From: ronaldd@cbnewse.cb.att.com (ronald.h.davis)
Subject: haiti clandestine bulletin #158
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 00:00:32 GMT

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Topic 329       HAITI BULLETIN #158
smalagodi       reg.carib        4:18 pm  Nov 12, 1992

HAITI: RESISTANCE AND DEMOCRACY
Excerpts from Bulletin # 158    November 5, 1992
 
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
 
Port-au-Prince
 
Details on the deportation Of Manno Charlemagne. On
October 31 1992, the popular Haitian singer, Emmanuel
Charlemagne (Manno Charlemagne), who returned from
Miami on board an American Airlines Boeing, was arrested at
the immigration office of Mais Gate Airport in Port-au-Prince
and taken to the office of the military authorities of this service
where he spent an hour. The singer was subjected to very
strong pressure by the military, who informed him that he
would not be allowed on Haitian soil for three years.
 
Assassination of two presumed thieves. In Port-au-Prince,
two presumed thieves were killed during the night of November
4. The burglars who attempted to enter houses on Cameau St.
were killed by gunshot. Their bodies remained on the
pavement until about 10 a.m. (Metropole, November 4, 1992)
 
Two unidentified bodies. On November 5 on Nicolas
Avenue (Bas Peu de Choses quarter, Marche Solomon),
some eyewitnesses reported the presence of two bodies full of
bullets, one on the other, which were removed later in the
morning. Neighborhood residents said that these two men
were not killed on the spot.
 
PROVINCES
 
Some Haitians killed by the military on departure from
Acul-du-Nord. Some Haitians who were trying to leave the
country on a boat of fortune were taken by Acul-du-Nord
soldiers who wanted to prevent their departure. According to
an area resident, this incident took place on Saturday
September 26 in the Camp Louise area. When the boat was
about to leave, soldiers invaded the area and shot several
rounds of gunfire. Seven people were killed. According to the
witness these people were fleeing repression to take refugee in
Miami. Their bodies were found in the sea by fishermen.
(Tropic FM, November 5, 1992)
 
Artibonite: Gonaives (Detour Laborde quarter) On
Sunday October 18, 1992, Antoinier Dumond, 32 years,
pastoral agent of the chapel of the Catholic Church of Detour
Laborde, and three members of his family were arrested by
soldiers from Gonieves. These arrests followed passage of an
airplane over Gonaives on October 18, which dropped tracts
with a picture of President Aristide. Antoinier was reading a
Young Christian Workers bulletin when the airplane flew over
his yard and dropped several lots of tracts. Many people
rushed to pick them up. Fearing military reprisals, Antoinier
gathered them up. At this moment, an attachi, Desius, entered
the yard to demand the tracts. Antoinier asked him to leave
immediately. The soldier declined, saying that he was doing
"government work". Antoinier explained that the yard was his
father's property and that, in his absence, he couldn't enter
without authorization. The attachi finally gave up and
Antoinier hurried to close the gate, saying: "I know that you are
capable of going to tell the military that you found tracts at my
house. I won't give you a single tract." Then the attachi
threatened him that he was "taking on a burden that he
wouldn't be able to bear."
 
Then, fearing a military search of his home, Antoinier burned
the bulletin he was reading and went to his cousin's house.
While at his cousin's, he heard that civil militiaman
accompanied by a section chief named Pauivers had arrested
three members of his family: his mother, Mrs. Rosilia Joseph
(50 years), his brother, Dumanias Dumond (24 years) and his
cousin, Carmelita (30 years). The soldier had arrived at
Antoinier's house without a search warrant. He asked
members of the family who were there: "Where is the person
who doesn't want to hand over the tracts and who prepared a
stick to beat Desius?" The family replied that no one had either
a stick or tracts. Then the soldier arrested them, saying that he
would arrest everyone who lives in this house. He left with
them, headed towards the barracks.
 
Antoinier tried to explain to the soldier that the people arrested
had nothing to do with this, that he was the person concerned.
He was also placed under arrest. Antoinier insisted that the
others be released. Then the soldier told him: "I'm going to
arrest the whole household. After you are locked up, I'M going
to go find the rest of the family." Then he asked where were
the tracts that he had picked up in the yard. Antoinier replied
that he had burned them. As proof he presented the box of
matches he had in his pocket. The soldier then agreed to
return with them to Detour Laborde to the place where
Antoinier claimed to have burned the tracts and the bulletin.
The cinders of the burned papers were sufficient to convince
the soldier and he finally decided to release his victims.
 
Verrettes: Since the end of September Verrettes had been
under curfew. On Tuesday October 10, 1992, a young man
named Rigaud Severe (18 years) was severely beaten by
soldiers because he was out late in the streets. He had to
return home in the company of soldiers. The victim's left arm
was broken as a consequence of the beatings. He couldn't
receive first aid until the next day.
 
