In the Army's Hands in the Army's Hands

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

In the Army's Hands in the Army's Hands In the Army's Hands Human Rights in Haiti on the Eve of the Elections EMBARGOED FOR DECEMBER 9 1990 Americas Watch National Coalition for Haitian Refugees In the Army's Hands Human Rights in Haiti on the Eve of the Elections December 1990 National Coalition for Haitian Refugees Americas Watch Copyright (c) December 1990 by Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN 0-929692-80-2 Libarary of Congress Catalogue Number: 90-86195 National Coalition for Haitian Refugees The National Coalition for Haitian Refugees is comprised of 47 legal, human rights, civil rights, church, labor and Haitian community organizations working together to seek justice for Haitian refugees in the United States and to monitor and promote human rights in Haiti. Its Executive Director is Jocelyn McCalla and its Associate Director is Anne Fuller. Americas Watch Americas Watch was established in 1981 to monitor and promote observance of internationally recognized human rights in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The Chairman of Americas Watch is Adrian W. DeWind; Vice Chairmen are Peter Bell and Steven Kass; Executive Director is Juan E. Méndez; Associate Directors are Cynthia Arnson and Anne Manuel; Research Associate is Mary Jane Camejo. Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch is composed of the five Watch Committees: Africa Watch, Americas Watch, Asia Watch, Helsinki Watch, and Middle East Watch. Executive Committee: Chairman, Robert L. Bernstein; Vice Chairman, Adrian W. DeWind; Roland Algrant; Lisa Anderson; Peter Bell; William Carmichael, Dorothy Cullman; Jonathan Fanton; Jack Greenberg; Alice H. Henkin; Stephen Kass; Marina Kaufman; Jeri Laber; Gara LaMarche; Aryeh Neier; Bruce Rabb; Kenneth Roth; Orville Schell; Sophie C. Silberberg; Gary Sick; Nadine Strossen. Staff: Executive Director, Aryeh Neier; Deputy Director, Kenneth Roth; Washington Director, Holly J. Burkhalter; California Director, Ellen Lutz; Press Director, Susan Osnos; Counsel, Jemera Rone; Business Manager, Stephanie Steele; Women's Rights Project Director, Dorothy Q. Thomas; Prison Project Director, Joanna Weschler; Research Associate, Allyson Collins; Orville Schell Fellows, Richard Dicker, Robert Kushen, Dina PoKempner. Executive Directors: Africa Watch Americas Watch Asia Watch Rakiya Omaar Juan E. Méndez Sidney Jones Helsinki Watch Middle East Watch Jeri Laber Andrew Whitley Copies of this report are available for $10.00 from: Publications Department OR Human Rights Watch National Coalition for Haitian Refugees 485 Fifth Avenue 16 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017-6104 New York, NY 10017 (212) 872-8400 (212) 867-0020 Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................................................v Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................1 1.1.1. Elections........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 The Political Climate.................................................................................................................................................................. 5 The Split Between the Council of State and the President .................................................................. 6 The Duvalierists Openly Bid for Power.............................................................................................................7 The Army and the Elections..................................................................................................................................11 International Supervision................................................................................................................................... 14 Registration and the Candidates ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Registration ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 The Candidates..........................................................................................................................................................16 2.2.2. The Army Under the Trouillot Government...............................................................................................................................19 Movement Toward Reform of the Military.....................................................................................................................20 Early Moves Against a Few Officers................................................................................................................. 21 The Justice and Peace Commission's Reports on Abusive Section Chiefs.......................................................................................................................................... 21 Arrest of a Former Tonton Macoute................................................................................................................23 Human Rights Training..........................................................................................................................................23 Military Involvement in Peasant Massacres...............................................................................................................24 The Role of Rural Section Chiefs......................................................................................................................24 The March 12 Piate Massacre............................................................................................................................25 The March 16 Délatre Massacre....................................................................................................................... 27 The March 31 Pérodin Massacre......................................................................................................................28 Military Involvement in Politically Motivated Violence....................................................................................... 30 The Army Riot in Cabaret..................................................................................................................................... 