Category: Haiti Post-Coup

AP Reports that a Haitian judge ordered Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil released today without being charged.

Consider writing letters, though it might well be a ‘fool’s call’ as the writer of the alert (Marguerite Laurent I think) says. It’s a ‘fool’s call’ but there’s no alternative. And a lot of attention quickly does help…

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Urgent Action Alert
(Please distribute widely)

Masked Haitian police took Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil away today.

Demand immediate release of Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil

Around 5:15 this afternoon the Haitian Lawyers Leadership received a call from Haiti telling us that Haitian police, from the Delma police station, in a car marked with licensed plate # 0879, had entered Father Jean Juste’s presbytery, and was searching it, “destroying the place and generally creating trauma” to the people who were at the church at the time of the police invasion. Apparently, the men had black masks on and were accompanied by an investigative judge to give the exercise a semblance of legality.

The people from the Church and in the area of the Church, fearing the police would plant some evidence against Father Jean Juste to justify his continued imprisonment, alerted us and as many journalists as they could reach.

A half-hour later, we got a call that Kevin Pina and Haitian journalist Jean Ristil where inside the presbytery, asking questions and recording event as they were unfolding. We listened to a recording made by a journalist inside the presbytery and beamed out for broadcast to Haitian radio in the Diaspora as the search and rampage was taking place and learned, practically as it was happening, that the Haitian police had put Kevin Pina under arrest. There were other journalist there but Kevin Pina was placed under arrest. We don’t know the charges.

Later, we learned that after their rampage through the church, both Kevin Pina and Haitian journalist Jean Ristil were put in the police car, both under arrest, taken away by the Haitian police.

Please sound the alarm. We all know that UN soldiers arrested Father Jean Juste. We know that the Haitian police are under the supervision of the UN soldiers in Haiti. More importantly, we know that the grassroots in Haiti, with their leadership dead, in prison or in exile, have declared the people of Haiti, of Site Soley, Bel Air, Cap Haitien, St. Marc, and throughout Haiti, will only go to these sham elections if the killings and arbitrary arrests stop, the political prisoners released, Latortue government resigns and the people in exile return. Obviously, the Coup D’etat contingent can’t allow Father Jean
Juste out of prison, and certainly the UN have shown how cheap Black Haitian life is.

Frankly, it’s a fool’s call to go to the UN for help to release Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil or any of the political prisoners being held by the government the UN helped to bring to power, supports and helps to carry out its repressions, killings and arbitrary arrests. There’s enough evidence and U.N. history in Haiti, since the Coup D’etat, that underlines the U.N. are indeed complicit in the arrests and mayhem in Haiti. (See, the Harvard Report, Small Arms report, Miami Law Center Report, Amnesty International Reports) however, what’s the choice? UN talking heads, like Juan Valdes and Kofi-(n) Annan, say publicly they are in Haiti to bring peace and security. Let them know we know that they know the only way to bring more peace and security to Haiti is to stop the killings, to stop all arbitrary arrests including the current arrests of white American journalist, Kevin Pina and Haitian journalist Jean Ristil, to release the political prisoners including Father Gerard Jean Juste, to facilitate the departure of the Latortue government and the return of the Haitians in exile – those would be concrete and positive UN actions in accordance with international laws of justice, the UN charter, OAS Charter, the Haitian Constitution and the Geneva Convention, all of which acknowledges a nations right to sovereignty, self-reliance, dignity and self-determination.

Call, fax and write MINUSTHA in Haiti and the UN headquarters in NY and
in Geneva. Remind them of their legal duties as a world body for peace,
justice and human rights. Remind them of the people of Haiti’s 5-points: the only real foundation for the restoration of peace and security to Haiti.
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/law/5_pointsgrassroots.html

Sound the alarm to stop the arrest, torture or even murder of
journalists Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil by this UN/US death regime
brought to Haiti.

