a1948: Theater of the Absurd (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Hyppolite Pierre <hpierre@irsp.org>

It's official. Robert Ménard of Reporteur Sans Frontières (Reporters Without
Borders) will make sure that Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's elected
president, is brought to justice before the newly created International
Penal Court. The reason? I am not too sure and I am not being cynical.
Apparently, Aristide will be tried because of Jean Dominique's and Brignol
Lindor's murders.

If it is true that Haiti's national press is working under difficult
circumstances, it is equally true that nowadays, there is more freedom of
the press in Haiti than say, 10 years ago. If it is true that the alleged
perpetrators of those crimes (Jean Do and Lindor) have been pointed, it is
equally true that at least so far, the murderers have not even been
arraigned. More importantly, the name of Jean-Bertrand Aristide is not cited
in neither of those two cases as conspirator, co-conspirator, or
intellectual author of these crimes. It is also true that in Aristide's
public declarations and those of his Ministers, the goal is to protect the
independent media. We also all know that despite all the problems, it is a
fact, a fact that there is great freedom of the press in Haiti. Let's be
honest for once.

Why then this decision by RSF?

This looks more like we're truly dealing in Haiti with theater of the
absurd.

The confrontational mentality in Haitian politics, which we all thought was
confined within our territorial border, has now spilled over to the heart of
Europe? Worse, it seems as though everyone want to have their
"mini-revolution" in Haiti, while the Haitian people and our civil society
(from the poorest to the richest) are just impotent spectators of those
"palace revolutions" (révolution de palais). I wish that everyone could
understand that all we want is true, reasonable and sustainable reform, not
these futile "révolutions de palais pré-fabriquées".

Well, sadly enough, serious and more important issues regarding freedom of
the press in Haiti are not even being debated properly. For instance, I have
yet to read from, or hear of RSF giving their opinion on whether the Haitian
journalists associations should adopt their code of ethics in conjonction
with State laws, or anything else. Most tormented Haitian souls, despite
their private disagreement, seem afraid to even discuss the RSF's methods in
Haiti on these issues. Why? Why?

I personally believe that the assassins of Brignol Lindor should be tried,
convicted, and put in jail if found guilty. I also believe that those who
tried to kill that young Lavalas partisan with machettes, the "catalyst" of
Lindor's murder in Petit Goâve should also be tried and go through the same
judicial and penitentiary processes. Moreover, I am waiting for the day when
the intellectual author of Jean Dominique's murder will be arrested, tried,
and convicted in a court of law. Perhaps as importantly, I hope that s/he is
tried in a civil court as well, and pay dola (some serious money) to Jean
Do's families if s/he has money. Yet, I am puzzled as to why Aristide should
be tried by an International Penal Court for those cases. I am sorry to say
it, but I don't get the connection.

In any case, it may be important that we all stay alert here. Haiti is a
poor country, practically begging for international donations. The next time
around, when and if a different government is in power and if RSF or any
other group disagrees with them, they will just try to use shady legal
procedures to further cripple an already desparate country. These kinds of
slapping are not just on Lavalas faces. They are slapping on all of our
faces.

And please don't call me nationalist. I am not. I am just Haitian.

Hyppolite Pierre
IRSP
http://www.irsp.org