30 The Demonstration in Borgne............................................................................................................................31 Attacks on the Vigilance Brigades..................................................................................................................32 Attacks on the Press ...............................................................................................................................................32 Other Cases of Violence........................................................................................................................................34 Other Unlawful Politically Motivated Actions by the Military .......................................................... 38 The Labadie Incident ........................................................................................................................... 38 Harassment of the Democratic Unity Confederation......................................................... 39 Harassment of the League of Former Political Prisoners .................................................40 Other Incidents of Military Violence................................................................................................................................ 41 Killings by Soldiers Whose Identity is Known.......................................................................................... 41 Killings by Unidentified Men in Uniform......................................................................................................42 Military Abuses in the Course of Land Disputes ......................................................................................43 Other Military Abuses.............................................................................................................................................44 The Failure to Pursue Criminal Investigations ..........................................................................................................46 The Case of Roger Lafontant...............................................................................................................................46 Lafontant's Abusive Past..................................................................................................................... 47 The Reaction to Lafontant's Return...............................................................................................48 The Santos Hotel Killings.................................................................................................................................... 50 Failure to Execute Other Arrest Warrants....................................................................................................52 3.3.3. The Civilian Government....................................................................................................................................................................54
Recommended publications
  • Electoral Observations in the Americas Series, No
    Electoral Observations in the Americas Series, No. 28 Electoral Observation in Haiti Legislative, Municipal, and Local Elections February to July 2000 Secretary General César Gaviria Assistant Secretary General Luigi R. Einaudi Executive Coordinator, Unit for the Promotion of Democracy Elizabeth M. Spehar Electoral Observation in Haiti: legislative, municipal, and local elections, February to July, 2000 / Unit for the Promotion of Democracy. p. ; cm. - (Electoral Observations in the Americas series, no. 28) ISBN 0-8270-4331-7 1. Elections--Haiti. 2. Election monitoring--Haiti. I. Organization of American States. Unit for the Promotion of Democracy. II. Series. OEA/Ser.D/XX SG/UPD/II.28 (E) This publication is part of a series of UPD publications of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States. The ideas, thoughts, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the OAS or its member states. The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors. OEA/Ser.D/XX SG/UPD/II.28 13 December 2000 Original: French Electoral Observation in Haiti Legislative, Municipal, and Local Elections February to July 2000 General Secretariat Organization of American States Washington, D.C. 20006 2001 This report was produced under the technical supervision of Orlando Marville, Chief of the Mission, Special Advisor of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, and with the assistance of Steve Griner, Deputy Chief of the Mission and, Senior Specialist of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD). Design and composition of this publication was done by the Information and Dialogue Section of the UPD, headed by Caroline Murfitt- Eller. Kathryn Stafford helped with the editorial review of this report and Esther Rodriguez with its production.
    [Show full text]
  • Facilitator's ORIENTATION MANUAL for Pilgrimages (Trips) to HAITI
    1 of 79 Facilitator’s ORIENTATION MANUAL FOR Pilgrimages (Trips) TO HAITI 2 of 79 Opening Prayer Call to Prayer: I have called you, you are mine…. (pause) We each have been called here, to this place and time. We come from many places and varying life journey’s but here our journey’s meet to embark on a new path together. When paths cross and pilgrims gather there is much to celebrate. Leader: Let us begin by worshiping God, the ground of our being, the source of our life and the Spirit who sets us free. Let us celebrate, with joyful hearts, knowing that God is present with us and within this gathered community. Let us pray, and in the silence of our hearts, hear God speaking to us in love, as we prepare to hear and respond to God’s word. Moment of silence Reader: Jeremiah 1: 4 – 10 Leader: The harvest is ready. Whom shall I send? All: Send me, God. I am ready to serve you all the days of my life. Leader: The world is hungry. Whom shall I send? All: Send me, God. I am ready to nourish all the days of my life. Leader: The vineyard is ready. Whom shall I send? All: Send me, God. I am ready to work for you all the days of my life. Prayer intentions: Offer any prayer intentions. Response: God, hear our prayer. All: Holy breathing of God, you call our names and we hear your voice. Stirred by your breath, we are ready for journey.
