26897: Lemieux: China View: Dominican president cuts short visit to Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

Dominican president cuts short visit to Haiti

www.chinaview.cn 2005-12-14 14:17:51

    HAVANA, Dec. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The Republic
of Dominica and neighboring Haiti suffered a new
setback in relations after Dominican President
Leonel Fernandez cut short a state visit amid
violent protests against his immigration
policies, reports reaching here said Tuesday.

    The Dominican government demanded a formal
apology from Haiti one day after President Leonel
Fernandez was forced to leave in the middle of
his visit Monday when violence erupted in Haiti's
capital Port-au-Prince.

    The demonstrators gathered outside the
presidential palace where Fernandez was meeting
his Haitian counterpart Boniface Alexandre on
improving bilateral relations and settling the
migration issue, the source of tension between
the two republics sharing the island of
Hispaniola.

    "You are not welcome! Go back home!," a crowd
of Haitian students chanted while the protest was
going on with demonstrators burning tires and
pictures of Fernadez, erecting barricades and
throwing stones and bottles at the Dominican
delegation's motorcade.

    The demonstration was eventually dispersed by
police using water cannon and firing shots into
the air. The clash injured three people.

    The violent protests prevented the Dominican
leader from meeting Haitian presidential
candidates set to run in the race slated for
January 2006.

    The Haitian government later condemned the
protest as "intolerable" and "inexcusable,"
vowing to start an investigation and bring those
responsible to justice.

    Dominica has repatriated thousands of Haitian
immigrants. Reports also said Haitian immigrants
were attacked in Dominica.

    In May, Dominica expelled over 2,500 Haitian
migrants after a businesswoman was hacked to
death in Hatillo Palma, 270 km northwest of the
capital Santo Domingo.

    President Fernandez ordered the deportation,
saying that Haitians were at risk following the
outburst of public anger. Around 1 million
Haitians live in the Dominican Republic, mainly
working on building sites and sugar plantations.

    In protest, Haiti closed the border town of
Juana Mendez.

    Despite Haiti's apology over Monday's
incident, President Alexandre expressed sympathy
with the protestors.

    "The rumors of the treatment inflicted on our
compatriots in the neighboring republic left us
with a bitter taste," said Alexandre. Enditem



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