24348: Haiti Progress (news) This Week in Haiti 22 : 50 2/23/2005 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haïti Progrès <editor@haiti-progres.com>

"This Week in Haiti" is the English section of HAITI PROGRES
newsweekly. For the complete edition with other news in French
and Creole, please contact the paper at (tel) 718-434-8100,
(fax) 718-434-5551 or e-mail at editor@haitiprogres.com.
Also visit our website at <www.haitiprogres.com>.

                    HAITI PROGRES
      "Le journal qui offre une alternative"

                * THIS WEEK IN HAITI *

              February 23 - March 1, 2005
                  Vol. 22, No. 50



SAMBA BOUKMAN ARRESTED:
CALL FOR HIS SAFETY!

On February 22, the Haitian Press Agency reported that soldiers of the
U.N. Mission to Stabilize Haiti (MINUSTAH) arrested Sanba Boukman, a
spokesperson of Lavalas militants in Bel Air.

According to another militant, Sanba Makandal, Sanba Boukman was
arrested on Rue St. Martin after meeting with other militants to plan
mass demonstrations commemorating the first anniversary of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide's overthrow.

Sanba Makandal called on all Lavalas militants to remain mobilized for
mass demonstrations planned for this February 24th, 27th, and 28th.

The Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN) issued an alert on Tuesday
night for people to call the MINUSTAH at 011.509.244.9650 or 9660 or
fax: 011.509.244.9366 or 9367 to demand that the U.N. not hand over
Sanba Boukman to the murderous Haitian police, who have been killing
prisoners in custody such as Lavalas militant Jimmy Charles (see HaVti
ProgrPs, Vol. 22, No. 46, 1/25/2005).

People should also call U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan at the Office
of the General Secretary 212.963.4879 or fax 212.963.4879. Other useful
numbers: African Union Headquaters in Ethiopia, tel: 011-251-1 51 77 00
or fax 251-1 51 78 44 or CARICOM in Guyana at 011-592-226-9280 or
227-4671.



HAITI COUP ANNIVERSARY TO BE MARKED BY RALLIES

As the first anniversary of the latest coup against Haitian democracy
approaches, communities around the world are preparing rallies and
events to protest the reign of terror and foreign military occupation
now gripping Haiti.

In Brooklyn on Sunday, February 27 at 5 p.m., for the first time in New
York, there will be a special advance screening of excerpts from Haiti:
The Betrayal of Democracy, a soon-to-be-released documentary by
journalist Kevin Pina. Lawyer Tom Griffin, the author of an explosive
new human rights report on Haiti (see below), will also speak about his
investigation and make a media presentation.

Ben Dupuy, secretary general of the National Popular Party (PPN), and
Mario Dupuy, a member of the Lavalas Family party's Communications
Commission, will offer analyses of the situation in Haiti, along with
speakers from the ANSWER Coalition and the International Action Center.

Marguerite Laurent will bring poetry and dance to the evening, while
Eddy François, lead singer of the rasin group Boukan Ginen, will sing
with the beloved Haitian choir Voix et Tambours d'HaVti (Voices & Drums
of Haiti).

The event will take place at Clara Barton High School, 901 Classon
Avenue (Trains 2 or 3 to Brooklyn Museum), a traditional venue for the
Haitian community's democracy rallies. Tickets are $10 and available in
Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and New Jersey. More information is
available from the Haiti Support Network at 718-434-8100.

In Miami on Saturday, February 26, there will be a rally at the the
Torch of Friendship at Biscayne Blvd. & NE 3rd St., to support of
Haitian democracy, to protest the hidden U.S. war against Haiti, and to
demand freedom for Haitian political prisoners. Demonstrators will call
for the restoration of constitutional government in Haiti. For more
information, call 786-290-1750 or 305-582-4846.

In San Francisco on Monday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m., there will be an
anti-occupaiton pro-democracy rally at U.N. Plaza (at Hyde Street) and
then a march at 5 p.m. to the San Francisco Chronicle and the Chilean,
Brazilian & French Consulates, ending at U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein's
office. For more information, call 415-821-6545 about this action
sponsored by the Haiti Action Committee, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, and
the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant.

