21933: Arthur:Haitian organisations denounce US occupying forces (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

Haitian organisations denounce US occupying forces - Haiti Support Group
press release, 18 May 2004


As Haiti celebrates Flag Day, the London-based solidarity organisation, the
Haiti Support Group, joins with a number of organisations representing the
majority population in Haiti in denouncing the US military forces in Haiti.

The latest in a series of unacceptable actions by US troops was the violent
and aggressive intervention at the offices of the Tèt Kole peasant movement and
the Antèn Ouvriye organisation in downtown Port-au-Prince on the afternoon of
23 April. On the dubious pretext of searching for a counterfeit passport
operation, the US soldiers damaged property, read documents, and 'confiscated' the
sum of 34,850 gourdes.

On 12 May, the Institut Culturel Karl Léveque, ITECA, PAJ, and SAKS,
published an open letter to Justice Minister Bernard Gousse calling on him to take
action. The four organisations pointed out that not only had the US troops acted
with total disregard for Haitian law, but that, at the conclusion of the
intervention, no passports were found and no one was arrested.

Batay Ouvriye and the Regwoupman Òganizasyon Popilè Granmoun also denounced
the intervention in Rue Montalais. The Regwoupman Òganizasyon Popilè Granmoun,
which includes the Tèt Kole movement as well as MUPAC, Chandèl, and SAJ/Veye
Yo, denounced other violations of Haitians' rights by what it described as the
"occupation forces". It highlighted the violent intervention by US troops at a
health clinic opposite the State Hospital in Port-au-Prince on 20 April, and
the seizure of street merchants' goods by French troops in Trou du Nord.

These organisations also echoed calls made earlier by student organisations,
and the Platform of Haitian Human Rights organisations, for foreign troops to
leave the University of Peace at Tabarre outside the capital. The foreign
troops are using the university campus as their base, and in doing so are
preventing 247 scholarship students enrolled as medical students from continuing their
studies.

The Haiti Support Group backs all these organisations in their denunciations,
and also highlights the fact that the UN-mandated force has not only made no
attempt to disarm the illegal and unconstitutional armed irregular forces that
control much of the country, but instead appears to be co-operating and
co-habitating with them.

Finally, troops from other countries will be deployed in Haiti as part of the
larger United Nations force that will come into being on 1 June. The Haiti
Support Group notes that while a reduction in the size of the US military
contingent may be a welcome development for the people of Haiti, the fact that these
same US troops may well be redeployed to take part in murderous actions
against the people of Iraq is a deeply depressing thought.

Sent by the Haiti Support Group

web site: www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org

email: haitisupport@gn.apc.org

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