1/29 Haiti News

Agence Haitienne de Presse
Agence Haitienne Presse is an indepedent news agency based in Haiti
http://www.ahphaiti.org to see originals in French

AHP News – January 29, 2004 – English translation (Unofficial)

The political coalition of the 184 is confused after having wished to carry
off the body of a Fanmi Lavalas activist whom they wished to portray as a
student member of the opposition




Port-au-Prince, January 29, 2004-(AHP)- Officials of the Platform of 184
political coalition were in confusion Wednesday evening at the Canapé-Vert
Hospital from which they attempted to remove the body of Renel Victor, a Fanmi
Lavalas activist whom they sought to portray as a student member of the opposition.

For several weeks, opposition supporters have, through deceptive concealment
within churches exploited the bodies of individuals killed either accidentally
or during demonstrations, in order to organize anti-government
demonstrations.

They generally pass these bodies off as student members of the opposition
Group of 184.

Renel Victor died Wednesday at the Canapé-Vert Hospital after having been
mortally wounded by a tear gas canister during the dispersal of two parallel
unauthorized rallies organized by opposition students belonging to the Group of
184 and members of pro-Lavalas populist organizations.

Leaders of the Platform of the 184 including André Apaid and student members
of the opposition hurried to the hospital to try to carry away the body of
the victim who they say was a participant in their activities.

At the same time, other supporters of the Platform set out flaming barricades
in front of the hospital building to “facilitate the taking of the body”.

However, hospital management officials were obligated to turn the body of
Renel Victor over to his spouse who arrived in tears with a photo of her husband
and their two children. She insisted that Renel Victor was not a student but
rather a Lavalas activist.

In addition, a number of witnesses affirm that he was together with several
members of populist organizations who were exchanging volleys of stones with
opposition students when the tear gas canister was fired.

It was reportedly members of the populist groups who transported the victim
away from the scene of the incident.

The officials of the Group of 184 left the hospital one after the other after
having become confused about the situation.

Some students and Professor Aviol Fleurant from the Law School had, soon
after the incidents, presented the victim in turn as a student at the Law School,
at the Medical School or at the GOC University.

Mr. Fleurant found himself almost immediately afterwards acknowledging that
he was unaware of the identity of the person he said he knew.

The body of Maxime Déselmour, who was killed on January 7 during an
opposition demonstration was carried off by opposition students shortly after his
funeral at the Sacré-Coeur Church in Turgeau despite opposition from his parents.
The coffin was used for an entire day in an anti-government demonstration

AHP January 29, 2004 4:00 PM


The September 30 Foundation’s coordinator appeals to the family of André
Apaid to dissuade him from continuing to promote violence in


Port-au-Prince, January 29, 2004-(AHP)- Lovinsky Pierre Antoine, who
coordinates the September 30 Foundation, asked the family of the main leader of the
opposition, André Apaid Junior, Thursday, includuing his wife and children, to
dissuade him from continuing to advocate violence and hatred in the country.

In the view of Lovinsky Pierre Antoine, the persistence of André Apaid in
seeking to take power by violent means has already left too many victims.

Those who are close to the Coalition of 184’s leader have an obligation
today to tell him that he has already been the cause of too much violence and that
the path to be followed to obtain power is outlined in the Constitution, said
Mr. Pierre-Antoine.

For his part, Professor Guillaume Joseph, denounced what he described as
hypocrisy and the betrayal by the opposition and by civil society which, he said,
continue to bring grief to the population.

Professor Guillaume Joseph said he hopes that the blood of Renel Victor will
not have been shed in vain.

He also called on students to pull themselves together, reminding them that
the leader of the opposition Platform is only defending his personal interests.

Students from the opposition political coalition attacked and beat up
photographer reporting for the Union newspaper named Rood Chéry on Wednesday.

They criticized photographer Chéry for working for a pro-government newspaper
and accused him of taking photographs to be used for intelligence purposes.

He is the second journalist from the daily government newspaper to be
severely beaten by students belonging to the opposition while carrying out his
profession.

AHP January 29, 2004 12:20 PM




Some 50 students attempt Thursday to hold a demonstration around the body of
an adolescent who was shot dead last week


Port-au-Prince, January 29, 2004-(AHP)- About 50 students and supporters of
the opposition sought Thursday to organize an anti-government demonstration
around the corpse of an adolescent named Emmanuel Colastin.

The young man was struck by a stray bullet on January 18. His funeral was
held at the Church of Sacré-Coeur of Turgeau, in the presence of several
political figures and students belonging to the Platform of the 184.

