23420: Esser: Report on Pax Christi USA Human Rights Mission to Haiti (Part II of II) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser <torx@joimail.com>

Pax Christi
http://www.paxchristiusa.org/

October 2004

Report on Pax Christi USA Human Rights Mission to Haiti (Part II of II)

The delegation also met with many poor people in Port au Prince
including some who were forced out of communities outside of Port au
Prince (communities like Petite Goave and from the Central Plateau)
as a result of the coup in Haiti because they were perceived as
supporters of the Aristide government, the Fanmi Lavalas party, or
protectors of human rights. Opponents of the elected government came
to town and killed the chief of police, burned down the police
station and the prison. They then sought out supporters of the
elected government, ransacked and burned their houses, placed black
bags on their heads, executed them and dumped them in the river. Many
from that town have fled to Port au Prince, others to the Dominican
Republic. Another young man was beaten and threatened with execution
for starting a school - he fled to Port au Prince where he now stays
in one room with 15 others. A woman and her family were attacked and
had to flee because they were thought to have spoken to human rights
visitors and foreign journalists and voiced criticism of the
government - they have been sleeping on the roof of a friend’s house.
Others were beaten and run out of town - walking for a week with
children - only because they were neighbors of people thought to be
reporting human rights violations. They showed us pictures of their
burned homes which were ransacked and destroyed by former militaries
and opposition gangs. One person who went back just the week before
to take photos of the damaged homes was murdered for doing that.
People have lost businesses and property - they are now homeless and
living in fear and hiding with anyone who will shelter them. They are
refugees in their own country. They stressed to us that there are
hundreds more from their small community in the same situation (eg
500 from St. Marc) and thousands more from other small outlying
communities.

Women’s rights groups in Port au Prince have had their businesses
ransacked and destroyed. They are dismayed at the suspensions of the
prosecutions of the people responsible for human rights violations,
including rape, in previous coups in Haiti. They report that the
perpetrators of violence are now in charge and the people are losing
hope.

There are widespread reports of the re-emergence of the military
which was disbanded several years ago by President Aristide.
Ex-military forces are forcibly taking over police stations and other
public buildings in many parts of the country.

UN troops were spotted only one time except at the airport where they
are headquartered. There were reports that UN troops are cooperating
with former military in illegal arrests of Lavalas party members.
Haitians cannot understand the UN role in view of the brutal human
rights abuses taking place every day throughout the country.

We also heard reports of very recent killings by police in Cite
Soleil. There was a report of a police massacre there on September 9,
with 17 killed, many more arrested, many disappeared. documentation
of this event is ongoing but so far there is credible documentation
of 11 people killed or disappeared. Indiscriminate killings and mass
arrests are also taking place in other poor neighborhoods. This
violence is being done “to break the back of the Lavalas movement
before the election of 2005,” according to Prime Minister Neptune.

Within days of our visit, a human rights group, the Group to Defend
Political Prisoners had their office attacked by armed men in
camouflage who destroyed documents and stole equipment.

We visited with independent print and radio journalists who told us
of threats of violence and economic pressure being placed on
journalists by those in power who are intimidating all voices of
dissent, especially outside of the city of Port au Prince. The
journalists also report widespread misinformation has been and
continues to be distributed by those in power and the media that
support them. Other information is suppressed. Human rights
violations and military and police abuses are not reported.
Demonstrations by the poor are not covered.

The delegation also visited a local police station in Port au Prince
where 36 males were being kept in one concrete cell, 12 foot by 12
foot. None of those in the cell had formal charges, none had a
lawyer, none had seen a judge, one had been in the cell since
September 4. There is no medical care, and no food is provided. What
food there is must be brought by families and then shared with those
without family. Mixed in the cell were people with mental problems
and epilepsy. Children were in jail with grown men, including a 13
year old boy and two 15 year olds. Some showed open sores on their
legs, others showed injuries from physical brutality. Some say no one
in their family even knows they are in jail. They sleep standing up
and leaning against the wall as there is not enough space for
everyone to even sit down together much less lay down. The criminal
law system has never worked well and is now being used for massive
arrests in the poorest neighborhoods.

