News
and opinions on situation in Haiti |
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| 14/12/05 |
Enough is Enough by Pere Jean Juste | 40 Congressional Black Caucus members co-sign Meek letter to de facto authorities in Haiti in effort to Free father Jean Juste |
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– Enough is Enough! Freedom Now! by Pere Gerard Jean-Juste, Dec. 14, 2005 – Prison Meeting with Pere Jean-Juste by Bill Quigley, Dec. 13 2005 – Congressional Black Caucus Follows Meek in Effort to Free Imprisoned Haitian Priest – Press Release: Congresswoman Maxine Waters urges Pres. Bush to secure release of Father Jean Juste, Dec. 10, 2005 – Screening (Sat. Dec 17) on Human Rights Violations of Haitians in DR Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees presents “Under the Sun” by: Miriam Neptune – Fernandez cuts short his visit to Haiti as protesters resenting the visit turn violent, stones thrown at the Dominican presidential motorcade, several injuries reported, AHP – Fernandez labels Haiti a failed state, condemns abuses against Haitians in the DR, defends right to regulate Haitian immigration, AHP – Press Release: MINUSTAH denies that reported injuries in the demo outside the National Palace were caused by MINUSTAH personnel (AHP, Dec. 12, 2005) HLLN Note: It was reported by eyewitnesses that two overhead DR helicopters travelling with the Dominican President to Haiti fired shots down at the demonstrators. – Border talks spark Haiti protests, BBC News, Dec. 13, 2005 ******************************************************************* Enough is Enough! Freedom Now! by Pere Gerard Jean-Juste December 14, 2005 Penitentiary National – Pacot Annex The Haitian legal sytem cannot function anymore. It has been on its death bed for many years and since Monday December 12, 2005 it is approaching a comatose stage. The judges of Haiti are on strike protesting the firing of five Supreme Court Justices by the de facto government. Enough is enough! Last year, Judge Jean Senat Fleury, an instruction or district judge, was forced to resign under pressure from the de facto government Latorture/Alexandre. The government trend of firing judges following a court decision that the government does not approve of is continuous and outrageous. Now is the time to call it quits. There is no justice in Haiti. It is worse since the February 29, 2004 coup d’etat that sent the elected President of Haiti Jean Bertrand Aristide to South Africa in exile. I, therefore, Gerard Jean-Juste, a priest reduced to silence by the illegal de facto government, in jail or sequestration under false accusations since July 21, 2005, declare that I want freedom for myself and the political prisoners now – before the holiday season. I am ill, according to some physicians very ill, gravely ill. My case, they said, requires at this stage hospitalization. I should being appropriate treatment immediately. I will not take the dilatory tactics of the de facto government anymore. It is Christmas time which also carries freedom. Freedom time for the political prisoners. I spoke today with the papal nuncio, Archbishop Mario Giordana. I also spoke with Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot about “Freedom Now!” they offer their prayers. Enough is enough! Let freedom ring! Happy holiday season. Peace, grace and love in the living God. Gerard Jean-Juste (This message was carried out of the prison by one of Pere Jean-Juste’s attorneys, Bill Quigley). ****************** December 13, 2005 Prison Meeting with Pere Jean-Juste by Bill Quigley The high walled prison in Port au Prince is surrounded by red and white bouganavillea flowers and guards with jeep-mounted machine guns. The first thing I noticed about Pere Jean-Juste was his neck. It is very swollen on both sides. A pink rosary peeks out from the white bandana around his throat. He admits he is in pain, but shakes off questions about it. Someone from the U.S. embassy suggested the authorities could take him to another place so a doctor can do a biopsy or an operation. He refused for security reasons. “No doctor from this government is going to cut on my neck,” he said. “My medical condition is serious. I must be released so I can go to the US for treatment.” He broke into smiles as we emptied a bag of mail for him. AIUSA organized a campaign to have people send him holiday cards and he was amazed at the response. There are already over 700 cards in from all over the US and the world with more coming in every day. “Oh my God, this is great,” he kept saying as he looked at the cards one by one. Fr. Gerry stood on a folding chair and screwed a light bulb into the ceiling so he could read the cards. Pere Jean-Juste became serious again as we talked about his time in prison. “Everyone knows I am innocent. There are not even any charges. The judge has concluded his investigation weeks ago. Half the Supreme Court Justices have just been fired. I am no longer willing to be their scapegoat. Stop the games. It is time for unconditional release.” “It is not time to be quiet. It is time to push harder. I salute those who have put pressure on in Congress, in Miami, in Boston, in California, and in Haiti.” As the guards told us our time was up, Pere Jean-Juste gathered us together. As we held hands in the prison he led us in prayer. He ended with “The holiday season is not just the time to talk about peace, the holiday season is the time to DO the work of peace.” Amen. ****************************************** PRESS RELEASE Contact: Mikael Moore December 10, 2005 (202) 225-2201 CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF FATHER JEAN-JUSTE FROM PRISON IN HAITI Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-35) released a statement urging President Bush to take action to obtain the immediate and unconditional release of Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste from prison