From: bgirard@sfu.ca
Subject: Haitian journalist describes detention, beating
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: __
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 20:29:46 GMT


~Title: HAITI: JOURNALIST DESCRIBES JOURNEY THROUGH FEAR

an inter press service feature

by marina gilbert

new york, oct 26 (ips) -- it is difficult to find a corner in
port-au-prince, haiti's capital, where listeners do not tune in
to ''tropic radio.''

this is quite likely why, when one of the radio station's
journalists, sony esteus, shouted desperately one day that the
police was kidnapping him, the public reacted by demanding that
his life be spared.

that was on april 12. esteus had just transmitted a mass held
in commemoration of the international day of the youth and which
had turned into a demonstration in favour of deposed president
jean-bertrand aristide.

''three men in civilian clothing grabbed me and began to beat
me before we arrived at the army headquarters. when they took me,
soon after, to the police headquarters, they continued beating me
all over my body. five hours later i had wounds from head to
foot. i took three months to recover,'' esteus told ips.

the journalist has just received the 1992 press freedom prize
from the committee for the protection of journalists, a
u.s.-based organization whose executive includes press
representatives from all continents.

since the 30 sep. 1991 military coup, four journalists have
been murdered in haiti. one has disappeared, 30 have been
arrested, 15 were brutally beaten and dozens have been forced to
leave the country or go in hiding to escape death.

according to the committee, there have been nine attacks
against radio stations while six were closed down by the de facto
regime.

of the 49 stations which functioned freely when aristide was
in power, only five dare to report objectively on the local
situation.

but, said esteus, it is difficult to silence the press when
the country went through periods of openness, during which
denunciations against repression were public and people related
the terrible stories of the era of the dictators francois
duvalier and his son, jean-claude duvalier (1957 - 1986).

''after aristide came to power in december 1990, press
organizations began to function freely and the governmental
pressures to which we had been accustomed disappeared,'' esteus
said.(more)
----


''we were able to cover public demonstrations without fear of
being attacked or, worse yet, disappearing,'' he added.

the regime of general raoul cedra transformed press freedom
into fear and self-censorship. nevertheless, there are people in
haiti who dare to interview victims of repression in the country
and the town, and to speak more openly of politics.

however, there are also journalists who actively collaborate
with the regime, according to esteus, who said that ''what they
do is propaganda, it is not serious information.''

''in 'tropic radio' we give objective information, whether it
comes from the government or the opposition. we try to speak
honestly. the truth is what those controlling the country fear
the most,'' the journalist said.

the radio station was founded in february 1991 to broadcast
programmes in french and creole, the haitian vernacular.

since the september coup its popularity has grown as a result
of its active denunciations of human rights violations.

but this growth in its popularity has been accompanied by a
similar increase in the number of telephone threats and physical
attacks against its reporters.

the de facto government made absolutely no comment on esteus'
detention, despite the immediate reaction it drew, both
nationally and internationally.

''it was very curious. on that very day, the ministers (of the
haitian government) had praised press freedom in the country,
even as i was being beaten at the police headquarters,'' the
journalist recalled.

esteus has lived in fear since the day of the attack, but this
does not stop him from exercising his profession they way he
feels he should. ''i continue to report on disappearances and
arrests,'' he said.

''of course, i have to take precautions. for example, i cannot
cover demonstrations where the security services can kidnap me
and make me disappear,'' he pointed out.

''but fear has to be turned back. spreading fear is the
objective of those who want to prevent our work. how do i do it?
by fighting. freedom is something that is not given, it is won,''
esteus said. (end/ips/trd/so/mg-er/kb/92)
----


** End of text from cdp:reg.carib **



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