2/5 AHP Haiti News

AHP News - February 5, 2004 - English translation (Unofficial)

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A leader of the political opposition coalition in Gonaives associated with
the 184 confirms that members of the opposition have carried out killings and
set fires this Thursday in Gonaïves
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- Partisans of the opposition
political coalition shed blood on Thursday in Gonaïves once again.

A spokesperson for the coalition in Gonaïves, Winter Etienne, confirmed that
his men had killed and wounded several members of the population during a
lethal operation against the police and people close to the government.

They set fire to a hotel belonging to the mayor, Stephen Topa Moïse, as well
as his home.

The opposition spokesperson's comments were broadcast over Radio Métropole.
He rejoiced at the fact that the members of the opposition have set fire to the
city's police station.

He added that everyone who was in detention has been freed and that the city
is henceforth under the control of armed partisans of the opposition.

The opposition is at war against supporters of the government and the police
who are stationed in the city, he added.

For the past several months, leaders of the opposition in Gonaïves, including
the fugitive from justice, Jean Tatoune , have already caused the deaths of
more than 30 people and have set fire to more than 20 homes and government
offices.

According to residents who have left the city, the acts committed by the
opposition in Gonaïves are evidence of what it plans for the Haitian people if it
should take power.

Leaders of the opposition in Port-au-Prince declared early this week that
they have no problem with what is taking place in Gonaïves and that the violence
will only stop once the elected authorities have been ousted.

AHP February 5, 2004 1:40 PM

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Canada's Ambassador in Haïti suggests that some Haitian journalists were
behaving like "chimè"
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- Canada's Ambassador to Haïti,
Kenneth Cook, suggested Wednesday that certain Haitian journalists were behaving
like "chimè" (in this context, referring to individuals prone to violence).

Amb. Cook commented immediately following a discussion session between
CARICOM officials and leaders of the opposition examining prospects for a peaceful
outcome to the Haitian crisis.

The diplomat explained that these journalist are often violent and aggressive
when they are asking for interviews.

Some of them hit him in the mouth with their tape recorders, he said.

The use of the label "chimè" in this case, often attributed to residents of
shantytowns by political parties belonging to the Platform of the 184,
displeased some journalists from several media who felt that the diplomat went a bit
too far.

In addition, several media have also expressed their displeasure following a
response given by President Aristide to a Haitian journalist during a brief
pause for questions from journalists at the conclusion of a working session with
the CARICOM delegation.

In response to a question from the journalist, who asserted that the entire
population is calling for his departure, President Aristide indicated that the
journalist was uttering a lie due to the fact that he was a journalist from
the opposition.

The president added that it was a minority that was calling for his
departure, contrary to the Constitution's stipulation of five years as the duration of
a president's term in office.

Several journalists felt that the president could have dispensed with these
remarks. Others acknowledged however that to some extent things were going a
little downhill within the corporation, especially after the broadcast of
inappropriate commentary and lewd remarks relating to sex organs.

Still others denounced the fact that the media refuse to issue corrections
after the broadcast of lies and imprecise information. They gave as an example
the case of Pres. Thabo Mbeki. Some journalists claimed they had seen
opposition supporters firing at his helicopter on January 1st, 2004 in Gonaïves,
although he was not present in the city.

The Secretary General of the Association of Haitian Journalists, Guyler C.
Delva, had himself recently called on some members of the Haitian media to
withdraw from the Group of 184, an opposition political coalition, in order to be
in a position to work in a more objective manner.

AHP February 5, 2004 1:00 PM

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President Jean-Bertrand Aristide reiterates his determination to complete his
five year term in office in an interview on the American television network,
CNN
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
reiterated Wednesday that he is determined to complete his five year term in
office.

In an interview with the American television network, CNN, the president said
that he intends to remain in office for the full length of his term as
provided for under the Haitian Constitution.

The president also advocated the release of international aid in order to
help professionalize the national police.

In the same interview, President Jean Bertrand Aristide rejected reports
that armed gangs operating in the country are paid by the government.

"I can not support them, I am asking for help... in order to disarm them",
the president replied, "we are building a state of law" he said.

The president asked for international aid in order to successfully carry out
the national disarmament campaign.

Armed gangs led by a representative of the opposition in Gonaïves, the
fugitive Jean Tatoune have been terrorizing the population for several months in
Gonaïves where they have killed more than 30 people and set fire to homes and
public buildings.

These individuals have said that the violence will continue until the ouster
of the elected authorities.

In an interview given Wednesday to a local AHP correspondent, several members
of the population said they are fed up and called on the opposition to put
down their guns and allow life to resume in the City of Independence.

AHP February 5, 2004 10:40 AM

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CARICOM meets separately with the president and the leasers of the opposition
political coalition
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- The CARICOM delegation that is now
present in Haiti met separately on Wednesday with President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide and leaders of the opposition political Platform as part of the ongoing
efforts of the regional body to facilitate the resumption of discussions among
Haitians to find a way out of the crisis.

At the end of the meeting, the president reiterated his determination to
fulfill all the commitments he has taken under the CARICOM proposal for resolving
the crisis.

He said he hopes that the opposition will succeed in understanding that it is
time for it to favor dialogue as a peaceful way out of the crisis.

However the leaders of the opposition coalition who have now met twice with
the CARICOM delegation, declared that they remain in favor of option zero.

