21433: Esser: National Lawyers Guild denounces deterioration of the human rights situation (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Agence Haļtienne de Presse

April 15, 2004

The National Lawyers Guild denounces the deterioration of the human
rights situation in Haiti

Port-au-Prince, April 15, 2004 -(AHP)- A delegation of three members
of the human rights American organization, National Lawyers Guild
(NLG), denounced the deterioration of the human rights situation in
Haiti.

The NLG just ended the first phase of its investigation of human
rights situation in Haiti. They visited the towns of Petit-Goāve,
Grand-Goāve, Les Cayes, Fonds des Blancs and Port-au- Prince, between
March 29th and April 5th.

In the first part of its report, the National Lawyers Guild states
that the human rights situation in Haiti is serious. It is marked by
the almost total absence of information, especially in a series of
media and human rights organizations. "Some human rights
organizations are totally untouched by the murders, the houses that
are set in fire, the intimidation and other forms of violence against
members of the Fanmi Lavalas party and supporters of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

The NLG delegation declared that it learned from the director of the
morgue in Port-au-Prince that 800 corpses were thrown in common
graves in Titanyen on March 7th and 200 more corpses on March 28th.
Normally, there are about 100 corpses a month at the morgue.

Other employees of the morgue confirmed that there are new arrivals
of corpses, with their hands tied behind their backs, black plastic
bags over their heads. Those victims would have been shot dead. Other
cases of many corpses thrown in graves and burned were also signaled.

The situation in Cayes is also mentioned in the organization's
report, where security has been assured until recently by a man named
Ti Gary, known to be strongly opposed to Fanmi Lavalas. Ti Gary told
the delegation that he had publicly executed at least 5 individuals
accused of robbery in March. Members of the ex-FAd'H are presently
collaborating with some people working in the PNH, according to the
report.

The National Lawyers Guild delegation deplored that in many regions
of the country, notably in the Center Department, the PNH is often
replaced by members of the ex-FAd'H and the ex-opposition who haven't
stopped their campaign of intimidation and violence against Fanmi
Lavalas supporters. It also deplores the fact that in some other
regions like in Petit-Goāve and Grand-Goāve, there isn't a judicial
system able to face the present situation.

The report underlines that Haitians' life has become extremely
difficult because of the curfew, the dramatic increase of the price
of food products and gas, the fall of the gourde compared to the
dollar, and the shortage of electricity. The delegation declared that
it noticed the very limited presence of multinational force patrols
in the country, other than in some populist neighborhoods in
Port-au-Prince.

The report also points out the existence of a list published every
month with names of Fanmi Lavalas supporters who have been denounced
through the phone at the human rights organization CARLI, as people
who would have violated human rights. The March list has about 85
names. The delegation points out that the CARLI demands the arrest of
all those people. The delegation also wonders if all those cases were
independently investigated before their publication.

The delegation also describes its visit at the NCHR office, where it
was surprised to see the organization leaders' lack of concern for
the cases of persecution against Fanmi Lavalas supporters. The report
announces that the NLG should continue its investigations in other
regions of Haiti from April 11th on.
.