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24917: White: Re: 24912: Simidor comments re Arthurs and Neptune (fwd)
From: Randall White <raw@haitiaction.org>
Mr Simidor,
Your comments came as no surprise:
"Reuters Guyler Delva and Remarais' Agence
Haitienne de Presse, on the other hand, are from the
Lavalas fold, and equally adamant on pushing a
pro-Lavalas agenda. Figuring out what goes on from day
to day in Haiti is like navigating a minefield."
Reuters Guyler Delva "is LAVALAS" ??? !!! Since when?
That appears to be a provocation. The police have threatened him in the
past, making such a statement could - further - put his life in danger. But you already knew that.
"Likewise Remarais and Delva
inflate the numbers at those events, and still portray
the Feb. 2004 Lavalas massacre in St. Marc as an NCHR
fabrication, even after Ann Fuller's detail article to
the contrary."
As for the event numbers:
Delva has NEVER exceeded the numbers that are confirmed by photographs
posted on http://www.HaitiAction.net/ (an admittedly pro-Lavalas site).
Reuters has consistently proved itself to be hostile to portraying
pro-democracy and/or pro-Aristide supporters in a positive light. The
editors rarely miss an opportunity to amend duplicitous "background"
information to the reporting before it's released.
As for the NChR.exe fabrication of a massacre at Scierie I'd like to make
a couple of observations - off the top of my head:
1. Even if everything that NChR.exe fabricated was true [Namely, that
more than 50 heavily-armed RAMICOS insurgents - or their supporters -
were killed in skirmishes with PNH, CIMO and Bale Wouze (who were
self-appointed defenders of the democratically-elected government of
Haiti before Prime Minister Neptune thanked them for their
"patriotism.")], IT IS THE RIGHT of the state do defend itself against an
armed rebellion and enlist the aid of any agency to reinstate
"constitutional order."
Internationally, "excessive use of force" by police transmogrifies into
"Rules of Engagement" by The State defenses in the absence of a
conscripted military. If the insurgents don't surrender to The State they
can be pursued with "deadly force" until The State reinstates
"constitutional order." (An illegal government is NOT afforded the same
rights)
If the insurgents have "surrendered" and are under the effective control
of The State, or its agents, and are then assassinated then it can be
properly considered to be a "massacre" or illegal summary execution.
As far as I can recall NChR.exe hasn't - yet - claimed that RAMICOS had
surrendered to Haitian authorities. As of 2/11/04 they were using
"innocents" houses all over St. Marc to carry out their stated objective
to mount a USA supported coup of the democratically elected government of Haiti.
Certainly nothing - of what The Prime Minister is accused of - would be
considered illegal under international law, let alone Haiti's
Constitution. The identity of the "four or five" bodies that were seen
hadn't been established and could have even been Bale Wouze. [is it just
me? If a professional journalist can't accurately count up to five,
shouldn't he be fired? What "pro-Lavalas Reuters reporter" was that?]
The coup-government keeps pointing to unsubstantiated charges made by
Pierre Esperance as justification for keeping Prime Minister Yvon Neptune
as a political prisoner. Last year the Haiti Information Project
commented on the contrived allegations:
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/9_12_4.html
"The NCHR reminds us that on February 11, 2004, policemen, members of
special units of the Haiti National Police, including the Anti-Terrorist
Corps (the CAT team), the Intervention Corps to Maintain Order (CIMO) and
heavily armed civilians, members of the Bale Wouze organization, invaded
the Syria neighborhood of St. Marc, which is the base of the Assembly of
Militants of the Commune of St. Marc (RAMICOSM), an organization close to
the opposition. The final tally is still incomplete, but there are more
than 50 people killed or disappeared and several dozen houses destroyed
by fire." (Massacre in Syria (St. Marc): Three Presumed Murderers Behind
Bars, press release, NCHR, March 2, 2004)
"No other human rights organization, either local or international has
documented this massacre. The journalists (including Reuters) who arrived
at the scene after the events, report having found four or five
unidentified bodies. In addition NCHR is not (any longer) very sure of
their sources. Where are the bodies? According to the director, Pierre
Esperance, they could have been devoured by wild dogs. (Haiti en Marche
Vol. XVIII No. 23, Wednesday July 7, 2004).
Prime Minister Yvonne Neptune has cooperated with an illegal government
to review the events. The coup government has no intention of acting in
"good-faith" with the elected government of Haiti. There's no need to
persecute the Prime Minister as a political prisoner anymore, when a
legal justice system returns to Haiti, he has made every indication that
he would cooperate with a fair investigation.
2. Now on the other hand, the summary executions - during the same month
- that were witnessed first-hand by the corporate media in Cap Haitien,
Gonaïves an Hinche being committed by Jodel Chamblain, Guy Phillipe,
Chavannes Jean-Baptiste and/or US trained soldiers under their command
were massacres and were illegal.
The Carrefour Massacre:
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/1_7_5.html
The assassination of Lavalasien Feb 28, 2005 in front of UN troops by PNH:
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/3_5_5/3_5_5.html
and the massacres of pro-democracy supportes at peaceful demonstrations
over the last two days were witnessed by the corporate media. Were all
properly documented atrocities.
Will anyone be charged? Will you call for justice?
RAW