In Washington, DC, there will be several events. On Friday, February
25th from 12 to 1pm, there will be a vigil in front of the White House
(Lafayette Park/Pennsylvania Ave.). Contact Olivia Burlingame Goumbri,
202-332-0292, alternatives-usa at epica.org.

Then on Monday, February 28: 11:30 a.m. at the corner of 16th & H
Street, NW, there will be a civil disobedience action and a
demonstration with Bishop Thomas Gumbleton to protest the US
orchestrated coup and occupation of Haiti organized by Dorothy Day
Catholic Workers, Fondasyon Mapou and the September 30th Foundation. For
information about the civil disobedience, contact Kathy Boylan at
202-882-9649. For information about the demonstration, contact Eugenia
Charles at 301-871-6082.

Also on Monday, February 28 from 7 - 9 p.m., TransAfrica Forum, Foreign
Policy In Focus, EPICA, Black Voices For Peace and Plymouth
Congregational Church will host a meeting entitled "Haiti: One Year
After the Coup," at Plymouth Congregational Church, 5301 North Capitol
Street, NE (North Capitol Street & Missouri Avenue, NW). Contact Joia
Jefferson Nuri at 202-223-1960, ext 131 or jnuri at
transafricaforum.org.

Dozens of other events are planned around the U.S. in Arizona,
California, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Minnesota, as
well as Canada, France and Ireland. A full listing can be found at
www.quixote.org/hr/campaigns/hsw-2005/body/hsw%20events.php.



NEW HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXPOSES DE FACTO TERROR

(The second of two installments)

We continue this week with the publication of extracts from "Haiti:
Human Rights Investigation, November 11-21,2004," written by immigration
lawyer Tom Griffin and published by the University of Miami Law School.
The full report can be downloaded from www.law.miami.edu/cshr/.

THE UNLAWFUL RETURN OF THE HAITIAN ARMY: In Pétionville, investigators
confirmed the repeated, highly consistent reports from neighborhoods
under siege that former soldiers have reunited, calling themselves the
"Haitian Army." The soldiers insist that the army be reinstated and
included in any discussion of Haiti's future. These heavily armed
soldiers assist HNP operations, and conduct their own, in the poorest
and most densely populated neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. They dress
in green military fatigues or camouflage, and green helmets and carry
large military guns.(...)

The investigators went to the Pétionville base where 300 heavily armed
and uniformed irregular FADH soldiers were milling about, some sporting
swords and carrying gas masks in addition to automatic rifles. They have
been given a large apartment building for their use, and neighborhood
residents supply their food and spending money and wash their clothes.
All soldiers interviewed stated that Pétionville's residents "love us
very much." (...)

Investigators interviewed the second in command, Commander Jean-Baptiste
Joseph, age 42. Commander Joseph stated that a force of 5,000 of the
irregular FADH soldiers is currently on "active duty" throughout Haiti.
In addition to the 300 soldiers stationed in Pétionville, Joseph stated
that the irregular FADH has established large bases in Ouanaminthe, Cap
HaVtien, Fort Liberté, Jérémie, Petit Goave, and Jacmel. Joseph stated
that FADH opened its base in Pétionville on February 29, 2004, the day
of President Aristide's ouster, but that the high command did not arrive
until the end of October. He stated that FADH is in Pétionville upon the
"invitation of the residents of Pétionville."

Joseph stated that the Army is standing by in Pétionville until the
Government gives them what they demand: official authority to provide
security to the city. He stated that his soldiers do, however, go out
"whenever they receive a call."

Joseph did not explain what responding to a call meant, because the
interview was interrupted by a heavy-set man in civilian clothes who
burst into the room and announced that help was needed in La Saline.
Commander Joseph then apologized, put on his helmet, grabbed a
semi-automatic rifle, and jogged out the door and down the steps of the
building.