in Haiti. The Congresswoman’s statement follows: I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste from prison in Haiti, and I urge President Bush to take action at once to secure his release. Father Jean-Juste is a widely-respected Catholic priest and a courageous advocate for peace and justice. The injustice of his imprisonment is all the more severe as a result of his failing health. On December 1, Fr. Jean-Juste received a medical exam by Dr. John Carroll, who reported that he has swollen lymph nodes in his neck and armpits and an elevated white blood count. This could indicate any of several serious conditions, including a blood cancer or an infectious disease. Many blood cancers have a good prognosis if they are treated early by specialists. It is therefore imperative that Fr. Jean-Juste be immediately released from prison so that he can receive medical treatment for his condition. Father Jean-Juste’s arrest is another example of the systematic repression of Haitians who are suspected of supporting the Lavalas party. Father Jean-Juste joins numerous Lavalas leaders in Haiti’s overcrowded prisons, including Former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, former Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert, and Haitian singer Anne Auguste. There are an estimated 700 political prisoners in Haiti, and many of them are Lavalas members who have been detained for months without formal charges. All of these political prisoners should be set free. It is critical that President Bush take action without delay to obtain Fr. Jean-Juste’s release from prison so that he can receive the medical care he so desperately needs. Our government’s action could save the life of this gentle priest. ### *************** CBC Follows Meek in Effort to Free Imprisoned Haitian Priest Congressman Kendrick B. Meek, 17th Congressional District of Florida December 9, 2005 CONTACT: Drew Hammill (202) 225-4506 CBC Follows Meek in Effort to Free Imprisoned Haitian Priest 40 Members of the Congressional Black Caucus Support Meek’s Call for President Bush to Secure the Immediate Release of Father Gérard Jean-Juste WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Kendrick B. Meek was joined by 40 of his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in urging President Bush to secure the immediate release and ensure the safety of Father Gérard Jean-Juste, the founder of the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami and a beloved figure among the South Florida Haitian community. In a letter drafted and circulated by Meek, the CBC members noted that Father Jean-Juste has been declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and was imprisoned under highly questionable circumstances. The Haitian judicial system has drawn increased international criticism in recent months with the prolonged imprisonment of some 1,300 in Haiti’s National Penitentiary, who are being held without charge or trial, along with the imprisonment of Jean-Juste and former Haitian Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, whom Meek visited in prison in May of 2005. “It is critically important that the Interim Government of Haiti respect the Haitian constitution and the fundamental principles of human rights,” Meek said. “The imprisonment of Jean-Juste and others casts a dark shadow on Haiti’s government and will continue to burden the country’s journey toward true democracy.” Meek wrote to Haitian Interim Prime Minister Gérard Latortue in August and September 2005 expressing his serious concerns over political arrests and the Haitian judiciary’s disarray. Meek’s September 9, 2005 letter was cosigned by 33 other Members of Congress. ******* A copy of Meek’s letter cosigned by 40 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus follows: December 9, 2005 The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: The Interim Government of Haiti (IGH) has unjustly imprisoned the Reverend Gérard Jean-Juste. We write to ask that you use every resource available to secure his immediate release and ensure his personal safety. As the first Haitian-American priest ordained in South Florida and as a committed advocate for immigrant-refugee rights, Father Jean-Juste has long been a respected leader in the South Florida community. The founder of the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, Father Jean-Juste served as its Executive Director for ten years. He fought tirelessly to both challenge the status quo and to improve the treatment of thousands of Haitians living in poverty in that country. Father Jean-Juste, who has since been declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was imprisoned under highly questionable circumstances. His continued detention by the U.S.-supported IGH underscores our failure to bring integrity to the Haitian Judiciary and to restore democracy to the country, the world’s second oldest republic. Mr. President, for these reasons, we urge you to take immediate steps to address these concerns. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. Respectfully, KENDRICK B. MEEK MELVIN WATT DIANE WATSON MAJOR OWENS MAXINE WATERS CORRINE BROWN CAROLYN KILPATRICK GREGORY MEEKS STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES CHARLES RANGEL SHEILA JACKSON LEE EDOLPHUS TOWNS JOHN CONYERS CYNTHIA McKINNEY ALBERT WYNN BARBARA LEE JULIA CARSON G.K. BUTTERFIELD DONNA CHRISTENSEN AL GREEN JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD WILLIAM JEFFERSON ALCEE HASTINGS WILLIAM L. CLAY JOHN LEWIS CHAKA FATTAH ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON EMANUEL CLEAVER DANNY K. DAVIS BENNIE G. THOMPSON ARTUR DAVIS JESSE JACKSON, Jr. DONALD PAYNE DAVID SCOTT ELIJAH CUMMINGS GWEN MOORE BOBBY RUSH SANFORD BISHOP EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON ROBERT C. SCOTT ### ****************************************** Screening (Sat. Dec 17) on Human Rights Violations of Haitians in DR Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees presents Under the Sun by: Miriam Neptune Date/Time: Saturday, December 17th from 3 – 4:30pm Venue: Queens Museum of Art NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park Queens, NY 11368-3398 tel.: 718.592.9700 x222, email: preddy@queensmuseum.org About the Films Under the Sun (Miriam Neptune, 2005, 22 min) In May 2004, after a flood ravaged the town of Jimani, Dominican Republic, an entire community of Haitians and Haitian-Dominicans were displaced and forced to relocate. 