12202: St Raphael : Open letter to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide(fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

>From the Haiti Support Group

Re: Violence at St Raphael, detentions without charge


Dear President Aristide,

    We are most concerned and distressed about the reported violent attack on
organised workers and peasants at the Guacimal company plantation at St.
Raphael on Monday 27 May. We implore you to take immediate action to
guarantee the safety of those at risk from further violence, and to
administer justice against those carrying out the attack.

    According to the information that we have received, on 27 May, a group of
local people organised as the Sendika Travayè Agrikol Gwasimal Senrafayèl,
accompanied by a solidarity delegation from the Cap-Haitien-based union
federation, the Intersyndicale Premier Mai - Batay Ouvriye, assembled in St.
Raphael. Their aim was to allocate parcels of land at the Guacimal orange
plantation for use by local peasant farmers during the current growing
season. This division of the unused land between the orange trees has been an
established practice for many, many years.

    The assembled group proceeded to the plantation where, according to the
reports that we have read, they were met by a group lead by the authorities
in the area, namely a grandon (landowner) called Lavaud who represents the
Guacimal company, and by two Lavalas Family officials: a member of the CASEC,
Analyas, and a member of the ASEC, Letoine. This group, some armed with
machetes and clubs, others with guns, attacked the organised workers and
peasants. Shots were fired by the CASEC member. Stones and other missiles
were thrown in defence. Many people were seriously injured as the assailants
dispersed the assembled group.

    Most seriously, we are informed of the following outrage: According to
information received from our colleagues, Batay Ouvriye, some time after the
above incident two elderly members of the organisation who had come from St.
Michel de l'Attalaye but who had not taken part in the fighting, were
discovered hiding in a house far from the plantation. We are informed that
members of the attacking group took these two people out of the house, tied
them up and dragged them to the plantation. There they were mutilated and cut
up with knives. Finally, they were beheaded and their bodies were thrown in a
hole.

    We further understand that on 29 May a helicopter carrying a unit of the
CIMO police was dispatched from Port-au-Prince to St. Raphael, and took seven
people detained in the St. Raphael jail back to Port-au-Prince. We understand
that the seven detainees include three members of Batay Ouvriye and two
journalists who were covering the events. All seven are apparently now
detained in the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince. As far as we know
they have not been charged with any offence. If that was not bad enough, we
understand that the two journalists, Darwin St. Julien of the Haïti Progrès
newspaper and Allan Deshommes of Radio Atlantique, are being denied the
urgent medical attention that they require for the injuries they received
during the 27 May incident. St. Julien may lose an eye, and Deshommes'
condition may be life threatening. We understand that the two were originally
detained by the St. Raphael police on the basis of the Lavalas Family mayor
of St. Raphael's claim that he knew them to be "terrorists".

    Mr President, you have been familiar with the work of the Haiti Support
Group since you visited London in 1992, and you have met with members of our
organisation on several subsequent occasions. You will appreciate that not
only are we scandalised that the above events can take place during your
Presidency and under a Lavalas Family-dominated government, but we are also
outraged that Lavalas Family Party officials are among those accused of
playing a leading role in the St. Raphael attack.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Arthur
director, the Haiti Support Group,
London, UK.


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