CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS: DISARM THE THUGS IN HAITI!

PRESS RELEASE



For Immediate Release (202) 225-2201

September 8, 2004




CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS URGES THE GOVERNMENTS

OF THE UNITED STATES, FRANCE AND CANADA

TO DISARM THE THUGS AND KILLERS IN HAITI



Washington, D.C. -- Today, at a press conference on Capitol Hill,

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), urged the governments of the United States,

France and Canada to take whatever action is necessary to disarm the thugs

and killers who overthrew the democratically-elected government of Haiti

last February and are now threatening the interim government of Haiti. The

Congresswoman made the following statement:


"I am here today to urge the governments of the

United States, France and Canada to take whatever action is necessary to

disarm the thugs and killers who overthrew the democratically-elected

government of Haiti last February and are now threatening the current puppet

government of Haiti, which was installed by the United States.


"Groups of heavily-armed thugs have recently set up

bases in several Haitian towns, including Petit-Goave, Grand-Goave, Jacmel,

Belladere and Gonaives. The thugs are former members of the dreaded Haitian

Army, which was disbanded by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1995. On

August 28, they attacked a police station in Petit-Goave, chased away the

police officers, and proclaimed themselves in charge of security. They also

painted the police station yellow, the traditional color of Haitian Army

barracks and outposts. The thugs are demanding the reestablishment of the

Haitian Army, and they even had the gall to claim that the Haitian

government owes them more than 10 years of back pay.


"These former members of the Haitian Army are the

same thugs and killers that carried out the coup d'etat that overthrew

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the democratically-elected President of

Haiti, on February 29, 2004, with the cooperation of the United States,

France, Canada and the Haitian opposition's Group of 184. They are the same

heavily-armed thugs that took over Haitian cities throughout the month of

February, freeing criminals from prison, setting fire to police stations and

terrorizing impoverished Haitians."


- more -


"Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue said that

the interim government of Haiti does not have the mandate nor the means to

reestablish the army. He urged the rebels to negotiate, and the interim

government set a deadline of September 15 for all groups holding illegal

weapons to disarm. However, a spokesman for the thugs, himself a former

army colonel, insisted that the Haitian authorities have no moral or legal

authority to disarm them.


"It has been alleged that the thugs are now

threatening the life of Interim Prime Minister Latortue in the same fashion

that they threatened to come into Port-au-Prince and kill President Aristide

last February.


"When President Aristide pleaded with the United

States, France and Canada for assistance in stopping the violence and

protecting the Haitian people, his pleas fell on deaf ears. However, once

President Aristide was forced to leave Haiti, the United States, France and

Canada established a multinational force to stabilize Haiti, and the United

States installed an interim government, which is now led by Interim Prime

Minister Latortue. Neither the U.S.-led multinational force nor the interim

government took any action to disarm the thugs.


"Louis-Jodel Chamblain was one of the key organizers

of the violence that preceded the February coup d'etat. Chamblain is

notorious for his role as the second-in-command of FRAPH (the Front for the

Advancement and Progress of Haiti), the death squad that carried out

numerous human rights violations during the three years following the 1991

coup d'etat. He was convicted in absentia for his role in the 1994 massacre

of Haitians in the Raboteau neighborhood and the 1993 assassination of

Antoine Izmery.


"The interim government of Haiti has actually

encouraged Louis-Jodel Chamblain and other thugs who were involved in the

February violence in Haiti to hold on to their weapons and consider

themselves immune from justice. Less than a month after the coup d'etat,

the interim government held a rally in Gonaives to commend the thugs, and

Interim Prime Minister Latortue praised them and called them "freedom

fighters."


"On August 16, 2004, the interim government held a

sham trial, claiming to retry Louis-Jodel Chamblain for the Izmery

assassination. The trial was completed by 6:00 the next morning, and a

verdict was announced acquitting Chamblain of the charges. Several major

newspapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, published

editorials denouncing this sham trial.


"Last February, several members of the Congressional

Black Caucus tried to convince the governments of the United States, France

and Canada to stop the impending coup d'etat in Haiti. We warned them that

they were becoming involved in an unholy alliance with thugs, killers and

drug dealers. We warned them that these thugs, killers and drug dealers

could not be contained once they were allowed to overthrow the

democratically-elected government.


"Our warnings have come true.


"The United States, France and Canada created this

mess, and they have an obligation to clean it up. There can be no democracy

in Haiti until these thugs and killers are disarmed."


*******
Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership
******

"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. See,
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/haitianlawyers.html ; http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html

and Haitiaction.net

********