Desarmes: On Thursday October 15th, 1992, a presumed
thief was severely beaten by the section chief of the 3rd rural
section of Desarmes. The victim was then tied to the back of a
motorcycle and dragged to the prison in Verrettes, where he
was dead as a result of this treatment. According to one of his
cousins, Mrs. Fleurdenis, the presumed thief was buried by
the military in the absence of the area justice of the peace and
no judicial affidavit was drafted. Mrs. Fleurdenis, in turn, was
incarcerated for two days for having divulged this information.
 
Bassin (6th section of Gonaives). On Friday October 16,
1992, a section chief named Appolius Sainterling was arrested
by Captain Castera and spent the day in prison. The captain
accused him of being "slack" and reproached him for not
extorting the possessions of area farmers. On Saturday
October 24, Sergeant Phanord arrived for his tour in Basin and
entered the yard of Gustave Sainterling, a CASEC member.
The latter was talking with the section chief when the sergeant
arrived. Noticing a photo of President Aristide in the house, the
sergeant entered, violently pulled down the photo and made
several threats to Gustave.
 
REFUGEES
 
Asylum seekers regain hope after the Bill Clinton victory.
The victory of Bill Clinton relaunched efforts of Haitians who
want to find refuge in the United States, political sources in
Florida stated on November 4. During his campaign, the
Democratic candidate for the White House called the policy of
repatriating Haitian boat people racist. Bill Clinton also
declared that he would not send them back, since he
considered them political refugees. Since September 30,
1991, more than 38,000 Haitians have been intercepted at
sea. Only 10,700 of them have had their request for asylum
accepted by the American authorities. (Tropic FM, 11/4/92)
 
POSITION STATEMENTS
 
International Conference against Repression. An
American delegation arrived in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday
November 3 to participate in a conference which will take place
November 6 and 7. The group sent by the International
Committee Against Repression is headed by Mr. Ralph
Shuelman. On his arrival at Mais Gate Airport, Mr. Shuelman
stated that he is concerned by the cases of repression
recorded in Haiti. With regard to the embargo, he stated that
the embargo decreed against the Haitian government was
never respected, since Haiti receives petroleum products from
Venezuela and the Netherlands Antilles. Then he declared:
"And there will be a campaign against the embargo on the
grounds that the embargo affects only the people and not the
leaders, since they have the support of the CIA and the United
States government (...) it is a conspiracy, pure and simple (. .)
it is always when the Haitian people struggle for justice that a
conspiracy is mounted by the military the tonton macoutes, the
Duvalierists and the reactionary forces." Other foreign
delegations are expected on November 5th. (Metropole,
November 4, 1992)
 
POLITICAL SCENE
 
Meeting in Kingston between representatives of Aristide
and Bazin canceled. An anticipated November 4th meeting in
Kingston, Jamaica was canceled. According to the de facto
government, this meeting was to bring together representatives
of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Marc Basin. A reason
for the cancellation was not given and no new date was
announced. Representatives of President Aristide had stated
shortly after the announcement of the meeting that this was a
question of a meeting for exchange of information, not
negotiation with "a government without power."
 
The OAS Secretary General opposes any military
intervention in Haiti. In a speech at Laval University in
Quebec on November 3, the Secretary General of the
Organization of the American States (0AS), Mr. Joao Baena
Soares declared himself against military intervention by the
international community to return democratically elected
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. Mr. Baena Soares
acknowledged that OAS efforts for the past year aimed at a
negotiated solution between the Haitian military power and
supporters of President Aristide had not achieved any tangible
result. He admitted that the powerlessness of the OAS had
created "frustration and impatience." He added, however, that
he sees a "contradiction between military action and
democracy (...) We know that political negotiations are, by
nature, slow. Nevertheless, they constitute the best means to a
lasting solution." Mr. Baena Soares declined to comment on
the November 2 statement of the Canadian Foreign Affairs
Secretary, Mrs. Barbara McDougall, who called for the United
Nations to join the embargo. (Tropic FM, November 4, 1992)
 
GOVERNMENT
 
Victory For Clinton: The de facto government has not yet
given an official reaction to the victory of Bill Clinton in the US
presidential elections.
 
Diversion of food aid. At the last Council of Ministers
meeting, the Minister of Planning raised the question of food
aid and informed the chief of government about grievances of
many merchants in the country The minister stated that certain
products (cooking oil, flour, etc.) which enter Haiti as food aid
are actually sold on the market by those who receive them.
These basic necessities are not distributed to the poor, but are
sold at a reasonable price in a plan to create unfair competition
with local production. (The Nouvelliste, November 3, 1992)
 
Brief incarceration of Senator Guy Bauduy. The third
parliamentarian from the Department of the South-East area
and two other officials from the town of Anse-a-Pitres were
arrested on Sunday November 1 while they were meeting with
the justice of the peace, the mayor of the town and other
citizens. This meeting was held to sign an act constituting a
Chamber of Commerce in Anse-a-Pitres, a plan conceived by
the senator and several local notables. Authorities affirmed
that this meeting was held without their authorization. The
detainees were freed on Monday morning on the order of the
military commander of Thiotte, where they had been
transferred.
 
In a press conference on November 4, Guy Bauduy, an ally of
the constitutional anti-corruption bloc [in Parliament], stated
that 15 others, including mayor elect Patrick Robasson and
the justice of the peace, were arrested the same day by the
commander of the military sub-district, Adjutant Valdius Pierre.
 
