22846: Re: 22842: radtimes: Continuing Repression by Coup Government

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: VISHNUSURF@aol.com

I am unclear on what this locution intends to claim; it is
the phrase "aftermath of the brutal 1991-1994 coup" that I find confusing.
Literally, I think, this would signify the "reprecussions" after the
ouster of
the Cedras regime, which would make the statement simply untrue because
the
human rights situation in Haiti imporved drastically with Aristide's
return
from exile in 1994.  What I think the author meant to say is something
like
this: "There was widespread [itself a somewhat vague term] agreement among
[not
"from"] those we spoke with [how many constitute "those"?] that
reprecussions
from this coup are even worse than those from the 1991 coup."  Now, if
this is
indeed what is meant, that the second fall of Aristide has precipitated a
more brutal campaign of human rights abuse in Haiti than the first, then
this claim
simply cannot stand in the face of the evidence.  Moreover, it is an
insult to
the tens of thousands of people who suffered at the hands of the Cedras
regime.  No state-sponsored persecution is acceptable... granted. But
91-94 is
almost without paralell in all of Latin American history since slavery,
save
perhaps the Dirty War.  The alarmist rhetoric in this "report" is
unfortunate
and misleading.  However good the intentions of such human rights
delgations to
Haiti, one has to question their methodology, logic, and historiography,
as
this report so clearly illustrates.
And as for Neptune, wasn't it a human rights organization who first
reported on
his involvement in the St. Marc killings?  I wonder how much the judge who
issued his arrest warrant relied of foreigners' human rights reporting in
his/her decision to do so.
Ala traka...mezanmi... !!