From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Haiti: Two more students arrested
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 07:03:41 GMT

/** reg.carib: 452.0 **/
** Topic: TWO MORE HAITIAN STUDENTS ARRESTED **
** Written  7:11 pm  Dec 13, 1992 by hib in cdp:reg.carib **
From: Jane Regan <hib>
Subject: TWO MORE HAITIAN STUDENTS ARRESTED

From HAITIAN INFORMATION BUREAU
An alternative news and information service
Tel/fax:  (509) 574047, E-mail: hib@igc.org

For human rights information:
Platform for Human Rights
Tel/fax: (509) 451653

             *     *     *     *     URGENT RELEASE     *     *     *     *

               AGRESSION AGAINST UNIVERSITY CONTINUES

                    TWO MORE STUDENTS ARRESTED DEC. 12

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Dec. 13 - Two more students were arrested 
yesterday when the army closed down the teacher's college ("Ecole 
Normale Superieure") at the State University of Haiti.
   Pika Buron and another student, whose name is not known, were 
arrested Saturday at the library by soldiers.  
   The de facto government put a "seal" on the college, legally closing 
it, in another attempt to consolidate their control over the institution. 
On Dec. 10 Gerard Bissanthe, a violent opponent of a return to democracy and the first de facto "Minister of Information" (under Jean-Jacques Honorat) was appointed rector of the university.

OTHER RECENT VICTIMS OF REPRESSION
   Violent repression from soldiers and their armed civilian assistants 
(section chiefs, "adjoints," "attaches," etc.) continues to rise. 
  *  Maurice Damucy, a member of the KONAKOM party, was arrested 
and beaten by soldiers on Dec. 11 near Port-de-Paix in the north of 
the country. He is still believed to be in military custody.
   KONAKOM, a party formed after a congress of democratic 
organizations in 1987, is under direct attack from the de facto 
regime.  Two members were recently kidnapped and executed, and a 
third (Luc Bresil) was kidnapped and is still missing.
  *  Elizda Franswa was publically beaten and killed by the local 
section chief, Joel Jean-Baptiste, at his home in Port-de-Paix, also on 
Dec. 10.  Ceradye Franswa was also beaten and threatened at gunpoint when he attempted to take the  body away. (Report according to Radio Tropique FM.)

CONTEXT OF REPRESSION
   The university, high schools, and democratic organizations are 
under increased attack from the de facto regime.
   The regime has always been threatened by the partial autonomy 
and democratic atmosphere of the university. Students have been 
among the most outspoken critics of the coup d'etat, despite 
continued repression and military presence in the schools.
   This year's aggression against the university began Nov. 12 when 
soldiers arrested a number of people attending a conference.   
   In late November the de facto government dissolved the 
democratically elected "Conseils de Direction" of three of the colleges, 
including the teachers' college, and on Dec. 1 replaced the dean of the 
agronomy college.
   That same day soldiers violently beat 62 agronomy students.  
Twelve students are still missing, and some newspapers have 
reported that their bodies might be among those recently discovered 
in the state morgue and at Titanyen, an isolated area frequently used 
by the army for dumping the bodies of their victims.  Others believe 
they are in army custody.
   A number of highschool students and members of popular 
organizations are also still missing since a military sweep of 
communities around Port-au-Prince on Nov. 26-30.   
    While human rights organizations have verified that certain 
people were definitely arrested, there are a number of others who 
are simply missing.  As many as 30 youths were arrested in Carrefour Feuilles, according to the Platform for Human Rights.
    The army, attempting to justify their actions, said that the students and popular organizations were responsible for several small explosions around the capital in late November, but has produced no evidence to verify that claim.

PLEASE CONTACT THE PLATFORM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN HAITI FOR 
MORE DETAILS ON THESE SPECIFIC CASES.  Tel/fax:  (509) 451563

PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP PRESSURE THE ILLEGAL 
REGIME TO RESPECT THE PHYSICAL INTEGRITY OF THE DETAINEES 
AND TO RELEASE ALL DETAINEES BY WRITING LETTERS, SENDING 
FAXES, TELEXES, ETC. TO THE DE FACTO REGIME. (CONTACT LOCAL 
AMNESTY OFFICE FOR ADDRESSES.) 
ALSO, PLEASE PRESSURE YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO WORK MORE
SERIOUSLY FOR AN END TO THE ILLEGAL REGIME AND A RETURN OF
CONSTITUTIONALITY AND OF DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT
JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE.   (end)
** End of text from cdp:reg.carib **

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