Dublin end the occupation of Haiti demo

by Michael Sat Oct 01, 2005 12:46

First -- it's great to see LASC campaigning for human rights in Haiti. The Brazilian, US and French troops who represent 90% of the UN peacekeeping forces in Haiti have allowed the new regime murder and terrorise Aristide supporters in broad daylight. That's GOT TO stop!

However I dunno whether "UN out" is what's needed here. For one thing, it allows those armies, their generals, and their soldiers on the ground in Haiti get off the hook (as if they were the UN). The problem as I see it is that the UN peacekeeping forces aren't doing their jobs right. If there were no UN peacekeepers at all then the US-Spanish-and-French-backed regime would commit even more abuses against the Haitian people.

by paddy rua - wsm Sat Oct 01, 2005 17:42

Dear comrade, I think it is a bit naive to think that the peace keeping forces are just not doing their job right: they have been an active branch of the government of the macoutes and duvalierists that terrorise Haitian population. And it is wrong to say that without the UN there would even be more abuses: Actually the number of abuses and deaths and the aggressive attitude of the national police increased up to the roof after the UN sent troops there (June 2004) as the police saw themselves backed up by a well trained and well equiped army of blue helmets. Without the UN troops they wouldn't even dare to terrorise population in the way they've done, or to enter the popular "quartiers". That's a fact showed by the number of massacres.

The government of Latortue would not last for a single day in power if it was not for the repressive support of the UN. Let's demand the troops out, and the people will sort out the macoutes themsleves just like they did in 1986 at the cry of "Rache Manyok" (pull out the problems from the roots)

by indie-soc Sun Oct 02, 2005 00:14

Uh, the UN are not just 'letting it happen' - they are actively engaged in the murder of pro-Aristide citizens (routinely referred to as 'bandits' or 'gang members' in mainstream media reports).

Kevin Pina, a Pacifica Foundation journalist, even has video footage of UN occupiers placing weapons on dead civilians. Thats the 'peacekeepers' in action.

by CG Sun Oct 02, 2005 01:43

Well done on the protest, I'm sorry I missed notification about it.
There was a documentary on RTE a few Sundays ago funded, I believe, by the Dept of Foreign Affairs. I heard a bit on the Pat Kenny morning show about it but missed the programme itself. It sounded like the typical anti-Aristide propaganda, using the swimming pool story (which I'm certain was trotted out before) in order to label him a despot. It didn't make any more sense at the time.
However, I wanted to know whether anyone else had heard the documentary so I can confirm my impressions of it.

by CG Sun Oct 02, 2005 02:00

The maker of the documentary referred to the UN chaps on the PK show as poor frightened foreigners and why wouldn't they shoot at Aristide's gangs. This kind of thing if why I want to find out more about the doc. and why the government is sponsoring propaganda.

by wanton Mon Oct 03, 2005 01:07

Thank you for the link for a very interesting article. However, although I am not hugely knowledgeable re the situation in Haiti, I feel that an over-simplified response of "US bad, Aristide good (ah sure, weren´t there only a couple of dozen killed and dat´s nuttin) Do we give the guy a medal for not killing people?

It would appear that Aristide´s jealousy of his own power led to a genuine oppression of dissent in that country, to the extent that the election (in which Aristide is described as having been elected the "people´s choice" by many leftist international activists) was boycotted by opposition parties and got a 15% turnout. Now, that doesn´t seem like the most convincing mandate to me.

So basically what I´m saying is:
Yes, it is outrageous how Aristide was ousted from power;
Yes, it is deplorable how the present government is being effectively sanctioned by the UN;
And yes, we once again have before us a clear case of unpalatable US interventionism.

But is it enough to show solidarity with a man just because he has been wrongly screwed over by the US? I have read that much of the left over there is split between (a)supporting Aristide (not because they think he´s Ay-ok, but rather because the evil of ousting him in this way is worse than his own actions), (b) making the best of the situation and working with the "transitional" government or (c) fighting both it and Aristide.

So maybe it would be better to criticise methods of external intervention in Haiti, without going so far as to advocate for Aristide, either by minimizing his what he has done wrong or by painting him as some amazingly popular guy evidenced by an electoral mandate which is more complex than first appears.

Or maybe I´m wrong and ignorant about the situation.

Just a thought.

What do you think?

by paddy rua - WSM Thu Oct 06, 2005 21:54

Of course it is difficult to have a clear picture of the situation in Haiti as it is a very complex one, so you shouldn't feel like an ignorant, as we all are. In no part of the article Aristide was praised from a revolutionary point of view; there were mistakes, the reformist approach has always been a failure, there was an actual contradiction between rank and file militancy and the loyalties to Fanmi Lavalas. The reformist path has always been a cul de sac, so has been the conquest of State, and we have that opinion about Haiti or anywhere else. What we reject completely is the view that Aristide was a dictator or a tyrant. He was a democrat, as no other president in Haiti has been, and the dozen dead during his mandate (that was depicted as a reign of terror and bloodshed) are caused not by State sponsored terror, but for feuds that are far more complex. Anyway, bad as it is, it is a big achievement for a country in which any regime at the moment of leaving office lead thousands of dead people behind. So the accusation of being a tyrant is cynical, false and hypocritical.

The popularity of Aristide is out of question, according even to US sources. That is independent of our anarchist point of view and you can't be blinded to reality. It doesn't mean that he is the ultimate answer to Haitian problems, but is much preferable to the macoutes in power. That answer only rests in the ability of Haitian people themselves. the "opposition" that boycotted the election has been unable to represent more than 12% of the votes and are the macoutes under the leadership of Andre Apaid, a prominent US citizen and Haitian burgeois. That's not the kind of oppositino I would merge forces with, personally....

We do agree that solidarity cannot be a matter of one man; no matter how good he might be. Our solidarity is and will always be with the Haitian people. And in the actual solidarity, we put our libertarian point across.

ps. Check out this week's Village.....

by zmag Thu Oct 06, 2005 22:17

Haiti's Biometric ID Elections: A Experiment in Exclusion

In order to vote, every Haitian over the age of eighteen must register for a new national identification card that will replace previous forms of identification. After the elections, the card will become the mandatory ID for all Haitians, linking them to government services and financial records.

Each new card includes both a digital photo and digital fingerprints. At this point, about 2,9 million voters of a possible 4 million have gone to register for their cards at registration offices set up around the country by the Conseil Électoral Provisoire (CEP), with substantial logistical support from the Organization of American States (OAS).

The question of whether or not biometric national ID cards are desirable has not been publicly debated in the Haitian press, by the interim government, or by Haitian society at large. Most discussion on the registration process has focused on its accessibility to the rural and urban poor. One registration office serves all of Cité Soley, and it is positioned on the outskirts of the area. Peasants in some areas of the country have to walk for four or five hours in order just to reach the registration centers. They will have to make the trip again in order to pick up the card once it is ready.

contiues...

by R. Isible Thu Oct 06, 2005 22:51

here:
http://maritimes.indymedia.org/news/2005/06/10421.php

and here: