24537: Hermantin( Letter to the Editor) Haiti elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Haiti elections

In his March 13 column Haiti is making strides after years of Aristide's
misrule, Assistant Secretary of State Roger F. Noriega persists in
mischaracterizing the situation in Haiti -- not out of ignorance, but out of
necessity. Noriega's mission is to legitimize upcoming elections, regardless
of the reality of gross human-rights abuses by Haitian National Police under
the nose of U.N. peacekeepers. Thus, he must make Haiti ''seem'' to be on
its way to peace and security. Nothing could be further from the truth.

He is right that Haiti ''is making strides.'' But the United Nations,
human-rights groups, U.S. Congress members and the Haitian people agree that
those strides are back to Haiti's dictatorial past, with political
prisoners, attacks on the press and gross human-rights abuses. Yes, the Bush
administration is unwavering in its support for the de facto authorities.
Yet the U.S. public will reject a policy such as this because it is based on
widespread political persecution leading to increased numbers of refugees.

The people of Haiti are very resilient. Noriega is going to have a tough
time passing off these elections as legitimate.

SHIRLEY PATE, Washington, D.C.