Hola compañer@s,
Os enviamos está petición de acción urgente de la Huelga Mundial de Mujeres
(EEUU) sobre las acciones de los marines de los EEUU en Haití.
"Los marines de los EEUU han detenido Anne Auguste (So Anne), una cantante y
activista sobre derechos humanos muy conocido. Un grupo grande de marines
atacó la casa de So Anne en Port-au-Prince, donde se está recuperando
después de una intervención quirúrgica. Detuvieron 11 amigos y familiares,
quienes se esposaron y se llevaron, incluyendo dos niñ@s (edades 5 y 12
años). Los militares registraron y saquearon la casa. Parece que aun
tienen So Anne detenida incomunicada.
¿Cuál es el crimen de So Anne? Organizar programas de alimentación, dar
comida a l@s sin casa, presentar programas culturales, y apoyar Lavalas (con
la mayoría de las gente en Haití), entre unas cosas. Miles de Haitianas han
sido matados desde el golpe de estado el 29 Febrero 2004 para "crímenes"
similares.
¡Protesta esta acción ilegal e inmoral por los marines de los EEUU. Exige
la libertad inmediata de So Anne! Tus llamadas, faxes y emails serán la
diferencia para mantener So Anne viva, impedir tratos brutales y para
acelerar su libertad!"
Ver abajo los faxes y e-mails, y un texto mas completo en inglés.
Huelga Mundial de Mujeres: Estado Español
----- Original Message -----
From: Los Angeles Crossroads Acct <mailto:la ARROBA crossroadswomen.net>
To: la ARROBA crossroadswomen.net <mailto:la ARROBA crossroadswomen.net>
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 1:50 AM
Subject: Urgent Action Alert on Haiti
### Demand the release of Haitian singer and activist Anne Auguste
### Demonstrate in support of the people of Haiti, and to end the U.S.
Occupation now! Tuesday, May 18, 6-8pm at the Westwood Federal Building
### Listen to Morning Review, the Sojourner Truth Edition with Margaret
Prescod on KPFK 90.7FM, Tuesday mornings 7-8am
* * * * * * * * * *
URGENT ACTION ALERT
Demand the immediate release of Anne Auguste (So Anne)
Haitian singer and activist arrested on Mother's Day
ZAP the U.S. Embassy and State Department
[State Department contact information follows below]
United States Marines have arrested Anne Auguste (So Anne), a prominent
Haitian singer and humanitarian activist. A sizeable contingent of marines
attacked So Anne's home in Port-Au-Prince, where she was recuperating from
surgery. They detained eleven friends and family, who were handcuffed and
taken away, including two young children (ages five and twelve years old).
The military ransacked the house. The U.S. Marines apparently still hold So
Anne
incommunicado. [Read below for a more detailed narrative.]
What is So Anne's "crime?" Organizing nutritional programs, serving food to
the homeless, presenting cultural programs, and supporting Lavalas (along
with the majority of the Haitian people) to name a few. Thousands of
Haitians
have already been killed since the coup d'etat on February 29, 2004 for
similar
"crimes." Thousands more are in hiding. We must fight back on their
behalf.
Protest this illegal and immoral action by the United States Marines!
Demand
So Anne's immediate release! Your calls, faxes and e-mails will make a
difference to keep So Anne alive, to deter brutal treatment and to expedite
her
release.
Please contact Ambassador James Foley directly at the U.S. Embassy in
Port-au-Prince. Call on Secretary of State Colin Powell at the U.S. State
Department in Washington, and contact your Senators and Representatives.
Call early and call often.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Ambassador James B. Foley
U.S. Embassy, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
phone: 509.223.7011 or 509.222.0200
fax: 509.223.9665
email: acspap ARROBA state.gov
http://usembassy.state.gov (for address and additional phones)
Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State
fax: 202.647.2283 or 202.647.5169
phone: 202.647.5291 or 202.647.7098
email via: http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_form_secretary.html
Haiti Desk Officers, U.S. State Department:
Joseph Tilghman
fax: 202.647.2901
phone: 202.647.5088
email: tilghmanjf ARROBA state.gov
Lawrence Connell
fax: 202.647.2901
phone: 202.647.6765
email: ConnellLF ARROBA state.gov
NARRATIVE
On or about 12:30 on May 10, 2004, the U.S. military, acting as the
Multinational Interim Force (MIF) in Haiti violently gained entrance to the
home of Annette Auguste, aka "So Anne."
No Haitian police were present at the time of the forcible entry, at the
time
of interrogations or during the arrests. The U.S. soldiers are said to have
blown up the gate where So Anne was living and accused her of making threats
against the MIF.
Freedom of speech, assembly and protection of property are no longer a civil
rights for Haitians, especially for Lavalas progressives. In fact, it
appears
Haitian law and Constitution means less than nothing unless U.S. authorities
need a pretext to give legitimacy to Justice Boniface and Latorture as the
puppet replacement heads for foreign rule and dictatorship in Haiti.