The man who had interrupted (...) then told the investigators, in
unaccented English, that "our men have been attacked" while providing
back-up security to the APN, Haiti's official port police unit. (...)

Subsequently, the man shouted commands as approximately 100 soldiers
lined up. A group of about 20 were chosen to ride in an SUV and a
pick-up truck to respond to the report. Some of the chosen men blessed
themselves while others yelled, "we are going to kill all the 'rat pa
kaka,'" a dehumanizing term for the poor young men assumed to support
Lavalas and the return of President Aristide. The soldiers sped away,
large firearms in full view, driving several miles through
Port-au-Prince to La Saline. One of the trucks had no license plate. The
other operation truck displayed official government plates. The English
speaking officer refused to provide other details about the irregular
FADH's work, but stated that he learned English because he was "fully
trained in warfare in the United States." He gave his name as "Jean
André." (...)

HAITIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS: In response to reports of hundreds of
political prisoners -- arrested for suspected support of the elected,
constitutional government, or for criticism of the interim government --
the investigators visited prisoners in two jails, and spoke with a
respected defense lawyer.

The investigators made repeated visits to the single, 9-feet by 9-feet
jail cell at the HNP Anti-Gang Unit headquarters across from the
National Palace. On the first visit, there were 42 prisoners in the
cell, some already there for as long as 30 days. None had been brought
before a magistrate, as required within 48 hours of arrest under the
Haitian Constitution. All stated they were arrested for supporting
Lavalas. All appeared to be extremely impoverished and many had no shoes
or shirts.Several of the prisoners appeared to have been beaten and were
severely injured, and none had been seen by any medical professionals.
(...)

THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE CURRENT CRISIS: The U.S. has been a
strong supporter of the interim government, providing substantial
political and financial assistance. In order to obtain more insight into
the U.S. role, investigators spoke with officials at the U.S. Embassy in
Port-au-Prince, and with employees of the International Foundation for
Electoral Systems (IFES), which implemented a series of civil society
projects as a subcontractor of the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID).

IFES is a U.S.-based tax-exempt organization that claims to provide
"targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies."
It has worked in Haiti since 1990. IFES' most recent Haiti projects are
"Civil Society Strengthening Project for Judicial Independence and
Justice" and "Victims of Organized Violence Program." Investigators
separately interviewed two Haitian administrators of IFES' projects in
Port-au-Prince, and an American who formerly directed the Victims
Program.

The administrators reported that USAID awarded IFES a series of
contracts for millions of dollars, often as the sole bidder, and gave
IFES substantial logistical assistance in Haiti. The administrators
stated that they, and IFES, considered the programs to be an avenue to
exposing, and then ending corruption in the Haitian government. They
felt that President Aristide was corrupt, and that their job was to
nurture civil society institutions that could provide a counterweight to
the elected authorities.

The principle focus of IFES' programs was the Haitian justice system.
The justice program began in about 2001 with an initial budget of $3.5
million. Its purpose was, in the words of the administrators, "to
advocate for the independence of judges from the executive branch via
the formation of a range of coalitions from various societal
institutions." The IFES programs involved many people now prominent in
Haitian politics. For example, Minister of Justice Bernard Gousse and
his cabinet member Philippe Vixamar were IFES consultants for several
years. Among other things, Gousse was a "sensitization" speaker, wrote
key reports, spoke at conferences, and played a leading role in the IFES
exchange program for lawyers and judges at Tulane University in
Louisiana in April 2003, and at seminars in Minnesota and Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic. (...) Gerard Latortue and Interim President Boniface
Alexandre both participated in IFES justice programs. Latortue, a former
UN official and a resident of Boca Raton Florida before becoming Prime
Minister, was part of the association that IFES formed to include the
Haitian diaspora in the United States. According to the administrators,
he led the Haitian Resources Development Foundation (HRDF), a
Miami-based group that claims to "initiate and/or support projects and
programs aimed at developing economic and cultural resources in Haiti."

