18 Years Later, Haitians Still Manifest
Strong Show of Support for Aristide By Smith Georges
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/pol/962366594.html
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Urgent Action. Haitian journalist threatened / Action Urgente. Journaliste
Haïtien menacé de mort - Amnesty International
The rebirth of Konbit in Haiti, Dec. 17, 2008 - Haiti Action Committee
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/12_17_8/12_17_8.html
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The rebirth of Konbit in Haiti
(Photos: ©2008 HIP/Jean Ristil
Thousands of Haitians demonstrated throughout Haiti on December 16, 2008. The
date commemorated Haiti's first free and democratic elections in 1990 that
signaled the birth of the Lavalas political movement.
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/12_17_8/12_17_8.html)
ON Dec. 16, 2008- Demonstrators demanded the return of Aristide who now lives
in exile in the Republic of South Africa. They also demanded an end to the UN
occupation, the release of all Lavalas political prisoners who still remain
behind bars, and an end to the rampant profiteering by Haiti's predatory
wealthy elite that has resulted in growing misery and hunger.
By Kevin Pina
The US, France and Canada worked to oust the democratically elected government
of Haiti in 2004 in a coup that was purposely cloaked in a so-called domestic
rebellion. To this day an uncritical international press, that was itself
culpable in hiding the truth behind Aristide's ouster, continues to parrot
ridiculous assertions about the reality behind his overthrow and the intense
campaign of political repression against his Lavalas movement. During
2004-2006, thousands of Haitians were murdered by the police, jailed or forced
into exile. What emerged was a wholesale campaign of violence waged against
Lavalas that was largely maintained through the silence of human rights
organizations and the international press. The unfortunate truth is that the
police and their operatives in the Haitian state were often aided and abetted;
at first, by U.S, Marines, Canadian Special Forces, French Foreign Legion; and
later by U.N. forces in Haiti. The ultimate purpose and intent of this violent
campaign has been all too clear, to mutilate Lavalas and alter, through
violence, Haiti's political landscape.
Yesterday, December 16, was the 18th anniversary of Haiti's first free and
democratic elections that gave rise to the Lavalas movement which catapulted
Aristide into the presidency in 1990. Thousands of Haitians took to the streets
throughout the country to commemorate that day and to demand the return of
Aristide who now lives in exile in the Republic of South Africa. They also
demanded an end to the UN occupation, the release of all Lavalas political
prisoners who still remain behind bars, and an end to the rampant profiteering
by Haiti's predatory wealthy elite that has resulted in growing misery and
hunger. The event stood as a stark reminder to those policy makers who were
behind the coup, and those who continue to maintain order based upon its
outcome, that the Lavalas movement in Haiti is far from dead.
This reality raises several important questions. The first question is to those
who supported the coup and the violent campaign against the Lavalas movement:
can you honestly say that Haitians are better off today than they were before
February 29, 2004? Did you really expect the intervention to improve Haiti
when, in fact, all indicators are that Haitians are suffering today from levels
of malnutrition and infant mortality that are considered high even by Haitian
standards? And for everyone concerned about Haiti today: as the presidential
elections approach in 2011 and Lavalas reorganizes as a serious contender, once
again representing the poor majority, will democratic elections be realized? Or
will Haiti have to endure this endless cycle of foreign intervention all over
again? Can real democracy prevail even as powerful interests, from foreign
governments and Haiti's wealthy elite to a plethora of non-governmental
organizations, risk losing their investments in altering the political
landscape and turning the page on the Lavalas movement?
If history is any indicator, the current supporters and apologists for the
cynical nation-building and social engineering project Haiti has become in the
international community, have dug their tentacles deep into the flesh of
Haiti's body politic. As an indicator of just how deep, the president of the
Haitian Senate, Kelly Bastien, said earlier this week that the majority of
Haiti's national budget (provided by the international community) is managed by
non-governmental organizations. Still, they should know, the concepts of
self-determination, freedom and liberty in Haitian culture runs more deeply to
the bone. Konbit and the concept of Haitians working for the benefit of
Haitians, is not dead in Haiti. It quietly resides in the consciousness of the
Haitian people and waits for the right moment to awaken.
Yesterday's commemoration of December 16 is but one of several reminders that
Haitians have not forgotten what it is like to run their own country and tend
to their own affairs. Contrary to popular belief, Haitians were not always
forced to live off charity and rely upon the largess of foreign patrons. For
most Haitians, their dream is that this nightmare will soon come to an end, and
for better or worse, that they will once again be free to rise and fall based
upon their own strengths and efforts. That simple freedom, which many of
Haiti's patrons claim for themselves and take for granted, is the wellspring of
dignity and self-sufficiency for any people. It is the real message of December
16 in Haiti.
©2008 Haiti Information Project (HIP) all rights reserved
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Chers amis,
Veuillez trouver ci-joint la dernière action urgente en faveur de Josephy
Guyler Delva, journaliste haïtien et défenseur de la liberté de la presse.
Guyler a reçu des sérieuses menaces de mort et il a été recemment condamné
à un mois de prison pour "diffamation" mettant en danger le droit à la
liberté d'expression en Haïti et la liberté de la presse.