They affirmed their wish to stand by their decision, rejecting all
negotiations with the government.

A spokesperson for the political coalition, Micha Gaillard, declared that he
had reiterated to the CARICOM delegation the Platform's determination to work
for the ouster of the government.

AHP February 5, 2004 11:10 AM

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Launch of a new populist organization close to the opposition political
coalition in Port-au-Prince
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- A new populist organization close to
the opposition's political Platform was born Thursday in Port-au-Prince.

It is called the Mouvement pour l'intégration, la réhabilitation et
l'Avancement des Jeunes (MIRAJ, Movement for the Integration, rehabilitation and
Advancement of Young People).

The members of this organization said that they wish to work for the
establishment of a society based on respect for human rights and good governance.

The General Coordinator of MIRAJ, Yvon Desroses, declared that he had
observed that since the return of constitutional government in 1994, the country has
continuously moved backwards, particularly with regard to economic, social and
judicial progress.

According to Yvon Desroses, any change in Haiti would have to take place
through the ouster of the elected authorities.

he declared that his organization is prepared to participate in all the
battles designed to arrive at this result.

AHP February 5, 2004 11:50 AM


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Thousands of peasants demonstrate Thursday in Port-au-Prince in favor of
peace and respect for President Aristide's constitutional mandate
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- Thousands of peasants who came from
various townships in the West department demonstrated Thursday in
Port-au-Prince to advocate peace and unity.

This peaceful march organized by the Fédération des Associations, Planteurs
et distillateurs de l'Ouest (federation of Associations, Planters and
Distillers in the West department) also called for respect for President Aristide's
constitutional mandate to serve out his term.

The demonstrators, led by the coordinator of the federation, Edner Désir,
denounced the opposition, which they said is working to aggravate the misery and
suffering of the poorest of Haitians.

Mr. Désir denounced the circulation of counterfeit American dollars after
each march of the political Platform of the 184.

" The money-changers are the ones who pay the price for this because they
can't exchange them at the bank", he explained.

The demonstrators urged the opposition to stop limiting itself to its
hard-line position which harms the most disadvantaged populations because it
advocates the continued blockage of external funds that would have been earmarked for
Haiti.

Edner Désir said that these funds would enable the government to support
projects for peasants, particularly those focusing on irrigation systems. He also
appealed to France to pay restitution to Haiti of the debt of independence
(equivalent today to $21 billion) to allow the country, he said, to get on the
track toward development.

The demonstration started out at the Place d'Italie along the Bicentenaire
street and finished in front of the National Palace.

AHP February 5, 2004 1:40 PM

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The funeral of Lionel Victor: members of OPs appeal to human rights
organizations to leave the Platform of the 184 and thus carry out their work more
objectively
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- The funeral for the Lavalas activist
Lionel Victor, who was killed February 28th as police dispersed two parallel
rallies, was held Thursday at the Cathedral of Port-au-Prince.

Lionel Victor was struck by a tear gas canister during an exchange of rocks
between his group and students from the law school who belong to the group of
184.

Many close relatives, friends, and members of populist and socio-professional
organizations as well as former Deputies and members of the personal staff of
President Aristide participated in Mr. Victor's funeral.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, some of the participants denounced the
silence observed by some human rights organizations including the National
Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR) concerning the acts of violence carried out by
the Platform of the 184 against members of pro-Lavalas populist organizations.

A spokesperson for the Populist Organizations (OP), Printemps Bélizaire,
urged NCHR to leave the Platform of the 184 of which it is a member in order to do
the real work of a human rights organization and thus regain its credibility.


Other OP members equally denounced the fact that NCHR officials were seen
alongside leaders of the Platform of the 184 when they tried to make off with the
corpse of Lionel Victor for political purposes at the Canapé-Vert Hospital,
under the pretext that he was a student from the opposition.

Fanmi Lavalas supporters confirmed Thursday that the demonstration announced
for Saturday February 7th will go ahead and will denounce the destabilizing
maneuvers of the opposition political Platform.

Marc Foreste Casséus and Marjory Michel appealed to the opposition to
participate in elections if they want to take office.

AHP February 5, 2004 2:50 PM

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The U.S. Coast Guard repatriates 143 Haitian boat-people
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Port-au-Prince, February 5, 2004 -(AHP)- The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated a
group of 143 Haitian boat-people Thursday.

The Haitians were intercepted on the high seas on February 1st by an American
patrol boat as they were preparing to arrive along the Florida coast.

The 143 boat-people were received at the facilities of the Haitian Coast
Guard by personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince and by staff from the
National Office for Migration (ONM).

ONM director Lovinsky Pierre Antoine said that the repatriated Haitians did
not receive the customary provisions and stipend due to the difficult economic
conditions currently facing the ONM.

Lovinsky Pierre Antoine asked the public not to risk their lives on the high
seas but rather to utilize legal means of entering the United States.

Mr. Pierre Antoine urged the international community to take into account the
socio-economic reality of the country and thus lift the economic sanctions
adopted against Haiti in order to relieve the suffering of the Haitian people.

He also asked the political actors to find a compromise enabling the country
to emerge from the impasse, which he said would be one of the best ways of
discouraging people from taking to the high seas.

AHP February 5, 2004 3:15 PM
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