Haitian priest calls action, solidarity on behalf of political prisoners

In response, the children began to sing the “Our Father” prayer and
other spirituals, but they were silenced and forced to lie face down.
Meanwhile, Jean-Juste was beaten and taken to the National
Penitentiary as three children were shot and wounded.

Jean-Juste was not released from prison until Nov. 29, after
significant pressure from activists around the world. Like many
political prisoners in Haitian jails today, Jean-Juste was neither
charged nor convicted of any crime during his imprisonment. He spoke
at Stanford’s Braun Auditorium on Friday to raise awareness about his
experience and the current state of politics and human rights in
Haiti.

Over 100 people attended the event to hear him speak about his native
Caribbean country, which is home to almost nine million people, with
the majority of people living on about $1 a day.

In his talk, Jean-Juste drew on his 26 years in exile in the United
States under the Duvalier regimes and his advocacy for Haitian
refugees in the United States. He said his activism is also strongly
inspired by his roots in the Haitian church and liberation theology,
much like ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Aristide was forced to leave Haiti on Feb. 29, 2004 following a
three-week rebellion that resulted in a coup. He has now settled in
South Africa, and is teaching at the University of South Africa in
Pretroria. Since Aristide's departure, Fr. Jean-Juste has received
death threats because of his calls for Aristide's return.

In fact, Jean-Juste narrowly escaped death during his time in jail.
He began his speech with a poetic rhythm much like that of a sermon
as he thanked the audience and all activists.

“Thanks for the great job many of you have done, for me personally,
during my 48 days in jail from Oct. 13 to Nov. 29,” he said. “All of
you involved have saved me, and that’s why God has his reasons to
bring me here tonight. God has brought me here to talk with you face
to face, because right after I left jail, a big massacre took place
at the penitentiary national.”

Jean-Juste referred to a riot that broke out among prisoners in a
three-story cellblock called “The Titanic” on Dec. 1. In response, a
special police unit was brought in to quell the uproar. According to
the government’s official record, fewer than a dozen were killed and
over 40 prisoners were wounded, though estimates from prisoners
themselves and human rights organizations reach over 100 dead.

Controversy and violence have surrounded politics in Haiti since the
crisis last year. The country is ruled by an interim government led
by GÈrard Latortue, though Jean-Juste insists that Aristide should
still be recognized as Haiti’s legitimate and democratically elected
president.

Amnesty International has denounced arbitrary arrests, illegal
detentions and summary executions that witnesses say have been
carried out by the national police. A U.N. police force of about
6,700, which took over from a U.S. peacekeeping force in June, has
been unable to stop the violence in the poorest slums of
Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital.

Jean-Juste summarized the violence that has surrounded the political
process in Haiti over the past two decades, and pointed a finger at
U.S. involvement in last year’s coup. He asked the audience to
reflect on the United States, the U.S. government and its role in
Haiti.

“Are Haitians Americans or not?” he asked. “We are American, part of
the continent called America. And many times, when American officials
are talking, they say, ‘Haiti is in our backyard.’ I don’t like that,
when they say ‘backyard.’ If we could say, ‘Haiti is part of the
continent where all of us are living together,’ I would appreciate
that better.”

The event was organized by Biological Sciences Ph.D. candidate Sasha
Kramer and sponsored by the Office for Religious Life, the Division
of General Surgery, the Stanford School of Medicine, the African and
African-American Studies Program and the Program in Ethics in
Society. In addition, it was endorsed by Amnesty International, the
Haiti Action Committee and several South Bay organizations.

“One thing that was incredible was that this event was one of the
only ones I’ve seen at Stanford that has been such a great mix of
Stanford students, various departments and community members,” Kramer
said. “Jean-Juste was able to speak in a language that all of those
groups could understand and respond to.”

Kramer traveled to Haiti in August and in December on human rights
delegations and screened a slideshow of photos documenting the
rallies in support of Aristide in Cap Haitien, Haiti.

“It was something I’ve always wanted to do ... to be an international
human rights observer, but I never knew what qualifications I needed
... . But I found that you don’t need any qualifications but an open
heart and a willingness to bear witness ... and that can make a
tremendous difference,” she said.

Kramer said she felt that Jean-Juste’s speech provided students with
an example of pro-active solidarity effecting change.

“I think that people should really come away with a feeling of
empowerment because it was the fact that people all over the world
responded that got him out of prison,” she said. “He was talking
about so many sad things but he still had hope, and believed that
hope could really make difference.”

In bringing this event to campus, Kramer’s objectives included
exposing the situation in Haiti to the Stanford community and
encouraging individuals to speak out.

“Pressure your representatives ... and get other Congress people to
pressure the Haitian government to release the political prisoners,”
she urged.

Just as Jean-Juste met with Aristide in South Africa earlier this
month and brought Aristide’s message of hope for resisters to
Stanford, he promoted initiative among Stanford students with a
message from the Haitian people: “Wake up and see what is happening
in Haiti!”

Jean-Juste’s call to action struck a resonant with many of the
students who attended Friday night’s event.

“To me, Father Jean-Juste’s talk was a reminder - a reminder that as
Stanford students, we are a privileged elite,” said sophomore
Salvador Perez. “As such, we have an undeniable responsibility to act
against injustice around the world. A passive, indolent life for us
would be an unforgivable indulgence. Especially profound was the
Father’s call for American unity on a continental scale ... The world
cannot afford our provincial, casual indifference.”

Freshman Peter Porcino, a member of Stanford’s Moving Mountains:
Stanford Students for Haiti, agreed. “I found him to be a
well-spoken, refreshing breath of reality on campus.” Members of the
Haiti student group were inspired by the talk to begin a
letter-writing campaign to free other political prisoners like
Jean-Juste in Haiti.

While Jean-Juste said he thanks God every day for his freedom, and he
said the fight for liberation is far from over. “As I like to say,
‘one free, 700 more to go,’” he said.

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