At a press briefing on May 10, 2004, MIF CJTF Public Affairs officer Col.
David Lapan reportedly said, in sum, when asked why such force was used to
make
this arrest, that in operations of this type it is necessary to use violence
in
order to show the individuals who are the objects of the operation that the
MIF means business. Haitians who had any doubt as to the current status of
Haitian sovereignty need no longer ask. The U.S. military, through Colonel
David Lapan, have clearly implied that Haiti is under occupation, and
wartime rules known only to U.S. officers. Although the curfew imposed on
February 29, 2004 by the MIF has been lifted. By this action of May 10,
2004, it is reasonable to say, Haiti is under U.S. martial law while
Ambassador Foley puts every word that comes out of U.S. puppet head, Mr.
Latorture's month.
Annette Auguste is an elderly Haitian woman recovering from recent surgery.
She is a well-known artist, a political and cultural activist, a mother and
grandmother, whose life has been dedicated to the Lavalas Movement for
democracy
and development in Haiti. As a well-respected Haitian elder and community
leader, her house is a meeting ground, as is the normal Haitian custom, for
people to come and eat, gather, share news and solidarity. The Haitian
Constitution guarantees Haitian citizens the right, not to be arrested or
terrorized without due cause, especially it outlines no arrest warrants may
be excised between 6pm and 6 am at night.
Yet, last night, a strong contingent of U.S. soldiers, from the
Multinational
Interim Force in Haiti apparently decided to forego Haitian and
international
law and practice warfare games on this elderly grandmother's unarmed
household.
Instead of knocking at the door, providing proof of charges and making a
legal arrest at a reasonable and Constitutionally approved hour for arrests,
the
U.S. soldiers, armed with the world's most sophisticated war instruments,
threw
a grenade and blew up this elderly Haitian woman's gates and forcibly
entered
her home.
All the people in her house, some 11 people, including her tiny 5-year old
grand daughter, Shashou, where forced to the ground and were handcuffed by
U.S.
soldiers armed in heavy artillery.
Let's reiterate - Shashou, a 5-year old Haitian baby girl, handcuffed by the
world's most powerful soldiers at midnight in her own grandmother's home!
This is the sort of "law and order" and democracy Haitians are subjected to
after their Constitutionally-elected President was, himself, forced out of
Haiti by U.S. and French soldiers at gunpoint.
This is the sort of "law," "order," and better "democracy" the Bush
Administration is bringing to the world, while Secretary of State, Colin
Powell praises Latorture, a man who called cop killers and convicted felons,
"freedom
fighters" in Haiti. This is the democracy the Bush Administration, currently
hosting Mr. Latorture's first "official" U.S. visit, has saddled
peace-loving
Haitians with. Meanwhile, U.S. authorities, ignoring that most of the local,
State and congressional invitees have declined to attend meetings with the
illegal Latorture, still are blithely forging ahead with their "Regime
Change", escorting the illegitimate U.S. replacement to the Constitutional
government, Mr. Latorture, to shrimp and lobster dinners to places such as
the Harvard Club in New York today.
After, the U.S. soldiers, with grenades, blew up the gates at So Anne's
house, they then shot, with powerful automatic weapons, the hapless
defenseless
yard dogs and children pets who were barking in the yard at the rude entry
in the dead of night.
Photos taken of So Anne's house show that a lot of damage was done. Also
from
news reports, the U.S. admitted, through Col. Lapan at the press conference,
that there was no evidence of any weapons at So Anne's house. Thus, the use
of
such excessive force and the hour of the operation is rendered even more
illegal and clearly a blatant violation of the Haitian Constitutional,
Haitian
sovereignty and international treaties, not to mention the OAS and UN
charters.
Moreover, in the context of the U.S. citizenry's current concerns over
treatment of individuals in US custody in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo
Bay,
this May 10, 2004, excessive force and handcuffing, terrorizing, at past
midnight of Haitian civilians, who where then not accused of any crime is
especially egregious.
All 11 people at So Anne's house where transported to the U.S. barracks at
the Medical University the U.S. shut down upon arriving in Haiti, a country
without doctors, and interrogated. None where charged. No apologies given.
They
were release, except that Lavalas militant, So Anne, was then delivered,
after
U.S. interrogation, to the Haitian National Penitentiary. No official
charges
have been cited. Presumably, the Interim Multinational Force has the
authority,
by virtual of what law? to use military force against a Haitian citizen,
without warrant, without even the presence of Haitian authorities or any
Haitians whatsoever?
Are we to understand that protecting unarmed Haitian civilians - through
policing, demilitarizing Haiti and arresting convicted mass murderers such
as Guy Philippe and his ex-soldier and FRAPH mercenaries - are "beyond the
U.S.
peacekeeping mission."