Contact information is below and on our website at
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/contactinformation/un-intl-contacts.html

Marguerite Laurent, Esq.
Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
September 9, 2005

Dear U.N. officials and Amnesty International

To: pereira17@un.org, kongo-doudou@un.org, beer@un.org,
cisse-gouro@un.org, fagart@un.org, inquiries@un.org, BanksD@state.gov,
presidentga58@un.org, president@whitehouse.gov, ngochr@ohchr.org

CC: louborda@delbrasonu.org, argentina@un.int, chile@un.int,
chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn, france@un.int, canada@un.int,
prnce@international.gc.ca, puechguirbal@un.org,
KonareAO@africa-union.org, embassy@haiti.org, kerryp@state.gov

Subject: Urgent: Release journalist Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil

(Fax and telephone numbers of UN representative in Haiti are on our
website at: )

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For CANADA: Contact information for UN Officials and Canadian Members
of Parliament

Urgent: Help Prevent Further Massacres in Haiti! – Letter to UN
officials

Dear U.N. officials and Canadian Members of Parliament

To: valdesj@un.org, suzukia@un.org, inquiries@un.org,
urgent-action@ohchr.org, pereira17@un.org, Martin.P@parl.gc.ca,
mcdonough.a@parl.gc.ca, Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca, laytoj@parl.gc.ca,
Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca

CC: medili@un.org, christian.do.rosario@undp.org,
amadou.kamara@fao.org, agonzalezregueral@unicef.org,
bonnevaubea@hai.ops-oms.org, Mamadou.mbaye@wfp.org,
kizito.bishikwabo.nsarhaza@undp.org, clavijo@unfpa.org,
marched@imf.org, roelandk@unopsmail.org, allenc@un.org, andy@acn2.net,
szejnera@un.org, banciu@un.org, bmalebranche@unicef.org,
buescher@un.org, bonnevauxbea@hai.ops-oms.org, cecchinir@un.org,
duvalrobert2003@yahoo.fr, elise.benoit@wfp.org, emilioc@iadb.org,
fanfanmel@yahoo.fr, fondpaixdev@hotmail.com, girardengo@un.org,
glherisson@yahoo.fr, goodsamtan@hotmail.com, ji.espinal@unesco.org,
joclau61@hotmail.com, machieng@iom.int, marcher@usaid.gov,
mouillefarine@un.org, msff-port-aux-princes@paris.msf.org,
myrlandeplb@yahoo.fr, paulgmagloire@aol.com, pccraig2004@yahoo.com,
rune.skinnebach@cec.eu.int

Subject: Urgent: Release journalist Kevin Pina and Jean Ristil

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Call and write the United Nations: 212-963-4879, presidentga58@un.org
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UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
PHONE: 011.509.244.9650.9660
FAX: 011.509.244.9366/67
Or, Fax, Office of General Secretary (New York) – 212.963.4879

Hon. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General
United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
inquiries@un.org; press office: (509) 510-2563 ext. : 6343

Ambassador Anne Patterson
Acting Permanent U.S. representative to the United Nations:
212-415-4050 or Peggy Kerry: kerryp@state.gov

Bacre Waly Ndiaye
Director-New York Office of the UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights
ph: 212-963-1583 or 212-963-5930
fax: 212-963-3463

Louise Arbour
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
ph: 41-22-917-9000
fax: 41-22-917-9011
email: ngochr@ohchr.org

Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: 41 22 917 9006
email: urgent-action@ohchr.org
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Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General
Juan Gabriel Valdés
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
385, Ave. John Brown, Bourdon, B.P. 557,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (W.I.)
Fax: +509 244 3512

Special Representative Valdés
Head of Human Rights Division

Thierry Fagart
Human Rights Division, MINUSTAH

385, Ave. John Brown, Bourdon, B.P. 557
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (W.I.)
Fax: +509 244 9366
+509 244 9367

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Fax No. (212) 963-4879
Hon. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General
United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
*************************************
Additional contact information:

Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Haiti
2311 Massachusetts Ave.NW.
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 745 7215
Email: embassy@haiti.org

U.S. Charge D’affairs, Timothy Carney
United States Embassy
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Telephones: 011-509-223-4711, or 222-0200 or 0354
Fax: 011-509-223-1641 or 9038

