25991: Brianhaiti (redio) Fwd: Half-Hour for Haiti: Stop Police Killings in Poor Neighborhoods (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Brianhaiti@aol.com


August  16, 2005
Half-Hour for  Haiti: Stop Police Killings in Poor  Neighborhoods
Thanks to everyone who contacted the U.S.  Congress in support of Fr.
Jean-Juste. Your phone calls helped increase the  signatures on _Rep.  Maxine
Watersâ??
letter to President Bush_ (http://www.haitiaction.net/News/MW/8_12_5.html)
from 11 when we issued the alert  to 29 on the final version.  Our  past
letters to the Haitian government, UN and the U.S. Embassy bore some fruit
last
week: both Juan Gabriel Valdès, the head of the UN  Mission in Haiti, and
James
Foley, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, publicly deplored  the continued jailing of
Yvon Neptune. See _UN  Mission Head Urges Release of former Prime Minister
Yvon
Neptune_ (http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-10-05.htm) , _US
Ambassador Calls for Liberation of Yvon  Neptune_
(http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-15-05.htm) .  Even Haitian
Minister of Justice Henri
Dorléans _called  for the release of detainees_
(http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-10-05.htm)  where no
investigation was  progressing.
The  U.S. Embassy will receive more input today: Law Professor Bill Quigley
will  deliver _791  letters and faxes from 10 countries_ (http
://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-15-05d.htm)  asking  the
Ambassador to intervene
on behalf of Fr. Jean-Juste, and a list of 1200 who  signed onto _Human
Rights Firstâ??s Action Alert_
(http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/defenders/hrd_haiti/alert072705_juste.htm)
for Fr. Jean-Juste.  If you have not weighed in yet,
Bill is  looking for more letters to deliver on his next trip, you may fax
them
to 1-504-861-5440, or mail to c/o  Professor Bill Quigley, Loyola University
School of Law, Box 902, New Orleans,  LA 70118.
People  living in Port-au-Princeâ??s poor neighborhoods are often more
vulnerable than the  prominent political prisoners- the police donâ??t arrest
them, they
just shoot  them, knowing that no one outside Haiti will object. Last
Wednesday  police stormed the Bel-Air neighborhood, ostensibly to combat
gangs, but
many of  those killed, including a pregnant teenager, were clearly not gang
members.  Witnesses report that much of the  killing was done by civilian
police
supporters, while the police looked on.  See _Haiti  Police Kill 5 in Raid
(AP)_ (http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-11-05.htm) .  On
Thursday 10 more people were lynched by people claiming to be working  with
the
police, and residents of Bel-Air reported the police systematically  issuing
machetes to its supporters.  See _Police  Supporters Lynch 10 in Bel-Air (AHP)
_
(http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-15-05b.htm) .
These  killings appear to be ushering in a new phase of â??electoral
cleansingâ??
 as this  fallâ??s scheduled elections approach.  With the governmentâ??s most
prominent critics safely behind bars, the  police are silencing grassroots
activists and opposition voters in the poor  neighborhoods that have long been
a
bastion of the Lavalas party.
The UN Mission in Haiti,  MINUSTAH, can put a stop to this.  It has 7,000
peacekeepers on the ground, a _mandate_
(http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/mandate.html)   from the UN
Security Council to â??protect civilians
under imminent threat of  physical violence,â??  and since June  has had
extended
supervisory powers over the police.  Last Tuesday Mr. Valdès announced  that
the
UN would not allow individuals to prevent election campaign  activities.  See
_UN  Mission Head Promises to protect Elections_
(http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_recent_news_8-15-05c.htm) .  He  needs
to put action behind his
words by ensuring that MINUSTAH peacekeepers  immediately stop all Haitian
police
attacks on poor  neighborhoods.
Action:  Please fax, call or  write Juan Gabriel Valdès, and insist that the
UN immediately stop  lynchings and other killings by Haitian Police in the
poor neighborhoods of  Port-au-Prince.  A sample letter is below, Mr.
Valdèsâ??
telephone number is 011-509-244-9650  (also 9651, 9652 through 9660).
Fax No.  011-509-244-3512
Mr. Juan  Gabriel Valdès
Special Representative of the  Secretary-General
United Nations Stabilization Mission in  Haiti
387, avenue John Brown
Port-au-Prince, Haïti
Dear Mr. Valdès

As you know, the last week saw a dramatic increase  in attacks in poor
neighborhoods by police and by civilians working with the  police, notably in
Solino
and Bel-Air.  The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has both the
capacity  and responsibility to stop this killing.
As you know, UN resolution 1542 requires  MINUSTAH to â??protect civilians
under imminent threat of physical violence.â??  In June, the mission sought
and
received  increased supervisory powers over the Haitian police.  It is time
that
the 7,000 peacekeepers  in Haiti use these powers to stop these  deadly,
illegal attacks.
In  the past you have spoken of the need for Haiti to break  out of the cycle
of violence, and to begin the process of reconciliation.  Every police
execution fuels the cycle  of violence, and makes reconciliation even more
remote.
None of  MINUSTAHâ??s initiatives in Haiti  will succeed unless the
peacekeeping
troops fulfill their obligation to protect  citizens form police-sponsored
violence.
Accordingly, I urge you to immediately endeavor to stop  police killings in
poor neighborhoods, and to conduct an investigation into last  weekâ??s
killings.
Sincerely,
_____________________________________________________________________
For more information about the  Half-Hour For Haiti Program,  the Institute
for Justice and Democracy in Haiti or human rights in Haiti,  see www.ijdh.org.

Brian  Concannon Jr., Esq.
Director, Institute for Justice & Democracy in  Haiti
(541) 432-0597
PO Box 745
Joseph, OR  97846
brianhaiti@aol.com
www.ijdh.org

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