    [Show full text]
  • United Nations Development Programme Country: Haiti PROJECT DOCUMENT
    United Nations Development Programme Country: Haiti PROJECT DOCUMENT Project Title: Increasing resilience of ecosystems and vulnerable communities to CC and anthropic threats through a ridge to reef approach to BD conservation and watershed management ISF Outcome: 2.2: environmental vulnerability reduced and ecological potential developed for the sustainable management of natural and energy resources based on a decentralised territorial approach UNDP Strategic Plan Environment and Sustainable Development Primary Outcome: 3: mechanisms for climate change adaptation are in place Expected CP Outcomes: See ISF outcome Expected CPAP Output (s) 1. Priority watersheds have increased forest cover 2. National policies and plans for environmental and natural resource management integrating a budgeted action plan are validated 3. Climate change adaptation mechanisms are put in place. Executing Entity/Implementing Partner: Ministry of Environment Implementing Entity/Responsible Partners: United Nations Development Programme Brief Description This project will deliver help to reduce the vulnerability of poor people in Haiti to the effects of climate change, while at the same time conserving threatened coastal and marine biodiversity. Investments in climate- proofed and socially-sustainable BD conservation strategies, within the context of the National Protected Areas System (NPAS), will enable coastal and marine ecosystems to continue to generate Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EBA) services; while additional investment of adaptation funds in the watersheds
    [Show full text]
  • Spoiling Security in Haiti
    SPOILING SECURITY IN HAITI Latin America/Caribbean Report N°13 – 31 May 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 II. THE SPOILERS AND THEIR INTERESTS .............................................................. 2 A. A RETROGRADE SYSTEM WHICH FUELS THE VIOLENCE .......................................................2 B. THE NEED FOR A NEW MODEL..............................................................................................3 C. THE SPOILERS.......................................................................................................................3 D. DRUG TRAFFICKING..............................................................................................................4 III. NEUTRALISING THE ARMED GROUPS AND THE FORMER MILITARY .... 6 A. THE LATEST WAVE OF VIOLENCE.........................................................................................6 B. THE URBAN ARMED GROUPS................................................................................................7 C. THE MINUSTAH/HNP RESPONSE.......................................................................................8 D. THE FORMER MILITARY........................................................................................................8 E. THE ABSENCE OF A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY ..................................................................9
    [Show full text]
  • 002B.- Histoire Immediate Et Innachevee Temoignage D Ex-Premiers Ministres . (...) (
    TÉMOIGNAGES D’EX-PREMIERS MINISTRES Une main pour arrêter le glas Robert MALVAL La Constitution de 1987 fut votée dans l’enthousiasme par une majorité uand un pays passe, sans tran- de citoyens haïtiens, dont l’auteur fut du nombre. Après 30 ans de totali- Qsition , de 1’inculture politique à tarisme fasciste, elle fut accueillie comme un rempart contre le retour au la politisation extrême de tous les pouvoir absolu. Par la suite, certains de ses articles apparaitront com- courants d’opinion; du système de me une aberration. L’instauration du Primo-ministère, institution iné- parti unique à la multiplication de dite, si opposée à nos traditions politiques, demeure une création ab- groupuscules porteurs de reven- surde tant que ce qui devait lui conférer légitimité et cohérence, à sa- dications multiples et cultivant voir de grands partis politiques assez forts pour donner corps au princi- 1’esprit de rivalité et de division; pe de cohabitation en cas de majorité parlementaire, ne devienne une d’un ordre politique homogène à l’affirmation de sensibilités diver- réalité durable sur 1’échiquier politique. ses, il eut fallu une charte fon- damentale assurant 1’équilibre des pouvoirs. Or, les constituants de 1987, en consacrant 1’hégémonie du Parlement dans une société sans traditions parlementaires et en affaiblissant 1’Exécutif en le scin- dant, ont malgré eux, ouvert la voie aux imposteurs et aux opportunistes de tous bords. Calquée dans ses grandes lignes sur la Constitution de la Vème République française, la nôtre ne pouvait répondre aux exigences de 1’heure Deux tendances ont caractérisé la Constituante de 1987 : une s’inspi- rant ostensiblement du libéralisme des années 1870, seule période de 1’histoire d’Haïti qui vit le triom- phe du parlementarisme et qui dura peu; 1’autre, dont les principaux re- présentants avaient connu 1’arbi- Louisiane SAINT-FLEURANT, Flore à l’arbre de vie, 2001 traire de 1’incarcération ou de 50 Rencontre no 28-29 / Mars 2013 1’exil, puisait sa source dans la vo- Jouissant d’une grande popularité, il symbolisme.
    [Show full text]
  • Haiti: a Case Study of the International Response and the Efficacy of Nongovernmental Organizations in the Crisis
    HAITI: A CASE STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE AND THE EFFICACY OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CRISIS by Leslie A. Benton* Glenn T. Ware** I. INTRODUCTION In 1990, a military coup ousted the democratically-elected president of Haiti, Jean- Bertrand Aristide. The United States led the international response to the coup, Operation Uphold Democracy, a multinational military intervention meant to restore the legitimate government of Haiti. The operation enjoyed widespread support on many levels: the United Nations provided the mandate, the Organization of American States (OAS) supported it, and many countries participated in the multinational force and the follow-on United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH). International, regional, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worked with the multinational force and later the UNMIH to restore the elected government and to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti. This article focuses on the latter aspect of the international response–the delivery of humanitarian aid. It closely examines the methods of interorganization coordination,[1] with particular attention given to the interaction among NGOs and the United States military. An examination of that relationship indicates that the infrastructure the military used to coordinate with the NGO community–the Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC)–was critical to the success of the humanitarian mission. Because both the military and the humanitarian community will probably have to work together again in humanitarian assistance operations in response to civil strife, each community must draw on the lessons of past operations to identify problems in coordination and to find solutions to those problems. II. THE STORY A. Haiti’s History: 1462-1970[2] Modern Haitian history began in 1492 when Christopher Columbus landed on Haiti near Cape Haitien on the north coast of Hispaniola.[3] At first, the island was an important colony and the seat of Spanish government in the New World, but Spain’s interest in Hispaniola soon waned.
