1/19 Haiti Update

Port-au-Prince, January 19, 2004 -(AHP)- Father Campion, who serves the
parish of Sacré-Coeur, le père, invited the faithful Sunday to a 6:30 AM mass to
recite with him the prayer to Archangel Saint Michael to seek protection of the
church of Sacré-Coeur which students belonging to the Group of 184 threatened
with arson on Friday.

The students and other members of the opposition had made these threats
because of steps taken by church officials together with the parents of Maxime
Déselmour to prevent the students from carrying off his actual remains for the
purpose of a political demonstration.

Maxime Déselmour was killed during a demonstration on January 7th. The
opposition was going to present him after his death as if he were a student at the
Faculty of Social Sciences.

The students had managed to remove the body through the use of force shortly
after his funeral was held on January 16th, to the great disappointment of his
parents who were powerless in light of threats by members of the opposition.

The coffin was carried around the capital throughout the day.

Security measures were enacted Sunday at the Church of Sacré-Coeur in front
of which the opposition demonstration began before it degenerated into violence
in front of the State Television which was stoned.

Port-au-Prince, January 19, 2004 -(AHP)

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Violent attack by the opposition political coalition against the efforts of
schools to stay open: at least five schools are attacked and threatened with
arson


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Port-au-Prince, January 19, 2004 -(AHP)- Supporters of the opposition
coalition stoned the facilities of the Collège Saint-François d'Assise and the
Collège Gérard Gourgue on Monday to prevent the schools from functioning.

Several students were struck by rocks thrown by demonstrators who said they
wanted to utilize all available means to prevent students from attending school
until the government is ousted.

The violence is part of a campaign against the schools that has been launched
by senior leadership of the political coalition directed by business leader
André Apaid Junior .

Along those lines, Evans Paul, also known as Kompe Plim, Secretary General of
the Convention Unité Démocratique (Democratic Unity Convention) reaffirmed
Sunday that the political platform is determined to bring school activities, and
even hospitals to a standstillacross the country.

The important thing, he said, is to oust President Aristide.

In this context, threats of arson attacks were made against several private
and parochial that had been open to receive students.

The portal of the Collège Marie-Anne of the Sisters of Sainte-Annne as well
as the portals of two other schools were set on fire Monday mnorning in the
Christ Roy district by supporters of the opposition. Two schools have already
been set on fire in Léogane (30 km south of the capital) since the beginning of
this campaign against school classes.

Josué Mérilien, the Secretary General of the Union Nationale des Normaliens
Haïtiens (National Union of Haitian Teachers in Training) read off a list of
schools Monday morning that must close their doors or else face reprisals.

The schools are the Collège Canado-Haïtien (the congregation of the Brothers
of the Sacred Heart), the Collège Saint-Louis de Gonzague (FIC), the Seminaire
Saint-Martial (run by the Holy Ghost Fathers), the Collège Saint-François
d'Assise, the Lycée Français, and the Union School.

One of the schools, the Collège des Soeurs de Saint-Francois d'Assise, was
stoned Monday morning. Demonstrators who took refuge at a building of one of the
universities located in the area are accused of having thrown tear gas inside
the school.

The incident took place at the moment when the police who were present at the
scene were speaking to journalists.

Many parents who rushed to the school in a panic denounced those they
referred to as hooligans who are trying to take the school hostage and who are
preventing the students from receiving the benefit of teaching.

One of the directors of the Collège Saint-Francois d'Assise, Father Nicolas,
said that the media is spreading too many lies. Some media organizations had
incorrectly reported that the school had been set on fire.

The demonstration, which was cut short, began with an attack against several
schools that was launched by Josué Mérilen and the Secretary General of the
Confederation of Haitian Educators, Lavaud Frédéric.

While this was taking place, a group in Port-de-Paix, including members of
the opposition platform, students from the Tertulien Guilbaud High School and
the Collège Lesly Docteur, took to the streets Monday demanding that schools be
closed.

The majority of schools has resisted the onslaught of the opposition
demonstrators and continue to offer classes.

AHP January 19, 2004 12:10 PM