This is a report from a delegation from Pax Christi USA which is in Haiti today on a human rights monitoring mission. Members of the delegation include: Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, Mich.); Kathleen Boylan of Washington, D.C. (Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Community); Bob DellaValle-Rauth of Virginia (Pax Christi USA Haiti Task Force); Johanna Berrigan, physician's assistant, Philadelphia (Catholic Worker Community) and Bill Quigley, Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans, La. We are in Visitation House in Port au Prince, Haiti.
Yesterday the delegation visited the national prison in Port au Prince. There were 868 people in the prison, 847 were awaiting trial, only 21 have been convicted. Most have never seen a judge and do not know when they will see a judge. The delegation met with several political prisoners including Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, Minister of the Interior Privert, and another member of the administration and former Mayor of Port au Prince. The rule of law is being disregarded in their cases. For example, Minister Privert has been held in the prison for six months and has yet to see a judge, which by law should happen within 48 hours of arrest. He does not have official charges pending against him. Prime Minister Yvon Neptune is strong and passionate about trying with every fiber of his being to reclaim the democracy of Haiti.
The delegation strongly believes that the rule of law is being disregarded in the arrest and detention of the people who were democratically chosen by the people of Haiti to govern. The Haitian constitution and international law are being openly violated.
The delegation also met with many poor people who were forced out of their community of Petite Goave as a result of the coup in Haiti because they were perceived as protectors of human rights. Their homes were ransacked and burned by former members of the military and opposition gangs. One person who went back just last week to take photos of the damaged homes was murdered for doing that. People have lost businesses and property—they are now living in fear and hiding. Some are staying on the roofs of people’s houses; others are 15 to a room. One was run out of town for starting a school, another because they were thought to have spoken to human rights visitors and foreign journalists; yet others were run out of town—walking for a week with children—only because they were neighbors of people thought to be reporting human rights violations. They are displaced and in fear. They stressed to us that there are hundreds more from their small community in the same situation (e.g. 500 from St. Marc) and thousands more from other small outlying communities.
There are widespread reports of the re-emergence of the military which is taking over police stations and other public buildings. The UN troops are not visible except at the airport where they are headquartered.
We also heard reports of very recent killings by police in Cite Soleil. There is a report of a police massacre there on September 9, with 17 killed, many more arrested, and many disappeared. Documentation of this event is ongoing but so far there is credible documentation of 11 people killed or disappeared.
Recently, within the last 2 weeks, police attacked a large labor organization and arrested 9 people who are being held without charges.
Also quite recently, last week, a human rights group, the Group to Defend Political Prisoners, had their office attacked by armed men in camouflage who destroyed documents and stole equipment.
The delegation also visited a local police station where 36 males were being kept in one cell, 12 foot by 12 foot, none with formal charges. None had seen a judge. One had been in the cell since September 4. There is no medical care, and food is inadequate because it must be brought by families. In this cell were people with mental problems and alleged gang members and others arrested—including a 13 year old boy and two 15 year olds. They sleep standing up and leaning against the wall as there is not enough space for everyone to even sit down together much less lay down.
We also visited with independent media reporters who tell us of economic pressure being placed on them by the group 184 who are intimidating all voices of dissent, especially outside of the city of Port au Prince.
It appears that the democratically-elected government leaders and their supporters are in prison or have been made into refugees in their own country while former militaries and gangs are allowed to do as they please.
The people of Haiti tell us that there is little or no international human rights presence here—there is no rule of law and the strong do what they want because no one will help the victims bring about fairness or justice.
There is a severe human rights problem in Haiti right now. It starts with the fact that the elected government has been illegally and unconstitutionally suppressed. Former leaders and elected officials are in prison, people concerned about human rights have been beaten and arrested, had homes burned and were run off to live in hiding. The rule of law is being ignored.
The people call for the rule of law to be reinstated. Start with restoring the elected representatives of the people. Follow the laws about arrest and detention. Have fair proceedings. Stop the lies about what has happened and what is happening in Haiti. Help stop the fear and protect the people, especially the poor and powerless. It is the millions of the poor who always suffer the most.
The victims whom we met are living outside or 15 to a room. They have lost family members and all their possessions. They have been uprooted from their communities. Yet as they cried in telling us of their plight, they thanked us for coming and asked that we tell the world.
Surely, if all the people of the world saw what we saw, they would insist that justice be done for Haiti.
They ask for justice and the rule of law. As American citizens we want the same thing for the people of Haiti that we want for ourselves: safety, a chance to raise a family, freedom and democracy.
For more information on the Pax Christi USA Haiti Task Force, please click here.
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