20726: erzilidanto: Urgent: ASK CARICOM TO SUPPORT HAITI'S CONSTITUTION (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Erzilidanto@aol.com

On Thursday, March 25 and Friday March 26, the CARICOM countries will meet in
St. Kitts and discuss Haiti.  Since Haiti's coup d'etat of February 29, 2004,
the United States, Haiti's de facto authorities and their allies in Haitian
civil society have placed immense pressure on Jamaica and other CARICOM
countries, to intimidate them for supporting Haiti's democratic authorities.

We should not underestimate the power of this intimidation:  CARICOM
countries are neither wealthy nor large, and like Haiti can be easily punished for
defying the powerful.  We need to support CARICOM in its support of Haitian
democracy, and we need to show that grassroots groups, especially in Haiti,
continue to believe in democracy.

Below is a petition asking CARICOM to support democracy in Haiti, in English
and Creole.  Please have your organization sign the petition, and ask other
organizations that you know to sign too. Signatures can be collected by
telephone, as long as there is contact information for the organization or its
leaders.  If you can prepare a separate statement from your organization, we will
send that to CARICOM too.

All signatures and statements should arrive by Wedesday, March 24, at the
latest.  You can send them to the Haiti Action Committee (details) or email to
annehaiti@hotmail.com, or fax 617-432-5300.
_____________


ORGANIZATIONAL PETITION ON HAITI

As grassroots organizations working for democracy in Haiti:

-We appreciate the courageous stand that our brothers and sisters in the
CARICOM countries have taken in support of Haiti's democratically-elected,
constitutional government.  We denounce the campaign of intimidation against this
stand by the United States, Haiti's de facto authorities and their allies in
Haitian civil society;

- We denounce the coup d'état of February 29, 2004, overthrowing the
constitutional government of Haiti, and the forced removal of President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide.  We denounce all who participated in this coup, including the rebels
and their criminal leadership, the governments of France and the United
States, and their allies in Haitian civil society;

-We confirm that the February 29th coup d'etat was illegal, under Haitian
law, and under international law, including the Inter-American Democratic
Charter.  This act of violent "regime change" sets a dangerous precedent for the
world, especially for other poor countries in the Americas;

-We oppose any restrictions on President Aristide's freedom of speech and
movement;

- We urge CARICOM to take the following measures:

1)  demand the re-installation of Haiti's elected government, including
President  Aristide, for the remainder of his constitutional mandate;
2)  refuse to recognize any other Haitian government;
3)  continue demanding for a UN investigation of the February 29 coup d'état
and the roles of France and the United States in the overthrow.
-----------------------------------
HAITI PETITION FORM

Please fill out completely and clip and paste to send to:
annehaiti@hotmail.com, or fax 617-432-5300.

ORGANIZATION: ____________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

Tel/Fax: _____________________________________________________

Web: ________________________________________________________

Contact Name: ________________________________________________

Position: _____________________________________

Tel: _________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________