Poverty in Haiti is devastating. The delegation constantly observed
the search of people for water. People were pulling water up in
buckets by lowering ropes into wells. Others were pumping water. Some
were dipping water from broken pipes in the street. Everywhere
people, including the smallest children, were transporting water.
Unemployment is widespread and everywhere sidewalk vendors, who the
government is threatening to remove, were trying to sell fruits,
chickens, toothpaste, medicine, clothing, or whatever could help feed
their families. Much housing is primitive and severely overcrowded.
Electricity is severely limited - around three hours a day. Roads in
the city are difficult and much worse in the countryside. Reports of
the devastation from the flood in Gonaives came from everywhere with
estimates of the dead as high as 3000 and hundreds of thousands
homeless. Pax Christi Haiti is one of the groups helping the flood
victims.

The minimum wage for those who can find work is declining. In 1984 it
was $3 a day but is now at $1.75 a day and even that is often
violated. Independent labor unions like CTH, which represent a range
of workers across the country, are weaker after the exile of the
elected government by business interests. National elected
independent union leaders reported that the situation of workers has
always been difficult with the bosses as adversaries, but now the
government is aligned with the bosses and is also an adversary.
Workers in businesses affiliated with the new powers in government
are intimidated and forced to appear to be supportive of the new
government in order to keep their jobs. The situation for workers is
much, much worse since the exile of President Aristide.

Within days of our visit, police with black masks attacked the office
of a large labor organization, CTH, and arrested 9 people who are
being held without charges. Some of those arrested are affiliated
with the parish St. John Bosco, the former parish of President
Aristide.

We visited a cooperative community school in Petionville, named
SOPUDEP, which educates about 700 mostly poor children. Because the
school was started by the community during the time of President
Aristide, those now in power are threatening to revoke its lease. In
early September of 2004, the newly appointed mayor of the town showed
up at the school with armed guards. After a demonstration by
community people and pressure by US Senator Norm Coleman, the
pressure against the school has been reduced for now.

The delegation visited the parish of St. Clare’s where church members
were feeding over 600 children. The program provides a meal twice a
week. When we were there, after prayers, more than 20 children sat at
each of 14 tables under a tin roof while the church gave each a tin
plate with rice, some beans and a small piece of meat. The children
devoured the food in minutes, totally cleaning their plates. They
left and older children were let in for their meal. The pastor of St.
Clare’s, Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste, a supporter of Aristide, spoke
plainly of the threats he has received personally. He spoke of the
threats of violence and destruction directed against the radio
station where he had a 2 hour radio show, threats that forced the
station to cancel his show. Another radio station was officially
closed by the new government. He told us that President Aristide
rejected the use of violence to combat the violence of the rebels who
seized control of Gonaives. He said there has been a big migration of
people from the countryside into Port au Prince since the coup, as
people have fled the violence of the rebels and the ex-militaries. He
was certain that the grassroots and the poor still support President
Aristide. He said violence has wracked the country - it is time to
kneel down, ask forgiveness, and start over.

Over and over we were told by the people of Haiti that there is
little or no international human rights presence here. There is no
rule of law, the strong do what they want because no one will help
the victims bring about fairness or justice.

Most people are very critical of the US, saying that it was
responsible, along with France and Canada, for the end of democracy
and the exile of the elected government of President Aristide in
Haiti. People are also very critical of the US decision to withhold
humanitarian aid for the people of Haiti from the government of
President Aristide and the apparent funding and training of
opposition and rebel groups who deposed Haiti’s elected government.
Yet the people made a clear distinction between the actions of the
government of the US and the people of the US. The people appreciate
the work and generosity of church groups in the US. The people
repeatedly thanked us for visiting. They asked that we tell their
stories. They asked that we counter the lies and misinformation about
Haiti and tell the truth. Because they still have hope that the
international community and the people in the US will help them
recover their democracy, recover their President Aristide, and help
them rebuild their country in a just way

Conclusions and Suggestions for Actions

We repeat that human rights conditions are worse in Haiti now then
they have been in years. It is clear that the forced exile of
President Aristide was a coup that eliminated the elected government
of the people and replaced it with an illegally appointed government
of the minority who have economic and military power.