Email to Dana Banks, Human Rights Officer:
BanksD@state.gov
___________
Canadian Ambassador to Haiti, Claude Boucher
Embassy of Canada
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Telephone: 011-509- 249-9000
Fax: 011-509-249-9920
Email: prnce@international.gc.ca
________________________________________________

Ambassador of France in Haiti, M. Yves GAUDEUL
Embassy of France
51 place des Héros de l’Indépendance – BP 312
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Telephone: 011-509-222-0952
Fax : 011-509-223 5675

cc: Fax or send copies to:

Fax. No. 011-509-245-0474
Me. Henri Dorlèans
Ministre de la Justice et de la Sècuritè Publique
Ministère de la Justice
19 Avenue Charles Sumner
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

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General Director of the Haiti National Police
Mario Andresol
Directeur Général de la Police Nationale d’Haïti
Grand Quartier Générale la Police
12 rue Oscar Pacot, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (W.I.)
Fax: 011-509 245 7374

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Prime Minister
Gérard Latortue
Ministère de l’Intérieure, Villa d’Accueil, Delmas 60
Musseau, Port-au-Prince, HAITI (W.I.)
Fax: +509 298 3901
Salutation: Monsieur le Premier Ministre/Dear Prime Minister
Minister of Justice and Public Security

Check out Ben Terrall’s blogging from Haiti.

A very important, very substantial two part research article by Kevin Skerrett on Haiti and the case of Yvon Neptune, the former Prime Minister of Haiti who was ousted in the Feb 29 2004 coup and who has been languishing in prison for about a year, having been charged after 11 months of languishing, with a set of total sham charges. Neptune is wasting away on hunger strike and is very likely going to die of starvation, one of the thousands of casualties of the coup. Skerrett reviews the evidence and examines the role of the Haitian ‘human rights’ group NCHR, including looking at where the money comes from… Canada… of course.

Read.

Very nice little piece of blogging by Dru at the Dominion. Please read.

There were several armed attacks in Haiti over the weekend in which people were massacred. Preliminary reports from the National Coalition for Haitian Rights, broadcast on Haitian Metropole radio on Feb 25: “Village de Dieu district, which caused the deaths of at least eight people by bullets, seven injuries and the destruction of three houses by fire….The NCHR notes that this massacre took place less than eight days after armed bandits, in complicity with the prison guards, facilitated an invasion and allowed 481 prisoners to escape (from the National Pentientiary on 19 February), most of whom are dangerous criminals who killed people and set fire to people’s homes.” I believe that the NCHR is a partisan and pro-coup group – funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, among others. But I don’t doubt that these people were killed, I just think they were probably Lavalas people and that the ‘armed bandits’ are the coup forces… this is a gambit used in murderous propaganda the world over, and was used for example in Venezuela in 2002 during the coup against Chavez: Bolivarians were killed and then ‘claimed’ by the opposition as victims of Chavez, when in fact they were victims of the opposition itself.

The jailbreak last week, which the NCHR mentions, was very strange. At first I thought it was the beginning of an armed struggle against the dictatorship, but I had good reason from the beginning to know I had thought wrong. Pro-Lavalas politicians were taken out of the prison – later it was discovered they were taken out at gunpoint. Yvon Neptune, the former Prime Minister, has been on hunger strike for several days now, demanding to at least have a trial. [As an aside: how can he have a fair or legitimate trial, since the government that jailed him and would be trying him is illegitimate?]

Following the massacre on Feb 25 was another massacre on the 26, reported by Radio Vision 2000 Port-au-Prince in Creole:

“The police carried out an operation today 25 February in Cameroun Base Bel Air , a stronghold of armed Lavalas pro-Aristide gangs. Some reports say that six bandits have allegedly lost their lives and also two Intervention and Maintenance of Order Company CIMO members, allegedly during exchanges of gunfire.

We must say that the Brazilian commander of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti Minustah has confirmed that an operation was carried out but he did not wish to give details on the number of victims. Minustah went to the scene after everything was over, according to Heleno Ribero. He says that members of the population were demonstrating against this intervention by the Haitian National Police PNH . Ribero answered the questions of Marie-Lucie Bonhomme.