According to Senator Bauduy, this arrest constitutes proof that
"the public is not able to hold meetings, especially the
population of the South-East." He emphasized that the right of
assembly is guaranteed by Article 24-3 of the Constitution and
currently does not exist in the country. The senator declared
himself ready to encourage the population in the South to hold
meetings. He deemed suppression of the right of assembly by
soldiers stationed in the Anse-a-Pitres district to be a "real
danger to the survival of the civilian population."
 
Senator Bauduy maintained that this arrest, effected after 6
p.m. and without warrant, constitutes a flagrant violation of
Articles 114-2 and 115 regarding parliamentary immunity. On
the other hand, the person who should supply the arrest
warrant is the justice of the peace. Now the latter was also
arrested.
 
Senator Bauduy, whose mandate expires soon, was not
mistreated during his one night in detention. He took the
occasion to inform members of the press about five other
infractions by the military against the civilian population. He
cited violation of a twelve year old girl whose parents did not
want to complain for fear of reprisals. He noted that the guilty
parties are still undisturbed at their post. Then he touched on
the problem of cocaine traffic in this commune and spoke
about the sale of a cargo of cocaine by soldiers. Finally,
Senator Bauduy stated that he favors a "clean-up" in the
Army. (...)
 
Deputy Pierre Simon Georges of Camp Perrin condemned the
arrest. He cited Articles 114 and 115 of the Constitution which
relate to modalities of arrest of a parliamentarian. According to
him, the perpetrator of this act should be brought to justice for
violating the Constitution.
 
Madistin defends asylum seekers in the Mexican
Embassy. Deputy Samuel Madistin, president of the Justice
Commission in the Chamber or Deputies, expressed his
indignation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry over the case of
several Haitians who have taken refuge in the Mexican
Embassy. Without stating the names of these political
refugees, Deputy Madistin mentioned that, more than twelve
months after their decision to take refuge in the Embassy,
these compatriots are still waiting for authorization to leave the
country. He affirmed difficulty in understanding that the
Foreign Affairs Ministry had decided to keep these citizens in
the Embassy, although the Ministry of Justice stated that it had
no charge to make against them. (Tropic FM, November 5
1992)
 
POLITICAL PARTIES
 
Telegram from KONAKOM to the American Democratic
Party. KONAKOM offered the American Democratic Party
enthusiastic congratulations on the occasion of the victory of
its candidate Bill Clinton in the presidential elections on
November 3. KONAKOM warmly saluted the arrival of a new
generation of Democrats in the White House.
 
De Ronceray (MDN) denounces and congratulates: "The
Villa d'Accueil government has trodden on the spirit of
consensus in conducting a mascarade of negotiations" the
leader of the Movement for National Development (MDN) said
during a press conference on November 4 at the Holiday Inn
Hotel. He wished for the advent of a tranquil revolution and
called for mobilization of values, competence and talent from
all socio-political and economic horizons in a participatory
government and a state of law. The MDN took the occasion to
salute the electoral victory of Democrat Bill Clinton to the
presidency of the United States. The MDN hopes that the new
American administration will fully respond to the expectations
of the Third World, especially those of the Haitian people.
(Tropic FM, November, 1992)
 
OTHER ITEMS
 
Explosion of joy in working class neighborhoods after
the Bill Clinton victory. Gonaives residents feted the victory
of the Democratic candidate and didn't wait for dawn to cry out
"Vive Bill 'Freedom' Clinton." In Port-de-Paix, we heard that the
fete, beginning at 11 P.M., lasted all night. In several Port-au-
Prince working class neighborhoods (Martissant, Carrefour,
Saint Martin, etc.) clarin [strong white rum] flowed freely. A
young journalist from a private radio station spent several
hours in jail because he recorded sympathizers celebrating
Clinton's victory. In Cite Nabigat in the Martissant areas
several people were arrested during the celebrations,
expressing the hopes of those who have so long been victims
of repression, extortion and systematic injustice.
 
Visit of the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Lorenzo Baldisseri to
Jeremie. Mgr. Lorenzo Baldisseri met with religious workers of
Grande Anse, including the Bishop of Jeremie, Mgr. Willy
Romelus. He preached reconciliation and pardon. (Metropole,
November 4, 1992)
 
Formal denial from Minoterie of Haiti (government flour
mill) workers. In a statement to the press on November 4,
1992, a group of workers from the Minoterie of Haiti declared
that the factory has not been functioning for ten months. They
carried a formal denial to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wiener
Fort, who had announced that Minoterie of Haiti is operating
normally. They stated that a force of 31 people works regularly
at the factory and they everything is slowed down. There is no
water, no petroleum, no energy. According to the workers, the
management of the factory does almost nothing to manage
Minoterie of Haiti. At present, the 622 inactive workers of that
institution have let it be known that they will refuse to work until
they are paid what they are owed. In September the authorities
decided to close the factory, which, they say, is not profitable.
 
###
 
[Translated by Haiti Communications Project - Boston]
 
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