19 year old Daniel and his neighbors talk about how they were excluded from the government’s flood relief, and what they will do next. The Birthright Crisis (2005, 15 min) Over 10,000 Haitians and Haitian Dominicans have been deported from the Dominican Republic this year, many of them children. This video includes testimonies from deportees, and calls to action from Haitian and Dominican activists. About the Presenter Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees (HWHR) was founded in 1992 to help Haitian refugees resettled in the Brooklyn/New York area to effectively navigate immigration bureaucracy, organize the Haitian community to advocate for itself, and work to obtain legal permanent residency for Haitian refugees. HWHR is one of the few community-based organizations by and for Haitian immigrants, which educates and organizes Haitian immigrants of the working class to understand their rights as workers and immigrants by providing comprehensive and culturally sensitive programs that include popular education and adult literacy, to counter worker exploitation and anti-immigrant policy. HWHR works closely with other organizations who are committed to a broader social justice movement both locally and globally. Directions: 7 Train to Willets Point/Shea Stadium and follow the yellow signs on a ten-minute walk through the park to the museum, which is located next to the Unisphere. Driving Directions available at www.queensmuseum.org. The Museum’s hours are: Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Saturday- Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission to the Museum is by suggested donation: $5 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, students and children, and free for member and children under 5. Public Events at the Queens Museum of Art are supported by funds from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Independence Community Foundation, The Institute of Museum & Library Services, and the Ford Foundation. ***************************************** A violent demonstration mars the official visit of the Dominican President who had been invited by the interim Haitian government Port-au-Prince, December 12, 2005 -(AHP)- A few hundred people including students and members of human rights groups held a violent protest this Monday in the vicinity of the National Palace to protest against the visit to Port-au-Prince of President Leonel Fern·ndez. This demonstration during which at least three people were injured, degenerated into violence when individuals, including some from the GNB anti-Aristide campaign, threw stones in the direction of the motorcade transporting the Dominican president. At that point, police officers fired into the air in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. Some police officers who were also the object of stone throwing responded by firing tear gas grenades and beating demonstrators with their nightsticks. A young woman suffered a head injury. The GNB activist, Hervé Saintilus, was himself repeatedly kicked by police officers before being targeted by water cannons operated by the fire department. The demonstrators set fire to tires at three locations along the perimeter of the National Palace, chanting slogans denouncing the degrading treatment inflicted upon Haitians in the Dominican Republic and calling upon President Fern·ndez to “put an end to the massacre”. In the meantime, the Dominican president was holding talks with provisional President Boniface Alexandre, highlighting the sovereign right of the Dominican Republic to expel undocumented Haitians, while recognizing that the abusive treatment inflicted upon Haitians in his country is unacceptable. President Fernandez also stressed the need for leaders of the two countries to continue the dialogue on the question of migration. For his part, the interim Haitian president expressed hope that the Dominican authorities will respect the rights of Haitian migrants and at the same time put an end to the abuses. In the streets as the talks were proceeding, the demonstrators were calling for the immediate departure of the interim government for having invited the Dominican president to Haiti at a moment when Haitians are suffering so greatly in the neighboring republic. They recalled that interim Prime Minister Gérard Latortue recently complained of the fact that President Fern·ndez risked leaving office without having made a visit to Haiti. In an interview with the BBC on the eve of the visit, President Fernandez had referred to Haiti as a failed state that threatens the security of all countries, and spoke of its leaders in terms of corrupt authorities who have no concern for Haiti’s best interests. The protesters indicated that they will remain mobilized until the provisional government steps down. One of the participants at the demonstration, Professor Josué Mérilien, found it indecent that the transition government had, he said, fallen so low as to invite Fern·ndez to Haiti at the moment when Haitians are victims of xenophobic practices in the Dominican Republic. “The government of February 29 is trampling the dignity of Haitians in the mud. It must go”, said Mérilien. Some of the students who were victims of ill-treatment by the authorities at the demonstration accused CIMO police of having beaten them because they were