    [Show full text]
  • Desigualdad Y Participación Política De Las Mujeres En Haití
    Desigualdad y participación política de las mujeres en Haití: entre luchas, obstáculos Titulo y logros Dantil, Louis - Autor/a; Autor(es) Buenos Aires Lugar CLACSO Editorial/Editor 2016 Fecha Colección Participación política; Igualdad de oportunidades; Género; Educación; Derechos Temas políticos; Doc. de trabajo / Informes Tipo de documento "http://biblioteca.clacso.edu.ar/clacso/becas/20160401070905/Louis_Dantil_Clacso_informefinal.pdf" URL Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Derivadas CC BY-NC-ND Licencia http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.es Segui buscando en la Red de Bibliotecas Virtuales de CLACSO http://biblioteca.clacso.edu.ar Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO) Conselho Latino-americano de Ciências Sociais (CLACSO) Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) www.clacso.edu.ar Louis DANTIL* Desigualdad y participación política de las mujeres en Haití: entre luchas, obstáculos y logros Tabla de contenido Resumen…………………………………………………………………………...……………...1 Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...…1 1. Introducción……………….…………………………………………………………...…2 1.1. Conocimientos actuales sobre el tema / Contexto actual…………….............……....4 1.2. Objetivo General..........................................................................................................5 1.2.1. Objetivos Específicos……………………………………………...……..……….5 1.3. Metodología……………………...………………………………...…………………6 1.4. Marco de referencia…………………………..……………………….………….......6 2. Factores de desigualdad y participación política de las haitianas………………………….…7
    [Show full text]
  • Post-Disaster Assessment on the Feasibility of Organizing Free and Fair Elections in Haiti
    POST-DISASTER ASSESSMENT ON THE FEASIBILITY OF ORGANIZING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN HAITI Sophie LAGUENY, Chief of Party Rudolf DEROSE, National Consultant March – April 2010 By Sophie Lagueny & Rudolf Dérose This publication was produced by IFES for the U.S. Agency for International Development concerning Associate Cooperative Agreement No. 521-A-00-08-00008-00, under Leader Cooperative Agreement No. DGC-A-00-01-00004-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Post-Disaster Assessment on the Feasibility of Organizing Free and Fair Elections in Haiti By Sophie Lagueny and Rudolf Dérose March – April 2010 Post-Disaster Assessment on the Feasibility of Organizing Free and Fair Elections in Haiti By Sophie Lagueny and Rudolf Dérose © 2010 by IFES. All rights reserved. IFES 1850 K. Street, Fifth Floor Washington, D.C. 20006 U.S.A. Notice of rights All rights reserved. No part of this report can be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN: 1-931459-50-9 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i I. MANDATE 1 II. BACKGROUND 1 III. STRATEGY 2 IV. RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS 3 V. ANALYSIS AND POSSIBLE SCENARIOS 4 1) The Terms of Office of the Elected Officials According to the Constitution Of 1987 and Its Provisions 5 2) The Current Status Of The Elected Officials’ Terms Of Office 8 3) Three Possible Scenarios 10 VI.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf | 332.53 Kb
    150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Appeal Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 E-mail: [email protected] Haiti Coordinating Office Emergency Response to Hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna & Ike - LAHT81 Revision 1 Appeal Target: US$ 1,429,428 Balance Requested from ACT Alliance US$ 5,750 Geneva, 15 October 2009 Dear Colleagues, From August 15 to September 8, 2008 all 10 departments of Haiti were hit by 1 or more of 4 tropical storms and hurricanes, namely Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike. The damage was extensive. According to the official statistics of October 2008, 793 people were killed, and 310 persons reported missing. Altogether 165,337 families have been affected, 22,702 houses destroyed and 84,625 damaged. School opening which was due on September 8th was postponed by government decree for one month due to complete/partial destruction of school structures, affecting at least 40,000 children. Some schools were used as temporary shelters. Agricultural land and crops were destroyed and a significant amount of livestock lost. Infrastructure, such as water and sanitation, telephone and electrical systems, roads and bridges were damaged making access to many areas impossible and hampering aid efforts, economic activities, access to food and health care. The ACT alliance responded to the disaster as soon as a rapid assessment could be done through a preliminary appeal issued on 10 September 2008. Detailed assessments resulted in the issuing of the full appeal on 11 November 2008. Christian Aid is working together with its partners KORAL and GRAMIR.
