From: bruceg%sfu.ca@UMCVMB.missouri.edu (Bruce Girard)
Subject: Singing the news to Haiti
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: University of Missouri
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@UMCVMB.missouri.edu>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 16:54:05 GMT

/* Written  6:20 pm  Apr 14, 1992 by web:amarcho in cdp:amarc.radio */
/* ---------- "Interview with Radio Enriquillo" ---------- */
Since February 14 1992, Radio Enriquillo, a station in the
Dominican Republic, is no longer allowed to broadcast its news
reports in Creole, due to a declaration by the Dominican
government.  The news programme "Nouvelles d'Haiti" (News from
Haiti), began broadcasting days after the coup d'etat in Haiti on
Sept. 10 1991.  To get around these restrictions, Radio Enriquillo
staff have begun to sing news reports and communiques - a unique
experience in the area of popular communications.

The following are excerpts from an interview with Enriquillo's
director, Pedro Ruquoy, on March 12, 1992. (Originally published
in "Sak Pase," a clandestine bulletin in Haiti).


" On Feb. 14th, we received a telegram from the Director of
Telecommunications, ordering Radio Enriquillo to suspend the
Creole programme "Nouvelles d'Haiti." The Dominican President
Joachim Balaguer declared that the problem was not the language of
the programme, but rather, its contents... In his telegram, the
Director of Telecommunications stipulated a complaint from the
Haitian authorities, that the programme be suspended because of
the content of its messages. According to President Balaguer,
Radio Enriquillo was calling for violence and was providing
subversive news... We are still not broadcasting the traditional
Creole news reports. We are trying to get the Dominican government
to lift its cendorship measures.

Q: What type of solidarity are you receiving from the Dominican
people in the southern region of the country?  PR: Immediately
after hearing the announcement that we were suspending the Creole
programme, several people arrived at the radio station that night.
There were demonstrations in practically the whole southern
region. A few days after students from Lycee de Bahahona took to
the streets to protest the 500th anniversary (of the conquest of
the Americas), and the demonstration became a demo in favor of a
return to democracy in Haiti, for the return of Aristide, and in
support of Radio Enriquillo; there was police repression and one
person was killed in the melee... People in the south are very
aware of the importance of radio as a means of solidarity with the
Haitian people, and they are trying to show this by all available
means; but the repression has also become stronger.

Q: International solidarity...?  PR: As soon as we received the
telegram, we passed it on to the Dominican people; we also sent it
to friends of Radio Enriquillo around the world, particularly, in
New York, Canada, and Europe. The news is starting to spread all
over the world, inspiring solidarity: letters, telegrams, have
been arriving at our offices. Copies have been sent to President
Balaguer. Radio Enriquillo has become "the symbol of the people of
the south" of the Dominican Republic.  The people react
immediately when  something happens to their radio.

Q: Do you have a message of solidarity for the Haitian people?

PR: Yes, our message is one of encouragement. There have always
been links between the Haitian people and the south of the
Dominican Republic, due to proximity, also both groups of people
are marginalized and repressed; the south of our country is one of
the poorest regions of the country. Those of us in the south, and
in a special way, Radio Enriquillo, feel as if we are part of the
Haitian people; we feel that the cause of the Haitian people is
also our cause.  That's why we haven't stopped the news, we now
sing the news! We sing communiques, we sing resistance; we sing the
words to continue to be present and to accompany the Haitian
people in their struggle.  Our message: that the Haitian people
not be discouraged!  We are trying to encourage optimism, so that
the victory will come sooner. "Kenbe fem pa lage!" (hold on) - we
are convinced that victory is in the hands of the people.

Q: Singing the news...that's never been done...  PR: No, it's
unique. And we are discovering new ways of resisting through
communication. To me, it's worth it to share this experience with
the popular organizations, with other people who are resisting,
but on another level. The past five months have allowed us to find
new ways of communicating with the people. The Haitian people have
responded very well to this new form of communication.


Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive