From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: HAITI BULLETIN #157
Date: 13 Nov 92 01:38:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700801:000:6888
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Nov 12 17:38:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: HAITI BULLETIN #157

/* Written  4:10 pm  Nov 12, 1992 by smalagodi@igc.apc.org in igc:reg.carib */
HAITI: RESISTANCE AND DEMOCRACY #157
Bulletin #157   November 2nd, 1992

Human Rights

Port-au-Prince

Manno Charlemagne forcibly returned to U.S. The well
known protest artist was sent back on Saturday, October 31st
to the United States by the Bazin government while he was
trying to return to Haiti. Charlemagne, well known as a close
ally of President Aristide, flew in from Miami. At the airport he
was detained at immigration and he was taken to military
authorities, who forced him to return to Miami on the same
plane he flew in on.

Provinces

Violence at La Gonave. On Wednesday, October 28th
around 10 a.m. in a communal section of La Gonave called
Anse-a-Galet, the section chief, Chariot Dejean was beaten
while he was trying to prevent approximately 300 people from
leaving on a boat. The incident took place as people were
getting on the boat. The section chief decided to stop the boat
and he shot many rounds in the general area of the refugees.
The refugees then turned and beat him with sticks and threw
rocks at him. The five assistants who were accompanying the
section chief ran away, and the boat left for Florida. The
repression was particularly ferocious at La Gonave. It is very
difficult to imagine that the macoutes and military cannot stop
people from leaving.

Conference on repression in Haiti: Four organizations
decided to organize on November 6th and 7th a conference on
repression in Haiti. Delegations from international institutions
are scheduled to take part in this event.

Refugees

Requests for political asylum in the U.S. A note of the U.S.
embassy through the U.S.I.S. announced that approximately
15000 people filed for political asylum at Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
When questioned on October 29th by the Le Nouvelliste, an
employee of the OIM (International Organization for
Migrations) indicated that the Haitian citizens whose files really
prove that they are in fear of political persecution will obtain
political asylum as well as a U.S. visa.

Amnesty International denounces forced repatriation. On
October 30th, Amnesty International sent a boat between Haiti
and Cuba to protest against the decision of the U.S. to directly
return Haitian boat people without allowing them the right of
asylum. "If the U.S. with all their resources cannot protect
refugees that are fleeing from a generalized repression and
violence in Haiti, how can we hope that other countries to
respect the right of asylum?" said the head of the head of the
organization in the U.S., Jack Healy. The boat, named "Honor
and Respect" traveled in the Windward passage between
Cuba and Haiti in order to alert pubic opinion on the boat
people who have been interdicted since last May, based on the
executive order of George Bush, the U.S. President.
According to the Coast Guard, the number of refugees
intercepted at sea grew in October and reached the level of
711 persons for October alone, whereas 460 were returned
between the beginning of June to the end of September.

Opening of an office in Santo Domingo to study the case
of Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. According
to the Dominican newspaper "Hoy", the opening of an office in
Santo Domingo in the month of November will take place in
order to study the case of Haitian refugees coming to the
Dominican Republic since the overthrow of President Aristide.

Mr. Philippe Lavanchy, said that the Dominican government
decided to increase its efforts on behalf of foreigners in the
Dominican Republic. He also said there was no mistreatment
or deportation of Haitian refugees from Santo Domingo,
contrary to rumors.

Return of Bishop Ligonde. "His office was not vacant, he
was only incapable of coming back" declared the archbishop of
Port-au-Prince on November 1st, in an interview given to
Haitian national television. Bishop Ligonde said he was able to
live outside of Haiti because of financial support given to him
by his family.

International community

The assets of Jean Claude  Duvalier in Switzerland: The
Justice Department is reconsidering a request by Haiti.
The Swiss department of justice will reconsider a demand to
help Haiti to recover the assets of Jean Claude Duvalier in
Swiss banks in light of the coup against President Aristide in
1991, declared the Swiss chamber.

The judiciary assistance would allow the lifting of secrecy on
the account as well as the return of documents to the justice
department of another country in order to assist them recover
funds that they believe were stolen. Duvalier's lawyer, Mr.
Dominique Ponce, said that certain guarantees made by the
Aristide in August of 1990 were no longer valid.

Political Scene

A Crisis at the Port-au-Prince city hall has been caused by
strike by sanitation workers that began on October 26th. The
workers are demanding 5 months back wages that have not
yet been paid. Some of the workers apparently received about
1 month's wages, about 500 gourdes ($100 U.S.)

Mr. Salomon, the de facto mayor, explained that they could not
pay all the 600 workers because the city hall had not collected
enough funds to cover its expenses. He went on to say that he
would continue to work with the present government in order to
receive funds to pay the other workers and all city hall
personnel.

The minister of finance announced that he wanted to provide
help to the city hall of Port-au-Prince. In a radio interview on
Radio Metropole, the minister of finance, Wiener Fort,
indicated that the government will take a loan from the central
bank to give to city hall. He said that for this to happen, an
agreement must be signed between the city hall and the bank
concerning repayment. He further stated that the government
has no responsibility in the financial crisis and that he believes
that it is a management problem. (Radio Metropole, October
31)

The Minister of Interior published a press release in which he
reaffirmed that article 66 of the Constitution gives
municipalities "administrative and financial autonomy." He
indicated however, that some municipalities receive aid from
the central government, but he says this is not the case for
Port-au-Prince, Petion Ville, Carrefour and Delmas, which
manage their own resources, which fire and hire their own
personnel. The means for these municipalities to pay for their
activities are based on tax collections. He says that the role of
the minister, vis a vis the city hall of Port-au-Prince is only to
control the accounts based on information that city hall gives
them. He also indicated that certain municipalities are living
above their means. He says that in these cases, the role of the
government is to force them to live up to their responsibilities.

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