24212: Hermantin(News)letters to the Editor (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

St Petersberg Times
May 16, 2005

U.S. is concerned about Haitian

Re: Former U.S. ally on hunger strike in Haitian jail, May 7.

Contrary to suggestions in your article, the United States has repeatedly
expressed its concerns about the health and well-being of former Haitian
Prime Minister Yvon Neptune.

We have also repeatedly expressed our concerns to Haiti's Interim Government
that Mr. Neptune's case has not been processed expeditiously in accord with
the Haitian constitution.

Unfortunately, the former prime minister has frustrated efforts to resolve
the matter by refusing to cooperate with Haiti's legal authorities, refusing
to eat and refusing medical attention abroad unless the government summarily
drops all charges against him.

We acknowledge that during his final days in office, Mr. Neptune played an
important role in preventing further violence in Haiti after the resignation
of the previous president. We hope Mr. Neptune will agree to end his hunger
strike, obtain the medical treatment he needs to preserve his health and
cooperate with efforts to investigate his case.

Roger F. Noriega, assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere
Affairs, Washington

Call it a coup

Re: Former U.S. ally on hunger strike in Haitian jail.

I was glad to see David Adams' article on Yvon Neptune in paper. A couple
things, however, were very bothersome.

The article characterizes the ousting of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as a
"resignation." The accuracy of that statement is questionable, at best.
Aristide was run out of office in what he and at least 10 members of the
U.S. Congress described as a coup. It's difficult to trust the content of
the article when this aspect of the story is not at least discussed.

The story said that "Washington has stayed silent over the government's
treatment of Neptune, not wanting to be seen interfering in a domestic legal
matter." This is insulting at best, jingoistic at worst. So, we are to
believe that the same U.S. government that led the coup of Aristide is
staying silent over the treatment of Neptune because it's concerned about
its image?

Chris Ernesto, St. Petersburg