Haiti News Update:
For too long the wealthy and powerful have operated with impunity in Haiti. Both the violent Dictator Jean-Claud "Baby Doc" Duvalier and the United Nations' (UN) Stabilization Mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH) have committed grave crimes against the Haitian People: and neither are being held accountable. The lack of accountability in Haiti must end!
In 1971 when the violent dictator Francois-Claude "Papa Doc" Duvalier died, his presidency and his personal militia called the Tonton Macoutes were passed to Francois-Claude's 19 year old son, Jean-Claude, "Baby Doc". For 15 years Jean-Claude continued to terrorize Haiti. The Haitian army and the feared Tonton Macoutes systematically beat, imprisoned, tortured and killed Duvalier’s political opponents and anyone who challenged his thugs’ authority. Jean-Claude stole hundreds of millions of dollars from public funds while Haitians struggled to survive.
Jean-Claude was finally forced out of Haiti in 1986 by a popular uprising. After living in exile in France for 25 years, in January Baby Doc Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti. Instead of being imprisoned he is enjoying a life of luxury.
UN Peacekeepers were recently caught on video sexually assaulting a teenager, and this isn't the first time UN troops have been accused of rape in Haiti. The UN also obstructed the Haitian justice system’s investigation into the hanging death of a 16-year-old boy inside a UN base. WikiLeak US Embassy cables prove that the UN is involved in numerous massacres in pro-Aristide neighborhoods. And The UN Peacekeepers brought cholera to Haiti, which caused over 6000 deaths and sickened more than 440,000 Haitians. MINUSTAH's annual budget is $850 million which is nine times the amount budgeted to fight cholera.
Numerous studies and experts have concluded that the MINUSTAH troops inadvertently brought cholera to Haiti. Haitians suspected that the source of cholera was the Nepalese base, when in October 2010 they saw sewage spurting out of the latrine into the Artibonite river which is their primary source of water. After months of refusing to investigate the source of cholera and obstructing investigations the UN finally admitted the link between the Nepalese base and the spread of cholera. Yet the UN hasn't even apologized to Haitians, let alone offered any compensation. As of Aug. 29 Cholera has caused 6290 deaths and sickened 442349 Haitains.
The Return of Dictator Jean Claude Duvalier & the Tragic Comedy of November 28, 2010 (IJDH-BAI: English, French)
The result of impunity today is simple: If it is so easy to accept the failure to prosecute Duvalier under the guise of prescription, there will be no need to consider any prosecution of the UN occupation force, MINUSTAH, which massacred hundreds of people in Cite Soleil; on whose base in Cap Haitian the dead body of a 16 year old boy was found hanging; and whose actions have lead to the tragic deaths of thousands of Haitians by the contamination of cholera in the Artibonite River.
Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil for MINUSTAH Withdrawal from Haiti, November 5, 2011
CONTINENTAL MEETING FOR THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF UNITED NATIONS TROOPS FROM HAITI
(*) The UN has finally recognized that the cholera bacteria was introduced to the country by the Nepal unit of MINUSTAH. The epidemic has infected more than 300,000 Haitians and killed more than 5,800. The annual cost of MINUSTAH is U.S. $850 million— nine times the amount budgeted to fighting the cholera epidemic.
(I will post an Action Alert dairy Next week.)