Ribero – recording, in French The operation was not a joint operation. We were called after the police – pauses They called us because they were in difficulty. When we arrived there, the police were already in the process of leaving. The operation was already over. So, we did not participate jointly with the police.

So the death toll is around 20 for Thursday and Friday, some by ‘bandits’, others by the police (backed up by the United Nations with its Brazilian commander, thanks again for that to all those progressive Latin American governments), some identified as ‘innocent civilians’, others as ‘bandits’ themselves, depending on who killed them.

As I said, I don’t doubt that people were killed. But I do have doubts about whether the ‘bandits’ that were killed were really ‘bandits’. Heleno’s story sounds very convenient, as well. What a lucky thing for the UN to have been there to ‘back up’ the police, but not have been there when the actual killing happened.

On that island they had some elections. They chose someone to be their President. Then some people from some other countries decided to get rid of that President and pick a new one. Some of the people from the island disagreed – so they were killed.

Continue reading “Once upon a time there was an island called Haiti”

Lyn Duff, writing for the Pacific News Service, wrote a kind of personal essay. She helped establish a children’s radio station in Haiti in 1995. Aristide, you see, hamstrung as he was by debt and subversion, had managed to create some protections for Haiti’s hundreds of thousands of street children. Even without money, he helped change social attitudes towards them.

Continue reading “Canada & the UN do right by the children of Haiti”

Yves Engler, who visited Haiti recently, has written more on the economic plunder of Haiti. Expect more good stuff from him in the coming weeks.

A report of an incursion on January 4 from the Agence Haitiene de Presse (I don’t know anything about this group): “Two people were killed and several others arrested this Tuesday at the Cité de l’Eternel located along Bicentenaire Street. The killings were carried out by police officers dressed in black and camouflage. According to area residents, the dead are Jean Ferres Nazaire, age 28, and Angela, a girl of 13. The residents of Cité l’Eternel are accusing the police of displaying a revolting lack of professionalism. “When the police storm into a neighborhood they have a tendency to shoot everything that moves and that’s what is behind the tragedy of January 4″, they protested, affirming that the two people who were shot dead had nothing to do with the violence prevailing in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.”

A report of an incursion on January 5 from the Haiti Information Project: “Hundreds of Brazilian soldiers and special units of the Haitian National Police stormed the pro-Aristide neighborhood of Bel Air in the early morning hours of January 5. Residents were surprised and frightened by the armed incursion as gunfire broke out. Witnesses reported that five persons were killed as the operation unfolded… Following the military operation, UN peacekeepers were seen providing photo opportunities to the press as they fixed a few water pipes and cleared the carcasses of burned out vehicles blocking the road. ” The AHP said that the UN troops arrested 9 men in the neighbourhood.

A report from AHP on promised demonstration elections this year: “Interim Prime Minister Gérard Latortue declared Sunday that the elections will indeed go forward this year, despite, he said, the insecurity prevailing in Haiti. The next elections will be free, honest and democratic, he said. Gérard Latortue reaffirmed that February 7, 2006, will be his last day as Prime Minister. “It is out of the question for me to remain even one hour longer”, he promised. Mr. Latortue spoke against the proliferation of political parties in the country because, he said, that constitutes a threat to the success of the elections… Gérard Latortue said he hopes that no more than eight political parties will take part in the next elections scheduled for this year.”

A last crucial note courtesy of the World Bank, from January 6. The international community playing its time-honoured role: “On January 4, 2005, Haiti settled $52.6 million in overdue service payments to the Bank using its own reserves and a US$12.7 million grant contribution from Canada. This paved the way for the Bank to reinstate the country’s rights to make withdrawals under credit and grant agreements. With the exception of special grant programs, disbursements had been suspended since January 30, 2001, due to the accumulation of overdue payments to the Bank.”

So, the very first thing the World Bank has done for Haitians in the new year, after their government was ousted, after paramilitaries took over the country by massacring thousands, after the place was further devastated by hurricanes, was raid the Haitian treasury to the tune of $40 million. Canada went ahead and gave the World Bank another $12 million (Thanks, Canada).

Between the United Nations and the World Bank, Haitians are being helped from misery to even more grinding misery and from fear into massacre.