From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: HAITI: INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE URGED
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 01:11:33 GMT

/** reg.carib: 323.0 **/
** Topic: IPS: Haiti needs int'l assistance **
** Written  2:31 pm  Nov 12, 1992 by caribdesk in cdp:reg.carib **
From: Bob Thomson <caribdesk>
Subject: IPS: Haiti needs int'l assistance

/* Written 12:10 am  Nov 12, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "HAITI: INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE URG" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: HAITI: INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE URGED FOR CRIPPLED NATION

/relate/

//att. editors. please relate the following story to the feature
titled ''haiti: army, police impose reign of terror in outlying
areas,'' moved from port-au-prince at 1501 gmt//

port-au-prince, nov 9 (ips) -- politicians and trade unionists
from the americas have urged the international community to
''intervene so as to help the haitian people to obtain the return
of president jean-bertrand aristide'' and others who fled the
country in the wake of the 30 sep. 1991 military coup.

the call was contained in the final resolution of an
''international meeting on repression in haiti,'' held here over
the weekend. the resolution was released at a press conference on
monday.

about 100 representatives of haitian political parties, trade
unions and grassroots organizations attended the nov. 6-7
meeting, held at the initiative of groups close to aristide's
national front for change and democracy (fncd).

the encounter was the first of its kind to be held in haiti
since the 1991 coup.

the resolution denounced ''the hypocritical and macchiavelian
policy of international organizations and powers in the haitian
crisis.''

this was an indirect reference to the united states which,
according to ralph shoenman, president of the u.s. writers'
association, was the ''main instigator of the sep. 30 coup.''

shoenman was one of 15 personalities representing political,
trade union and professional organizations from the caribbean,
latin america and north america who attended the conference.

he charged that former u.s. ambassador to haiti, alvin adams,
recalled from port-au-prince earlier this year, ''controlled
the haitian army'' and ''was regularly consulted by the
commander-in-chief of the haitian army, general raoul cedras,
before taking any decision.''

his accusation echoed a charge often made by pro-aristide
groups in haiti, who have consistently maintained that the united
states was partial to the army and gave lukewarm support to
efforts to return haiti to democracy.

the resolution also called on the representatives of the
member countries of the organization of american states (oas)
to ''intercede with their respective governments so that the oas
might work diligently on the haiti issue.'' (more)
----


explaining this call, the resolution added that ''the country
cannot support indefinitely the (oas) embargo which aggravates
the country's already precarious economic and social situation,
increasingly deteriorates its physical environment and only
enriches the supporters of the coup d'etat.''

the oas slapped an economic embargo on haiti on oct. 8, 1991,
in an effort to force the military to accept a return to
democracy. however, political sources close to the fncd told ips
that the embargo had proved ineffective.

they said it was not affecting the military and its
supporters, some of whom have grown rich almost overnight from
the contraband trade which increased with the embargo, whereas it
had hit haiti's poor hard.

the participants in the meeting decided to set up a permanent
consultatory group to carry out ''a vast international campaign
of information on the haitian situation,'' the resolution stated.

they will also create ''an international committee for the
defence of trade unions and the rights of workers,'' which will
seek to ''develop the trade union movement in haiti.''

referring to the climate of repression in haiti since the
coup, which has caused some 40,000 people to flee the country,
they highlighted the ''selective nature of the repression, which
is aimed exclusively at the sector which voted for democracy at
elections on 16 dec. 1990.''

the political and labour representatives said they were
alarmed ''at the disdain shown by the military authorities for
the civil activities of the country, in particular those tending
towards the return to constitutional order in haiti.''

in their resolution, they also expressed ''concern over the
deterioration of the political, economic and social situation in
haiti.

they also denounced the repression perpetrated by rural
policemen against peasant organizations and called for the
''respect of individual and public freedoms,'' including the
right of association and freedom of the press.
(end/ips/trd/so/ic-kb/92)
----


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

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