21612: Esser: 'Money for information and weapons' program criticized (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Agence Haïtienne de Presse

April 26, 2004

Disarmament campaign: CDPH criticizes the 'money for information and
weapons' formula


Port-au-Prince, April 26, 2004 -(AHP)- The Comité de Défense des
Droits du Peuple Haïtien (CDPH) (Committee to Defend the Rights of
the Haitian People) official, Ronald St Jean, criticized Monday the
international force process of disarming the armed groups. 

The spokesman of the multinational force in Haiti, David Lapan, had
announced Friday that, in this process, anyone who informed the
police authorities of any illegal weapons hideouts in the country and
those who willingly handed over their weapons would receive an amount
of money. 

According to Ronald St Jean, the 'money for information' formula used
by the multinational force will not show any conclusive result. 

With this formula, it is not a real disarmament campaign, Ronald St
Jean says, as he does not understand how this strategy could work,
since it has already failed in 1994 when only a few rusty guns were
handed over. 

He thinks this method of the multinational force is a new trap for the
country.
.