“Lakou New York” April 4th, 2005 interview with Dread Wilme

L-NY: We have on the line with us Dread Wilme, a Lavalas militant and activist in Site SolËy where today there is a massive repression against the population being carried out by United Nations MINUSTHA forces along with the Haitian National Police. Dread Wilme, can you tell the New York area Haitian community through “Lakou New York” at Radio Lakay how is the situation today in Site SolËy?

D. Wilme: Well, the situation is very serious not just in Site SolËy but all over Haiti, in Site SolËy, in BËlË, in Lasalin, as well as Solino, Granravin and elsewhere in all the 9 departments of the country. The way things are in the country today, journalists are being killed, school children are being killed, business people are being killed. Many people who would have been useful to the country are being killed. As Lavalas militants throughout all the parts of the country, all 9 departments and even in the 10th department we are standing up to defend our rights, to demand that President Aristide return to the country and for us to live in peace because without President Aristide there can be no peace. The government that is here right now is doing only one thing: killing people all over the country. The Haitian National Police has forgotten that it was the people who called for the army to be done with so we could have this Police. The people and the Police are brothers and sisters. The Police should not listen to the bourgeoisie and take Andy Apaid and Charles Henri Baker’s money to kill people in Site SolËy. Many people have already been killed, children, school kids and even people praying inside churches have been shot. This is the climate we are living under today in Site SolËy.

L-NY: Compatriot, we have learned that since Thursday, after the news came out that LabanyË was killed many many people are in tears because they no longer have LabanyË to keep the people of Site SolËy in check for them. Many people are saying that this is the real reason why MINUSTHA is killing the people of Site SolËy, to avenge LabanyË’s death. What is your view on this?

D. Wilme: The way we see it, it is these big shots who used to pay LabanyË to shoot demonstrators in Site SolËy where whenever we held demonstrations LabanyË himself came out to shoot at the demonstrators. He was doing the work of Andy Apaid and Charles Henri Baker. You see, these big shots if they really had a vision, a plan to help Site SolËy this is not the way they would behave. Today, Site SolËy is living in filth. Today the people of Site SolËy are living in dirt. The people cannot eat. They are hungry. Children cannot go to school. These people who were saying that they had the support of LabanyË, they should know that LabanyË did not represent the masses of the people. LabanyË was nothing inside of Site SolËy. All alone, LabanyË could not have taken all of Site SolËy hostage because by himself he was weak. We have to be honest and admit that by himself LabanyË could not have held the masses of Site SolËy hostage. They have to admit that LabanyË did not represent Site SolËy. LabanyË was just in one of the neighborhoods of Site SolËy which is the largest ghetto in Haiti. They have to face this fact. Today we are facing severe repression by the National Police and the MINUSTHA where they are saying that this is because of LabanyË but our demonstrations have only just begun. We are demanding the physical return of President Aristide immediately. Today, Site SolËy is whole. There is no longer 33 neighborhoods on one side and 1 on another. All 34 neighborhoods are united and we are demonstrating peacefully to demand the physical return of President Aristide to Haiti. If the bourgeoisie wanted to do something for the people of Site SolËy, this is not the way they woud go about doing it because they have never done anything to benefit the people of Site SolËy. They want the people to be their slaves. They want the the people to go and vote but to continue living in the same conditions we are living in today. We have been living for 1 year now under this defacto government which is destroying the country. 95% of the people from the masses who were working government jobs have been fired. Children cannot go to school. Students cannot advance in their studies. We are wondering just how far this crisis will be allowed to go. All of this is why we are in the streets, demonstrating and demanding the physical return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti immediately. This is the only issue the people are interested in today. Aristide is the one who can save Haiti from all its woes.

L-NY: Dread Wilme, tell us what’s been happening this past weekend in Site SolËy. We understand that there were major attacks which have taken place and we heard that you were on the phone with a radio station in Port-au-Prince where you said that the MINUSTHA was shooting tear gas at the people. Tell us what’s happening inside Site SolËy today.

D. Wilme: MINUSTHA has been shooting tear gas on the people. There are children who have died from the gas and some people inside churches have been shot. The Red Cross was with us. The Red Cross was just here and might have just gone on to pick up more children and adults who have gotten shot. The Red Cross is the only one helping us. The MINUSTHA soldiers remain hidden in their tanks and just aim their guns and shoot the people. They shoot people selling in the streets. They shoot people just walking in the streets. They shoot people sitting and selling in the marketplace. MINUSTHA must understand that the people in the streets are the masses of the people. They say that these people are “chimË” but they are not “chimË”. They are the masses of the people fighting for their rights and demanding the return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti. Inside Site SolËy today we are facing a very serious climate of terror where many people have been killed and many children have been shot. We are asking for support because President Aristide must come back for peace to reign in Haiti.

L-NY: We know that there is a huge protest planned for April 7th. This will be the first large protest since LabanyË has been gone, will there be a large turnout from Site SolËy to join with BËlË and Kafou? What we are hearing is that this demonstration will be more like a tsunami rather than a lavalas.

D. Wilme: Well there is no doubt about that because when the Lavalas is flowing there is nothing that can hold us back. They know what Lavalas is all about. Lavalas remains very powerful. All 34 neighborhoods of Site SolËy will be mobilizing. It will be a huge demonstration because everyone is planning to march on the city. Site SolËy will move to join with BËlË, Granravin, Solino, Lasalin, etc., all the popular neighborhoods so that all together the people will take the streets on the 7th of April to demand with one voice the immediate return of President Aristide to Haiti.

L-NY: Dread Wilme, many people are not clear about the exact relationship which exists between you, the militants of Lavalas in Site SolËy, Lavalas in general and Grenn Sonnen. Can you tell us the nature of this relationship? Are both of you fighting for the same thing?

D. Wilme: This is a very important question. The relationship between us and Grenn Sonnen is a question we will answer today. For our part, we are engaged in a people’s struggle where we are fighting for the return of President Aristide in Haiti. Grenn Sonnen used to work for the Lavalas Government. Right now he claims to be fighting as a former FADH soldier to defend the rights of the former soldiers. That is the difference between us. We do not have any form of contact with Grenn Sonnen. The former soldiers who are involved with him in his fight believed that the defacto government would be doing good things for the country. Later, they realized that this is a criminal government which is killing people left and right. This government lied to them and is killing their brother soldiers. Those former soldiers have now taken up arms against this government and they are asking for it to be removed from power. As Lavalas militants, we are also demanding the departure of the defacto government. We demand the physical return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. We do not know whether they are also for the President’s return but us, the Haitian people, the people of Site SolËy, BËlË, Granravin etc., all of the 10th department and all 9 departments of the country we are fighting for the physical return of President Aristide to Haiti. I cannot tell you anything about their ideology whether they are for the return or not but for us our purpose is clear.

L-NY: Do you have any last words for the Haitian community listening to you over the internet and all over the world over the internet?

D. Wilme: My last words to the Haitian community of New York and all over the 10th department is that they must remain mobilized. We are asking all Haitians, those who become US citizens, those who were born overseas, those who have been over there 13, 14, 15 years, we are asking all of them to remain mobilized, to demonstrate peacefully wherever they are in the 10th department to demand the immediate physical return of President Aristide. They must speak to President Bush and as people of the United States

demand the return of President Aristide to Haiti. We are sending our respects to all of you in the 10th department who are standing firm in the struggle for the immediate return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti.

L-NY: Thank you very much compatriot.

D. Wilme: Thank you very much compatriot.

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Lakou New York is a grassroots initiative to bring alternative news, interviews, and news analysis to the New York area Haitian community and beyond. We work to give voice and to amplify the voices of those who have always been marginalized. “Lakou New York” does not claim to be an objective source of information. We stand squarely on the side of the masses of the Haitian people and the poor and marginalized all over the world who as much as they are being oppressed fight every day to create another world. We challenge our community to assume their responsibility, which is the challenge of the Haitian Revolution.

To check out our work, go to www.lakounewyork.com

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Kreyol original of Lakou New York Interview with Dread Wilme

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EntËvyou “Lakou New York” ak Dread Wilme 4 Avril 2005

L-NY: Nou genyen nan liy nan ak nou Dread Wilme, militant, aktivis ki nan Site SolËy k ap fË fas la jodi a ak yon kokenn represyon bÚ kote MINUSTHA ak Lapolis. Dread Wilme, Ëske ou ka pale ak kominote Ayisyen nan New York atravË emisyon “Lakou New York” ki nan Radio Lakay, di nou kouman sitiyasyon an ye jodi a?

D. Wilme: Bon, sitiyasyon an pou jan l reprezante kounye a anndan peyi d Ayiti, se pa sËlman nan Site SolËy, li reprezante yon gwo klima pou peyi d Ayiti. Site SolËy, BËlË, Lasalin kankou Solino, Granravin, elatriye ak tout 9 depatman an. Jan peyi a ye jounen jodi a, jounalis ap tonbe. ElËv lekÚl ap tonbe. Moun ki gen biznis ap tonbe. LË nou gade nou wË anpil moun serye ki ka itil peyi a jodi a, se moun sa yo k ap tonbe. Nou menm militan Lavalas anndan peyi d Ayiti, nan 4 kwen peyi a, tout 9 depatman jiska dizyËm depatman, nou wË jan peyi a tonbe la se peyi pa nou l ye antan Ayisyen, nou revandike dwa nou kote n ap di pou Prezidan Aristide retounen e pou kapab gen lapË paske san Prezidan Aristide pa ka gen lapË paske kounye a la gouvËnman sa k la se moun l ap detwi anndan peyi a. Polis Nasyonal la bliye si se PËp la ki te rele kraze lame a bay polis la. Noumenm ansanm ak Polis la se frË ak sË. FÚk Polis la pa koute laboujwazi pou l ap pran kÚb nan men Andy Apaid ak Charles Henri Baker pou vin detwi PËp Site SolËy. Se nan kontËks sa nou gen latriye moun ki gen tan mouri deja, timoun ki gen tan mouri, elËv lekÚl epi gen menm moun ki anndan legliz ki pran bal nan Site SolËy. Jounen jodi se konsa n ap sibi yon gwo klima anndan Site SolËy.

L-NY: KonpatriyÚt, nou aprann depi Jedi, apre nouvËl la te soti ke LabanyË te tonbe genyen anpil anpil moun k ap plenyen nan peyi a kÚmkwa yo pa ta genyen LabanyË pou asire Site a anfavË yo jodi a. Anpil moun di se pou sa MNUSTHA ap fË represyon an, kidonk se yon revanj k ap tire. Kijan noumenm nou wË koze a?

