a1259: Re: a1129: "Guantanamo No Good" (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

First, before I talk about what I know about Haitian refugee experiences at
Guantanamo, I want to point out that it would be best to hear from those
surviving refugees about their experiences.  Also, I want to say how much
respect those people in the Haitian community and those from the solidarity
movement who went down to Guantanamo as either social workers, journalists,
or other workers to help the Haitian refugees.  I'm sure they have a lot they
could share as well.

The refugee families that I worked with in New York and became close with had
been extremely traumatized by their experiences in Guatanamo at the hands of
the US military.

They were held in a separate camp for persons with HIV/AIDS and their
families.  This prison was known as Camp Buckley.  They were beaten,
shackled, held in bunkers in the mountains, and some still suffer physically
from the abuse.

One person held there spent the entire remainder of his life painting the
scene over and over and over again, until he finally died.  His paintings
were dark and frightening.

Another person, who also later died, depicted the camp and their experiences
with primary colors, as opposed to bleakness, but his paintings (Jonathan
Demme has one and I have the other) show the prisoners demonstrating against
Guantanamo and being cuffed and on the ground at the hands of the US
military.  In my painting, the demonstrators are holding up a sign which
says, "Guantanamo No Good"

There was a high level US military officer (I can't remember his name right
now) who later came to New York and had a small get together with former Camp
Buckley prisoners and it turned out that he seemed to care very much about
these people and they in turn appreciated him greatly.  I seem to remember he
was en route to the War College (how ironic, no?) when he stopped in New York
and asked that the Camp Buckley people be invited to get together with him.

Another point about Camp Buckley was that there were a lot of medical things
going on, such as treatment for TB, HIV/AIDS, and the testing of depra vera
(sorry, spelled wrong).  Once in New York, it turned out that some of these
folks had TB which was never detected? or treated? and some women were sick
from the depra vera.

It would be best to hear from those folks themselves.  By now most speak and
write English.  One consideration in looking for these refugees to honestly
talk about their experiences would be to inquire as to whether they have a
stable immigration status yet.  If not, perhaps some won't want to talk,
particularly in light of the current situation in Guantanamo.

I remember that one guy from Camp Buckley, known as the "President" of that
camp, did write a book about his time there.  It would probably be a good
source because it was written immediately following (or maybe even during)
his time there.

Michelle Karshan