The democratically elected government leaders and their supporters
are in prison or have been made into refugees in their own country
while former militaries and gangs affiliated with those in power are
allowed to do as they please.

There is a clear re-emergence of the previously dissolved military,
which has historically been a challenge to independent civil society
and oppressive to the poor.

The rule of law is being disregarded in the exile, arrest, beatings,
executions, and detention of the people who were democratically
chosen by the people of Haiti to govern. People affiliated with the
elected government and those concerned about human rights have been
beaten and arrested and homes burned and run off to live in hiding.

The Haitian constitution and international law are being openly
violated. The rule of law must be reinstated.

The international community must help restore the elected
representatives of the people. This means explicitly the return of
President Aristide and the release of all political prisoners.

Human rights in Haiti needs immediate international attention.
Current people in power have said publicly that local human rights
organizations are stirring up troubles - a threatening warning to
stop human rights investigations. International human rights groups
must step up monitoring human rights and protect those on the ground
who are trying to do so.

We challenge the role of the international community, particularly
the US in Haiti. The primary concern of US policy in Haiti has been
not democracy, human rights, or fairness to the poor and powerless.
It should be and all Americans should insist that our policy help
protect democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection
of the poor.

We call for journalists and media to stop the lies about what has
happened and what is happening in Haiti. Help stop the fear and
protect the people, especially the poor and powerless. It is the
millions of the poor who always suffer the most.

The situation of the poor in Haiti is worsening. The poor are being
victimized by economic and political forces and again by human rights
abuses of the illegal government, the rebels and the ex-military. The
basics of life two to three times more than before the coup. There
are increasing numbers of people who are internal refugees from
political violence in their own country. People have lost family
members and all their possessions. They have been uprooted from their
communities. The plight of workers is deteriorating. Inflation is
rising and the minimum wage is declining. The forced exile of
President Aristide has resulted in increased power for business and
decreased the bargaining power of individual workers and independent
labor unions.

We suggest people in the US and the international community learn
more about Haiti, its current situation and its history of how it got
to the point where it is today.

We call for action. Action to restore the elected government of
President Aristide. Legislative action to assist the people and
institutions of Haiti. Direct action is needed to assist those
seeking justice in these very challenging times.

We call for prayers for the people of Haiti. They are our sisters and
brothers and they are in crisis. We must remember them in our
churches and in our prayers.

We call for increased solidarity with the people of Haiti. We salute
the good works being done by the many religious, educational and
human rights groups in Haiti. But much more needs to be done. We
especially encourage schools, churches and human rights groups to
visit Haiti and meet the people directly and see the conditions of
the country for themselves. When they do, we are confident they will
be moved to join them in solidarity in their quest for just and basic
human dignity.

We believe that if all the people of the world saw what we saw, they
would insist that justice be done for Haiti. We ask the world to look
at the people of Haiti as our sisters and brothers. Recognizing that
our sisters and brothers are in serious trouble, we must all work
together to help them bring justice to their country. Haiti is a
short distance from the US shoreline. Let us become a human bridge
that connects us to Haiti.

Sources for Additional Information

We suggest people read anything they can about Haiti by Paul Farmer.
He has written a great history of Haiti called The Uses of Haiti
(Common Courage Press, 2003). Paul has also written more recently on
the problems of Haiti. E.g. see his April 15, 2004 essay in the
London Review of Books, www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n08/farm01_.html

Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, a non-profit human
rights organization with board members like physician Paul Farmer and
human rights advocate Brian Concannon. www.ijdh.org/

Hidden from the Headlines, by Haiti Action. Available online at:
www.haitiaction.net/News/Hidden.html

Haiti Action is an independent source of news about Haiti.
http://www.haitiaction.net/index.html

The Human Rights Report on Haiti compiled by the National Lawyers
Guild from their visits to Haiti in April 2004. Available on the
website of www.nlg.org

The Haiti Reborn movement of the Quixote Center: www.quixote.org/hr/
.