D. Wilme: Jan nou wË koze a, si genyen gwo bwa sa yo ki te konn ap bay LabanyË kÚb pou te tire sou manifestasyon k ap fËt jounen jodi a tout sa k ap pase atravË Site SolËy kote lË nou met manifestasyon deyÚ se LabanyË ki parËt an pËsÚn k al tire sou manifestasyon yo. Li mache avËk Andy Apaid ak Charles Henri Baker. Enben gran nËg sa yo si yo te gen yon vizyon pou Site SolËy se pa konsa yo ta fË bagay la. Site SolËy ap viv sou fatra jounen jodi a. PËp Site SolËy ap viv sou pousyË jounen jodi. PËp la pa ka manje. PËp la grangou. Timoun pa ka al lekÚl. Jounen jodi anndan Site SolËy, nËg sa yo ki di yo te gen apui LabanyË, enben LabanyË pa yon mas PËp. LabanyË pa t anyen anndan Site SolËy. LabanyË pa t ka rete pou l t ap fË tout pil pou l te ka mete PËp la an otaj paske LabanyË pou kont li mezanmi li fËb. An nou pran konsyans pou wË si sËl ti LabanyË te ka mete yon mas PËp konsa an otaj. Jounen jodi PËp la revandike dwa l. Se pou sa yo di ke MINUSTHA ansanm ak Polis Nasyonal la ap tire revanj pou LabanyË. FÚ yo rekonËt byen LabanyË pa t reprezante Site SolËy. LabanyË se te nan yonn nan katye nan Site SolËy yo l te ye paske Site SolËy se pi gwo bidonvil ki gen nan peyi d Ayiti. FÚk yo rekonËt sa byen. Jounen jodi nou wË n ap sibi gwo represyon anba men Polis Nasyonal la avËk MINUSTHA kote yo di se pou LabanyË, enben noumenm nou fenk kare manifeste. N ap mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide prese prese. Site SolËy la fË yon sËl. Pa genyen 33 katye ankÚ paske nou tou l 34 katye yo nou tout fË yon sËl kote n ap manifeste pasifikman n ap mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide an Ayiti. Si laboujwazi te vle fË yon bagay pou PËp la se pa konsa yo ta fË l paske yo pa p janm regle anyen pou PËp Site SolËy. Yo ta renmen bourike PËp la, fË PËp la al vote epi PËp la ap toujou viv nan menm konjonkti jounen jodi. Nou panse genyen 1 an nou la ak yon gouvËnman defakto k ap debalize yon peyi. Kounye a 95% PËp la revoke nan bwat leta. Timoun pa ka al lekÚl. Sa k te rive nan twazyËm pa ka kontinye. Sa k te rive nan segonn nan reto pa ka kontinye. N ap mande ki bÚ kriz sa prale. Se sa ki fË PËp la leve kanpe ap mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide prese prese an Ayiti. Se sËl sa ki enterese PËp le se Aristide pou sove Ayiti nan tout mizË l ye jounen jodi a.

L-NY: Dread Wilme, di nou sa k ap pase nan wikenn nan la, paske yo fË konnen te genyen gwo atak ki fËt, yo di ou te fË yon kout fil nan yon radyo nan PÚtoprens la kote ou di MINUSTHA t ap bay gaz. Di nou sa k ap pase anndan Site SolËy jounen jodi a.

D. Wilme: Jodi a anndan Site SolËy MINUSTHA t ap bay gaz. Nou gen timoun ki mouri nan gaz epi nou gen divËs moun ki te anndan legliz ki pran katouch. Nou te fenk gen Lakwa Wouj ki te ansanm ak nou la. Yo te fenk la a yo gen lË fË yon vire ap ranmase timoun ki pran bal ansanm ak granmoun ki pran bal. Se Lakwa Wouj k ap pote nou sekou. MINUSTHA limenm kote l kache nan chadegË a li pa bezwen konnen anyen paske se bourik zam li ki nan lari. Li jwenn moun k ap vann li fizye l. Li jwenn moun k ap pwonmennen li fizye l. Li jwenn ti machann ki chita nan mache li fizye l. Jounen jodi a fÚk MINUSTHA rekonËt tout moun li wË nan lari se mas PËp la. Jan yo di gen chimË a pa gen chimË vre. Se PËp la k ap revandike dwa li k ap mande retou Prezidan Aristide an Ayiti. Anndan Site SolËy kounye a la nou gen yon gwo klima perËz kote nou gen anpil mou ki mouri ak timoun ki pran bal. N ap mande pou yo kapab pote nou sekou paske fÚk Prezidan Aristide tounen pou kapab gen lapË an Ayiti.

L-NY: Nou konnen gen yon kokenn manifestasyon ki anonse pou 7 Avril. Fwa sa a, se premye fwa LabanyË pa la, Ëske Site a ap soti an mas pou rejwenn ak BËlË, ak Kafou pou se yon kokenn leve kanpe paske nou tande fwa sa a se pa lavalas men se yon sounami k pral desann la a?