    [Show full text]
  • Emeline Michel
    Haïti en Marche, édition du 28 Mai au 03 Juin 2014 • Vol XXVIII • N° 19 APRES CUBA & LA JAMAIQUE Haïti annonce aussi son port en eau profonde PORT-AU-PRINCE, 23 Mai – Après Cuba dans la baie de Mariel gouvernemental, en date du 22 mai 2014, annonce un ‘projet de (avec financement du Brésil), la Jamaïque en partenariat avec la Chine, voici développement du Môle Saint-Nicolas (comprenant) entre autres : un port Le Canal du vent est cet étroit passage Haïti qui annonce aussi son projet de construction d’un port en eau profonde. de transbordement en eau profonde’. entre Haïti (Môle St-Nicolas) et Guantanamo, Cuba C’est le Môle Saint-Nicolas qui a été choisi. Un communiqué (COMMERCE / p. 8) Des élections 25 ANS DE RECLUSION pour remplacer France : Le chef de gang Amaral la mairesse Duclona condamné dans suspendue l’indifférence de son pays natal de North Miami PORT-AU-PRINCE, 24 Mai – Amaral Duclona L’ex-chef de bande de Cité Soleil, quartier populaire Les dirigeants de la municipalité de North Miami condamné à 25 ans d’emprisonnement en France pour de Port-au-Prince, et source de violentes manifestations (Floride) ont indiqué que rien n’a changé dans les activités l’assassinat d’un homme d’affaires franco-haïtien, Claude pro-gouvernementales avant et après la chute du président quotidiennes de l’institution après que la Mairesse Lucie Bernard Lauture. (AMARAL / p. 7) (TONDREAU / p. 5) Lucie Tondreau sortant du tribunal fédéral de Miami le mardi 20 mai CHRONIQUE SANTE Le Chikungunya Le procès de Amaral Duclona ou un pays a la maladie POLITIQUE : DETENTION qu’il mérite DE RONY THIMOTEE PORT-AU-PRINCE, 22 Mai – Tout le monde est frappé sans exception.
    [Show full text]
  • Latin America/Caribbean Report, Nr. 21
    CONSOLIDATING STABILITY IN HAITI Latin America/Caribbean Report N°21 – 18 July 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 II. SECURITY...................................................................................................................... 1 A. PROGRESS.............................................................................................................................1 B. REMAINING FRAGILITY .........................................................................................................3 III. CONSOLIDATING STABILITY IN PORT-AU-PRINCE: CITÉ SOLEIL............ 5 A. LESSONS LEARNED FROM EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE ...............................................................5 B. COORDINATION AND JOB CREATION CHALLENGES ...............................................................6 C. LOCAL SECURITY AND JUSTICE CHALLENGES .......................................................................8 D. THE COMMUNE GOVERNMENT..............................................................................................9 IV. GOVERNANCE AND POLITICAL REFORM........................................................ 10 A. THE NATIONAL POLITICAL SCENE ......................................................................................10 B. PARLIAMENT.......................................................................................................................11
    [Show full text]
  • Haiti: the Relationship Between Political Instability and Post-Disaster Response Ashly Brun Clark University, [email protected]
    Clark University Clark Digital Commons International Development, Community and Master’s Papers Environment (IDCE) 3-2018 Haiti: The Relationship Between Political Instability and Post-Disaster Response Ashly Brun Clark University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers Part of the History Commons, and the Latin American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Brun, Ashly, "Haiti: The Relationship Between Political Instability and Post-Disaster Response" (2018). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 197. https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/197 This Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Master’s Papers at Clark Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) by an authorized administrator of Clark Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Brun 1 Haiti: The Relationship Between Political Instability and Post-Disaster Response Submitted by Ashly Brun March 2018 A Masters paper Submitted to the faculty of the International Development and Social Change Department of Clark University, Worcester Massachusetts In fulfillment of the requirements for the International Development and Social Change Accelerated B.A. / M.A. program And accepted on the recommendation of professor Anita Fabos, Ph.D., Chief instructor Brun 2 Table of Contents Abstract .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]