Haiti: sweatshop boss accused of supporting death squad

HLLN Note: See also human rights reports on our website at: www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/
human_rights_reports/c1humanrightsreports.html

************* No Sweat www.nosweat.org.uk/

Posted on Monday, January 24

Extracts from: HAITI HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATION: By Thomas M. Griffin, Esq.

Mounting evidence suggests that members of Haiti’s elite, including political powerbroker Andy Apaid, pay gangs to kill Lavalas supporters and finance the illegal army.

Since September 30, 2004, gang violence overwhelms the notorious hunger, disease, abandonment and despair of Cité Soleil. A well-armed, well-funded group in the Boston neighborhood of the Cité continually attacks the people in all its other neighborhoods. Witnesses repeatedly explained this siege as an effort to hold hostage and stifle the political voice of the poor, and to wipe out the Lavalas movement. Numerous witnesses stated the Boston gang leader, Thomas Robinson, alias “Labanye,” receives financial, firearms, and political support from wealthy businessman and politico, Andy Apaid and businessman Reginald Boulos. Cité Soleil witnesses and police officers reported that Apaid’s support of Labanye keeps the police from arresting him.

Apaid, the leader of the Group of 184, a business-backed organization established to oppose President Aristide, told investigators that he has directed the Haitian Police not to arrest Labanye but to “work with him.”

See the full report, including more on sweatshop boss, Andre Apaid’s role in the current (PDF format) CSHR report: www.ijdh.org/CSHRhaitireport.pdf

****** Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers’ Leadership Network ******

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See, The Haitian Leadership Networks’  7 “Men Anpil Chay Pa Lou” campaigns to help restore Haiti’s independence, the will of the mass electorate and the rule of law. See, and www.margueritelaurent.com/law/lawpress.html or, www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/newsessaysreflections.html

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