Veuillez faire circuler cette action à tous vos contacts. Une version en
Français sera bientôt disponible sur notre site web
www.amnesty.org/fr/region/haïti.
Merci beaucoup.
Dear Friends,
Please find enclosed the lates urgent action on behalf of Guyler Delva., a
Haitian journalist and defender of press freedom and journalists' rights.
He has received serious death threats and has recently been sentenced to one
month imprisonment for "defamation". We believe that this is a serious
hindrance to press freedom and freedom of expression.
Please join us in urging the Haitian authorities to ensure Guyler's safety.
Many thanks.
PUBLIC
AI Index: AMR 36/008/2008
18 December 2008
UA 345/08 Fear for safety /death threats / possible prisoner of
conscience
HAITI Joseph Guyler Delva (m), journalist
Joseph Guyler Delva has been receiving death threats which he believes to be
related to both his involvement in an investigation into the murder of Haitian
journalist Jean Dominique and his reporting on the controversial election of a
former Haitian senator. Amnesty International is extremely concerned for his
safety.
In 2007, Joseph Guyler Delva wrote an article in which he revealed that a
member of the Haitian senate was born in the USA and had American nationality.
The Constitution of Haiti does not permit dual Haitian and foreign nationality
and forbids non-natives to run for presidential, senatorial or parliamentary
elections. As a result the Senator was dismissed from Haiti’s Senate in March
2008 and fled the country shortly afterwards.
On 15 December 2008, Joseph Gulyer Delva reported that “…since I last year
published documented information about the Senator’s U.S. citizenship, I’ve
been on and off the object of death threats.” “I have been receiving over
the past 3 weeks death threats from unknown individuals speaking in Haitian
Creole. Two of the anonymous calls mentioned the name of [the Senator]. One
said: “If I were you, I would stop mentioning the name of [the Senator],
because there are people who can shut your big mouth.” Another one said:
“You set yourself against the Senator? You may persist in doing that! Then we
will bring you down like a mango (In Creole that means they would shoot you
dead).”
Joseph Guyler Delva is Secretary General of SOS Journalists and president of
the Independent Commission to Support Investigations into the Murders of
Journalists (Commission indépendante d’appui aux enquêtes relatives aux
assassinats des journalistes, CIAPEAJ). In this role he had also criticized the
former Senator for his failure to respond to repetitive summons by the judges
investigating the murder of radio station owner and journalist Jean Dominique
who was shot dead on 3 April 2000.
Joseph Guyler Delva criticism prompted the Senator to launch a lawsuit for
defamation against him. On 12 December 2008, Joseph Guyler Delva was sentenced
by a Haitian court to one month imprisonment for defamation and public insults
against the Senator. Neither he nor his lawyer was present at the trial as it
had been postponed on several occasions.
Joseph Guyler Delva will appeal against his conviction and sentence. He is free
at present pending his appeal. If he were to be detained, Amnesty International
would consider him a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for exercising
his right to freedom of expression.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Defamation is a criminal offence in Haiti. International human rights
organizations, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have
repeatedly called for defamation legislation to be reformed in order to make it
a civil offence.
The CIAPEAJ was created in August 2007 to monitor investigations into the
murders of nine journalists since 2000: Jean Léopold Dominique, Gérard
Denoze, Brignol Lindor, Ricardo Ortega, Abdias Jean, Robenson Laraque, Jacques
Roche, Jean-Rémy Badiau and Alix Joseph. With the exception of the case of
Jacques Roche and Brignol Lindor, the other cases remain shrouded in impunity.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in
French or your own language:
- calling on the authorities to take action, in accordance with his own wishes,
to ensure the safety of Joseph Guyler Delva;
- calling for a thorough and impartial investigation into the threats received
by Joseph Guyler Delva, with those responsible brought to justice;
- expressing concern that Joseph Guyler Delva has been sentenced to prison
terms solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression, and requesting
all proceedings be conducted in strict accordance with international fair trial
standards.
APPEALS TO:
President
S.E. René García Préval
Président de la République d’Haïti,
Palais National, Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince, HAITI (W.I)
Fax: +509 2228 2244
Salutation: Monsieur le Président/Dear President Préval
Minister of Justice and Public Security
Monsieur Jean Joseph Exumé
Ministre de la Justice et de la Sécurité Publique
19 Avenue Charles Sumner, Port-au-Prince, HAITI (W.I.)
Fax: +509 2245 0474 (Request the fax line : La ligne de fax
s’il-vous-plaît)
Salutation: Monsieur le Ministre/Dear Minister
General Director of the Haitian National Police
Monsieur Mario Andresol
Directeur Général de la Police Nationale d'Haïti
Grand Quartier Général de la Police
12 rue Oscar Pacot, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (W.I.)
Fax: +509 2245 7374
Salutation: Monsieur le Directeur Général/Dear Mr Andresol
COPIES TO:
SOS Journalistes
76 Route du Canapé Vert (en face de l’hôpital)
Port-au-Prince
Haïti
Email: sosjournalisteshaiti@hotmail.com
and to diplomatic representatives of Haiti accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or
your section office, if sending appeals after 29 January 2009.
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Forwarded by Ezili's Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
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