The premise of IFES' justice program was that President Aristide
"controlled everything" and therefore controlled the judges in Haiti in
contravention of the constitutional separation of powers. Because the
judicial system was corrupt, so went the premise, Aristide must be the
most corrupt. IFES' initially undertook to form a network of
organizations that could concentrate opposition to the perceived
corruption of the judiciary by the Aristide government. IFES formed new
associations and established relationships with existing ones, making
them more cohesive with a formally planned program of "sensitization" -
what the administrators called "opening their eyes" to IFES' viewpoint
that Aristide was corrupting the justice system. Through various
programs -- that included catered meals, accommodations, entertainment,
and payment of a cash "per diem" -- IFES "sensitized" attendees to the
problems with the justice system under Aristide and insisted that they
act as a united group for greatest effect.

The administrators reported that IFES set up the Coalition for Reform of
the Law and Judiciary ("CHREDEJ" in French) as an umbrella organization.
It helped judges and prosecutors establish a formal nationwide
professional association, the Association Nationale de la Magistrature
HaVtienne (ANAMAH). It pulled the fifteen regional bar associations into
the nationwide Federation des Barreaux d' Haiti (FBH). The
administrators reported that one of the speakers for the "sensitization"
program for Haitian judges and lawyers was Louis Aucoin, a law professor
at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Massachusetts, who has
worked on USAID justice programs in Haiti since the mid-1990's.

The administrators reported that IFES used the same formula to establish
formal associations of "private sector" and "business sector" groups in
order to "provide economic force" to the opposition movement. IFES
included a program to "sensitize" media and journalist groups, and to
"use all the radio stations in Haiti" to publicize Aristide's
corruption. Ultimately, they said, IFES stretched into "human rights"
efforts, and then formed the Fédération des Etudiants Universitaires d'
HaVti (FEUH), a "student group" based at the state university in
Port-au-Prince. IFES even went so far as to bid for a mental health
treatment contract to run a victims program in Haiti. According to the
American who was hired by IFES to run the mental health treatment
component of the program, she became disenchanted with IFES in Haiti
after concluding that (i) IFES had no concept of how to run a mental
health program and seemed only to want USAID contract money, and (ii)
IFES was more concerned with political gains than with helping Haitians
in need.

The administrators reported that IFES, through its creation or
"sensitization" of associations, set the groundwork for the
establishment and nurturing of the Group of 184 -- the business-centered
coalition led by factory owner Andy Apaid that played a major role in
Aristide's ouster. In fact, according to the Haitian administrators,
when Andy Apaid's Group of 184 held a meeting in Cité Soleil in July
2003, the IFES leadership presented a program explaining that, under
Aristide, "prosecutors won't prosecute."

When the Group of 184 wanted to introduce its "new Social Contract" at
the Inisyativ Sitwayen ("Citizens' Initiative") presentation in Cap
HaVtien, IFES financed it. The administrators stated that this group
became "the first association to effectively resist Aristide." They
stated that IFES rented the space for the meeting, paid for the
logistics and sound system, funded all activities at the forum, and paid
a "per diem" cash benefit to attendees.

As IFES' Haiti program was snowballing in October 2003, it began a
campaign to use human rights abuses as a way to highlight Aristide's
purported corruption.IFES enlisted the Comité des Avocats Pour le
Respect des Libertés Individuelles (the Lawyer's Committee for
Individual Rights, or CARLI), and gave the small, volunteer-based
organization $54,000 to set up, operate, and publicize a telephone
"hotline" for receiving human rights abuse complaints. IFES' plan
required CARLI to issue monthly written reports detailing the alleged
abuses, and to publish the names of alleged abusers to the police, the
U.S. Embassy, the OAS, and other domestic and international
organizations. (...)

The administrators stated that "we [IFES] put Aristide in a bad
situation." They stated that IFES united "all forces against Aristide"
because Aristide had co-opted the judicial system so that there were "no
arrests and no prosecutions for offenders who supported him." They
believed that violence by Aristide supporters during a demonstration at
the state university on December 5, 2003, was the "mistake" that put him
"over the top" and effectively signaled the end of his government. At
the demonstration, university rector Pierre-Marie Michel Paquiot had his
legs broken by thugs reported to be pro-Aristide demonstrators.

