21103: Esser: Human Rights Expert Assails Powell Visit to Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

U.S. News Wire
http://www.usnewswire.com/

April 5th, 2004
Human Rights Expert Assails Powell Visit to Haiti

Contact: Tom Alexander, 202-457-1817

WASHINGTON, April 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Wendy Young, director for
external relations for the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and
Children, criticized U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit
today to Haiti, calling it pure political window dressing.

The commission and other human rights groups have demanded a change
in U.S. policy towards Haitian refugees seeking protection in the
United States. Young said the current policy violates international
law and in nearly all cases, is forcing Haitians to return to the
violence they fled without a chance to voice their asylum claims.

Just Friday, the commission and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center
(FIAC) filed a petition with the United Nations asking its human
rights group to investigate the way in which Haitians are detained in
the United States and declare that the government's detention policy
violates international law.

In February, 1,000 Haitians were intercepted at sea and forcibly
returned to Haiti; most were not even given an opportunity to voice
their fear of political persecution and request asylum. More
recently, seven Haitian women were deported - - one was five months
pregnant -- despite the continued insecurity and political violence
throughout the Caribbean nation.

There is no mechanism in place for screening Haitian asylum seekers
apprehended by the US Coast Guard. This despite the fact that every
Cuban who is interdicted receives instructions and an asylum
screening interview, and every interdicted Chinese national is given
a questionnaire in his/her native language to complete and then may
be screened.

Wendy Young is available to comment on this situation on camera or
over the phone from Washington, D.C., by contacting Tom Alexander at
202-457-1817.

© 2004 U.S. Newswire
.