:
petition@haitiaction.org

ORGANIZATION: ____________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

Tel/Fax: _____________________________________________________

Web: ________________________________________________________

Contact Name: ________________________________________________

Position: _____________________________________

Tel: _________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________
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