But, throwing grenades at an unarmed and sickly grandmother's house because
she supports Lavalas and the return of the legitimate President of Haiti -
ransacking and destroying her house; brutally forcing all the occupants to
the
ground and handcuffing them, and taking them to U.S. barracks for further
terrorizing after two hours of U.S. "show of force" shock-and-awe at their
home - that, that sort of U.S. military performance is indeed well within
the U.S.
"peacekeeping mission" in Haiti?
Haitian children, even 5-year old baby girls in Haiti, needed to be
handcuffed by grown U.S. soldiers in the dead of night.
Thus, it is clear, our malnourished and defenseless Haitian children no
longer have to get on overloaded Haitian boats, face shark infested open
seas and reach Miami to be terrorized by U.S. guards. Now in Haiti itself
they don't
have sanctuary. Even at their very own grandmother's houses.
This situation is more than illegal. It's barbaric. Haitians are flesh and
blood human beings with heart beats, pains, dreams, desires for beauty and
peace.
Why are they so persecuted by the most powerful of peoples? And dare we
quote
President Bush in reference to a statement made about the U.S. soldier's
torture of Iraqi prisoners in U.S. custody, and say, the handcuffing and
arrest of a 5-year old baby-girl at midnight on May 10, 2004; even the
killing of
defenseless pets in the yard of a grandmother in Haiti awaken by U.S.
grenades, not to mention the arrest of So Anne and her entire household, one
of Haiti's
most tireless pro-democracy activists, is simply too naked and revolting a
lawlessness; and, for those who still believe in the untainted goodness of
the U.S. government: it's simply "un-American" to borrow that recent phrase
used by
President George W. Bush.
It is reported this U.S. orchestrated show of force is to further pressure,
intimidate and otherwise stop other such Lavalas activists requesting the
return of laws and democracy to Haiti from holding a demonstration intended
for May 18, 2004, Haiti's flag day.
*
More than 3,000 Haitians, mostly young Haitian men associated or rumored to
be associated with the Lavalas party have been killed in Haiti since the
U.S.
deposed President Aristide itself on February 29, 2004.
In a bare two months, this bloodbath and killing of 3,000 Haitians
represents
more than half the number of Haitians that were killed during the entire
three years of the first Coup D'etat against the Haitian people. More than
3,000
defenseless Haitians have been killed since U.S. soldiers landed in Haiti
for
this 2nd Coup d'etat against Haitian development and democracy. Yet, the
reason
given by Secretary of State, Colin Powell for the MIF and forcing out of
President Aristide was "to avoid a bloodbath."
According to current reports, as of April 26, 2004 - less than two months
after U.S. and French soldiers forced Haiti's Constitutionally elected
President
unto a U.S. aircraft - this Bush Administration's illegal interdiction
policy
towards Haitian asylum seekers has resulted in Washington returning 1,948
Haitians to Haiti in 2004, already an increase, according to the U.S. Coast
Guard, over the 1,490 intercepted at sea for the entire 2003 year. And yet,
the
State Department's propaganda to destabilize the Constitutional government,
had
promised the Haitian people a better human rights record than that of the
previous two Lavalas voted-in governments?
There is now a strong dossier of the 14-year destabilization campaign
against
Haitian democracy and development by the powerful Western Nations, led by
the
U.S. The violent arrest of So Anne, her 5-year old granddaughter and 10
other
people at her house at midnight on May 10, 2004 and similar brutal conduct
by
the U.S. military against Lavalas -- the party whom State Department
propaganda insisted, before the Coup D'Etat, no longer supported President
Aristide is too blatant to need deeper investigation.
This is an urgent call to action. Please contact the State Department,
Defense Secretary Colin Powell, your local congressperson and
representatives, the Congressional Black Caucus and media, to denounce the
arrest of So Anne; the
systematic terror campaign against Lavalas demonstrators, and the treatment
of
Haitians, like So Anne, and especially her 5-year old great granddaughter,
Shashou, by U.S. command with the Multinational Interim Force in Haiti.
Marguerite Laurent, JD,
Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
(dedicated to protecting the civil, human and cultural rights of Haitians at
home and abroad)
May 10, 2004
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html
* * * * * * * * *
Tuesday, May 18th - On Haitian Flag Day -
Demonstrate in support of the people of Haiti, part of an
international day of action against the U.S. orchestrated
coup, and to end the U.S. Occupation now!
6 pm to 8 pm at the Westwood Federal Building
11000 Wilshire Blvd (at Veteran)
For more information call Coalition in Solidarity with
Haiti (323) 291-4114
* * * * * * * * *
Hear Margaret Prescod on KPFK
For latest updates on Haiti and Venezuela, as well as ways women,
communities of color and others are responding to and opposing the
atrocities of Bush and his allies, listen to Morning Review, the Sojourner
Truth Edition with Margaret Prescod on KPFK 90.7FM, every Tuesday morning
from 7-8am. Let the station know what you think at comments ARROBA kpfk.org. |