D. Wilme: Ebyen ou konnen se kanmenm paske lavalas la lË l desann an mas pa gen sa ki ka sipÚte l paske yo konn ki Ës ki lavalas la. Lavalas la toujou rete puisan. 34 katye Site SolËy yo pral mobilize la a. Se yon gwo kokenn chenn manifestasyon k pral genyen 7 Avril la paske tout moun la pou pran vil la. Site SolËy pral pran vil la pou l rankontre ak BËlË, Granravin, Solino, Lasalin elatriye, tout zÚn popilË yo kote 7 la tout PËp la deside l pou l pran lari pou n mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide an Ayiti prese prese.

L-NY: Dread Wilme, genyen anpil moun ki pa klË sou relasyon ekzakt ki ta genyen jounen jodi a ant oumenm nan Site SolËy la, Lavalas, ak Grenn Sonnen. Eske ou kapab di nou ki sa relasyon sa a ye jodi a? Eske n ap batay pou menm bagay?

D. Wilme: Kesyon sa a se yon kesyon ki trË enpÚtan. Se yon kesyon m ap reponn jounen jodi. Kesyon Grenn Sonnen an avËk noumenm anndan Site SolËy. Noumenm n ap fË yon lit PËp kote n ap mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Grenn Sonnen t ap travay nan GouvËnman Lavalas. AktyËlman li reklame tËt li etan ke militË. L ap revandike dwa militË yo. Ka sa a diferansye. Noumenm nou pa gen kontak ak Grenn Sonnen. MilitË ki ansanm avËk li yo se militË ki te panse gouvËnman defakto sa a t ap fË yon bon bagay nan peyi a. LË yo vin wË gouvËnman defakto sa a se moun l ap touye agoch adwat. GouvËnman sa a ba yo manti. GouvËnman sa a ap detwi pwÚp san frË yo. Enbyen yo menm ansyen militË yo, yo leve kont rejim defakto sa a kote y ap mande depa rejim defakto sa a. Noumenm militan Lavalas, PËp Ayisyen noumenm kote n ap mande depa rejim defakto sa a. N ap mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Nou pa konn pa yo a si se retou Prezidan an men noumenm pa nou an, PËp Ayisyen, PËp Site SolËy, PËp BËlË, Granravin, elatriye, tout dizyËm depatman an, tout 9 depatman an noumenm se pou retou fizik Prezidan Aristide n ap travay. Ideyoloji pa yo a m pa ka ba ou yon ide de sa si se pou retou oswa pa pou retou men noumenm se pou retou n ap travay.

L-NY: Eske ou genyen yon dËnye mo pou kominote AyisyËn nan k ap koute ou la nan New York epi k ap koute nan entËnËt tout kote?

D. Wilme: DËnye mo m gen pou kominote AyisyËn nan k ap koute m tout kote nan New York, nan dizyËm depatman an n ap di yo mobilize. Ni Ayisyen ki natiralize pou Ameriken, tout sa ki sitizenn, ni sa ki fËt laba a, ni sa ki gen 13 an, 14 an, 15 an laba a, n ap mande yo pou yo rete mobilize, pou yo fË manifestasyon pasifikman nan dizyËm nan. Pou yo pale ak Prezidan Bush, pou yo mande l nou se pitit Ameriken etan ke Amerik, n ap mande retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide an Ayiti. Noumenm an Ayiti tou nou voye yon gwo respË pou yo dizyËm nan ki kenbe mouvman an solid solid pou retou fizik Prezidan Jean-Bertrand Aristide an Ayiti prese prese.

L-NY: MËsi anpil konpatriyÚt.

D. Wilme: MËsi anpil konpatriyÚt mwen.

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Pou suiv travay “Lakou New York” fË yon ti kout pye nan www.lakounewyork.com

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Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers’ Leadership Network

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“Men anpil chay pa lou” is Kreyol for – “Many hands make light a heavy load.” 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. www.margueritelaurent.com/law/lawpress.html