Immediately after the funeral, the members of the opposition began to
organize a demonstration as the parents of the victim mourned the loss of their
child.

The members of the opposition demonstrated two weeks ago shortly after the
funeral of Maxime Déselmour, carrying his coffin throughout the day through the
city, causing considerable distress to his family

AHP January 29, 2004 2:20 PM


Confusion is shown by the opposition as it seeks to claim a deceased Lavalas
activist as one of their own


Port-au-Prince, January 29, 2004-(AHP)- The family and friends of Lavalas
activist Renel Victor went to the Canapé-Vert Hospital Wednesday evening to
recover his body after members of the opposition including students tried to pass
him off as a student at the School of Law and the School of Medicine in
Port-au-Prince.

The students caused a panic inside and around the hospital of Canapé-Vert as
they tried to gain possession of the body of the Lavalas activist.

The spouse of Renel Victor presented herself to hospital officials with a
photo of her husband and their two children. She denied that her husband Renel
Victor was a student.

Distraught, she declared that the victim died because he was calling for
respect for the term in office of President Aristide.

Her testimony drove opposition leaders, who had come to pick up the body of
the activist, to leave the premises, one after the other.

For their part, members of Populist Organizations from the metropolitan area
expressed astonishment that the opposition wanted to use the body of Renel
Victor to support their political cause.

Two Fanmi Lavalas activists, Printemps Bélizaire and Mélisca Pierre,
denounced what they called a shameful practice by the opposition of creating tense
situations to provoke killings which they utilize to try to embarrass the
government..

The activists appealed to the opposition to renounce this practice which
they said has already led to the bloodshed of too many people.

The leader de the organization JPP (Populist Youth Power), René Civil, who
was at the Canapé-Vert Hospital Wednesday evening, denounced what he termed an
attempted kidnapping of the Lavalas activist.

"It is immoral to try to steal a corpse for political purposes”, said René
Civil. He asked the leaders of the opposition to give the country a chance.
Labor leader Duclos Bénissoit said for his part that from this point forward the
masks have fallen.

"It will no longer be possible to deceive the population”, said Duclos
Bénissoit. He asked the population to be vigilant because, he said, information has
become toxic today.

He also expressed his complete support to the journalists who have become
victims of attacks and threats by students and other members of the opposition..

AHP January 29, 2004 11:10 AM


The national coordination office of Fanmi Lavalas accuses the leaders of the
184 political coalition of trafficking in corpses to attain political
objectives


Port-au-Prince, January 29, 2004-(AHP)- The national coordinating committee
of Fanmi Lavalas on Thursday condemned the behavior of members of the
opposition political coalition whom it accused of trafficking in corpses to achieve
political objectives.

An official of the coordinating unit, Bell Angelot, said that there exists
today a serious moral crisis within society if one takes into account, he said,
the actions of the opposition coalition which states that it will utilize all
available means to attain power.

"It is sad to realize that some sectors of the opposition are trying to
legitimize the most shameful lies in their attempt to deceive the public”, said
Bell Angelot.

Leaders of the 184 political Platform made an unsuccessful attempt Wednesday
evening to carry away the body of a Lavalas activist, Renel Victor, whom they
sought to portray as a student member of the opposition.

For his part, the spokesperson for the coordination unit, Givert Angervil,
stated that immorality has reached such a serious level that some religious
leaders have taken on the responsibility of holding services to encourage the
leaders of the opposition coalition to commit new acts of violence against
supporters of Fanmi Lavalas.

Former Deputy Gilvert Angervil also denounced another sector that has blindly
allied itself to the Platform of the 184 and is carrying out a shameful
campaign of disinformation.

He deplored the attitude of the same sector, which he said is associated with
the leaders of the 184 who attempted to portray Renel Victor as a student at
the Faculties of Law and Medicine.

Acting National Coordinator for Fanmi Lavalas, Jonas Petit, said that he too
believes that this moral crisis has reached disturbing proportions.

According to Jonas Petit, the insulting and obscene language shouted by the
opposition demonstrators gives people some idea of the new social contract that
is being promoted by the leaders of the opposition political coalition.

Mr. Petit also emphasized that in light of the most recent developments in
the situation, the population is able to identify those who are truly working
for its interests and those who are utilizing the most sordid means to assuage
petty interests.

André Apaid Junior was the first opposition leader to go to the Canapé-Vert
Hospital Wednesday to claim the body of Renel Victor.

He also declared that the death of this “student” proves the need for the
authorities of the elected government to resign.

AHP January 29, 2004 1:50 PM