protesting against violations of the rights of Haitians. A tense atmosphere prevailed throughout the day in a large portion of the capital where UN blue helmets were standing guard. Other demonstrators said that the main reason why the situation of Haitians in the Dominican Republic has degenerated so dramatically is because of the lax attitude of the Haitian authorities, the weakness of their diplomacy and an absence of solidarity among Haitians. Many demonstrators pointed out that several Haitian sectors felt considerable solidarity toward the government of Hippolito Méjia when it was tolerating or supporting the presence on Dominican soil of armed groups which had taken up arms against President Aristide in February 2004. There were also concerns expressed that the printing of ballots to be used in Haiti in the upcoming elections (seen as a symbol of Haitian sovereignty) was awarded to Dominican printers by the Haitian company that won the CEP’s bidding competition. AHP December 12, 2005 3:00 PM **************************************************** The visit to Port-au-Prince of the Dominican president ends prematurely due to violence: the Dominican Ambassador in Haiti presses the interim government to provide an explanation Port-au-Prince, December 12, 2005 -(AHP)- Dominican President Leonel Fernandez cut short his official visit to Haiti by several hours due to a violent demonstration by student and human rights sectors protesting against the abuses committed against Haitians in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Ambassador to Haiti, José Serulle Ramia, accused the interim authorities of serious negligence in connection with this violence. “This is a very serious error”, said the diplomat, who asked for an explanation from the Haitian government. He asserted that such a situation could not take place anywhere else during the visit of a head of state. Volleys of rocks were thrown in the direction of the motorcade of the Dominican president. This led to the police responding by firing into the air to disperse the demonstrators. President Fern·ndez indicated that he had to shorten his visit due to the confused situation. He was said to have been unable to even visit the Dominican Embassy where he had been scheduled to meet with presidential candidates and members of civil society. The protest continued until the end of the day when angry individuals tried to attack property belonging to Dominicans in downtown Port-au-Prince. The police intervened to prevent the situation from worsening. A young Dominican named Pedro said that the interim government should assume its responsibilities so as not to give a green light to Dominican ultra-nationalists who are eagerly awaiting this type of situation to give them an opportunity to harden their positions toward Haitians. AHP December 12, 2005 4:00 PM ********************************************************************* PRESS RELEASE: MINUSTAH comments on the incidents that took place in the vicinity of the National Palace Port-au-Prince, December 12, 2005 : This afternoon during the official visit to the National Palace of the President of the Dominican Republic, several hundred demonstrators clashed with security forces and committed acts of violence which included throwing stones and setting tires on fire. Toward 3:15 PM, when the presidential motorcade emerged from the National Palace, there were gunshots. According to several media sources, there were injuries. Without knowing the number of injured, MINUSTAH affirms that no forces under its command, neither the established police unit nor the peacekeeping soldiers, used their weapons. Similarly, no United Nations helicopter was utilized. Accordingly, the allegations that demonstrators were injured by MINUSTAH forces are false. – David Wimhurst, director of the Office of Communications and Public Information of MINUSTAH --------------------------------------------- December 13, 2005 Border talks spark Haiti protests The President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez, has visited Haiti for talks on immigration and border security. His visit came amid anger in Haiti that Haitians have been mistreated after crossing into the Dominican Republic. But Dominican police played down reports that 10 Haitian migrants were murdered in a Dominican village. Protesters greeted Mr Fernandez, who vowed to continue with forced expulsions of illegal immigrants. In a recent interview with the BBC, Mr Fernandez described continuing instability in Haiti as a catalyst for violence and the drug trade in the Dominican Republic. Haiti lies on the west and the Dominican Republic on the east of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, the two countries sharing a land border. Protests Visiting the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Mr Fernandez announced that the two countries would sign a three-way pact with Colombia in an effort to fight the drug trade. But the atmosphere of the meeting with Haiti’s interim leader Boniface Alexandre was soured by continuing disputes over immigration. He insisted his country would continue to deport those found illegally in the Dominican Republic. Hundreds of protesters greeted Mr Fernandez on his arrival in Port-au-Prince, angry at forced evictions and his recent description of Haiti as a “danger to the world”. Meanwhile, police in the Dominican Republic played down reports that at least 10 people were killed in the town of Villa Trina. Violence between immigrants and locals in Villa Trina has flared in the past week after the murder of a Dominican was blamed on Haitian immigrants. The homes of some 35 Haitian families were burnt in reprisal, the EFE news agency reported. Some one million Haitians live in the Dominican Republic Copyright © 2005 BBC. *************************************************************** |
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