The administrators say that the University had been brought to the
boiling point by FEUH, IFES' "sensitized" association of university
students. They said that IFES had held "sensitization" meetings at the
University that became anti-Aristide rallies.

When Rector Paquiot was attacked, it was IFES, along with Latortue's
HRDF in Florida, that arranged to have the Rector flown out of Haiti
within days, along with an IFES escort. On March 1, 2004, less than 24
hours after Aristide's ouster, IFES held a meeting in Washington.
According to a witness, Paquiot was presented, in a wheelchair, to
energize IFES's call for an "increased presence" in Haiti.

The administrators claimed that President Aristide's other serious
mistake was the murder of Amiot "Cubain" Métayer, a prominent leader in
GonaVves. IFES took the position that President Aristide had Métayer
killed. After the killing, violence broke out in GonaVves and, according
to the administrators, Bernard Gousse wanted to be there to support the
victims. He traveled to Gonaives in a USAID-marked vehicle "for
protection" and under the auspices of a "medical association" that IFES
had formed or "sensitized," known as IMEDH. Asked to clarify whether
Gousse went to GonaVves in support of all victims of violence or a
particular group, the administrators stated that "Gousse wanted to be
with the rebels."

According to IFES administrators, the organization's Haitian staff
members were directed to attend and observe all political demonstrations
during the months leading up to President Aristide's ouster, on an
"unofficial" basis. They were also required to write weekly "political
situation reports" based on their observations and to provide these
reports to the local office of USAID and IFES headquarters. The
investigators obtained copies of some of the reports, which are
available upon request. The administrators were asked why Aristide, as
president, could not simply stop IFES from acting or exclude IFES from
Haiti. The administrators stated that IFES was bootstrapped to USAID,
and that Aristide had to allow IFES to operate or else he would have had
to forego humanitarian and other assistance from USAID. This would have
damaged relationships with his own people who needed USAID services, and
further alienated Washington, they said.

(...) The administrators stated that the ouster of Aristide "was not the
objective of the IFES program, but it was the result." They further
stated that IFES/USAID workers in Haiti want to take credit for the
ouster of Aristide, but cannot "out of respect for the wishes of the
U.S. government."

INTERVIEW OF U.S. EMBASSY OFFICIALS: Officials of the U.S. Embassy
granted interviews on the condition that their names not be used. They
conceded that the human rights situation is "extremely grave." (...)

The officials stated that the conditions in Haiti were "much better"
than they were under President Aristide, but they did not explain how
they were better. The Embassy officials admitted that they do not
investigate human rights conditions first hand, and do not visit victims
or detainees. (...) They emphasized that Haitian Police officers had
been beheaded in a slum gang operation called "Operation Baghdad."

In response to inquiries about "Operation Baghdad," the officials stated
that they (i) did not know any names of the beheaded police officers,
(ii) were unsure whether it was "gangs" or Prime Minister Latortue who
coined the term "Operation Baghdad," and (iii) did not know that Haiti's
most widely read daily paper, the pro-government Le Nouvelliste had a
regular section called "Operation Baghdad" dedicated to stories about
slum violence. The officials also said that they were unaware of reports
from sources, including CARLI (...), that the beheadings are believed to
have involved only two HNP victims, and that the perpetrators were
reported to be former soldiers, not Lavalas supporters.

Embassy officials stated that the situation would improve if the United
Nations forces were augmented. They stated that the UN forces are not
doing a good enough job because they are not using their authority to
apply deadly force. (...)

Tom Griffin will speak about his findings at a mass rally on Feb. 27 at
5 p.m. at Clara Barton High School, 901 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
Journalist Kevin Pina's new documentary "Haiti: The Betrayal of
Democracy" will also be screened. For more information, call
718-434-8100.

All articles copyrighted Haiti Progres, Inc. REPRINTS ENCOURAGED.
                  Please credit Haiti Progres.

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