(CARIBBEAT - Jared McCallister)
As expected, Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier's return to Haiti after a nearly 25-year exile continues to make news. Last week, the United Nations announced it's not too late to prosecute Duvalier - and it will help.
"Under international law, there is no statute of limitations for serious human rights violations such as torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and rape," said Navi Pillay, UN high commissioner for human rights.
Agency officials offered Haiti assistance in prosecuting Duvalier for crimes committed under his regime.
"Haiti has an obligation to investigate the well-documented serious human rights violations that occurred during the rule of Mr. Duvalier and to prosecute those responsible for them," said Pillay, a former UN war crimes judge.
"Such systematic violations of rights cannot remain unaddressed. The thousands of Haitians who suffered under this regime deserve justice," added Pillay.
Meanwhile, Duvalier was also trying to get access to funds frozen by Swiss banks, AFP reported.
"In 25 years [in exile], I have never had any accounts frozen, in Switzerland or anywhere," Duvalier told the Spanish-language Univision network.
Switzerland blocked millions of dollars suspected to have been stolen from the Haitian people under its recently enacted "Duvalier law," designed to return the funds to the impoverished Caribbean country.
"As soon as they release those funds, most of them will be used to rebuild the city of my mother's birth," told the network.
In addition, there is a 25-year legal battle between Swiss authorities and the Duvalier family over an additional $5.7million inallegedly embezzled funds.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Time for Haiti to Withdraw from the OAS and the U.N.
(Max A. Joseph)
At the beginning of the Cold War (1945) until its end (1991) the western powers, preoccupied with stopping the Soviet juggernaut, abandoned the principle of direct rule of less advanced nations in favor of nominal independence. With the exception of France and the US, the leading western powers refrained from direct military interventions in the Third World throughout that period and institutionalized a policy of organized chaos as an alternative. Naturally any country that stretches its autonomy away from the western world’s economic and political umbrella finds itself confronting economic sanctions or embargoes, indigenous armed rebellions, military coups and other stratagems calibrated to bring it back into the fold. In Africa, particularly, even countries that toed the line did not fare any better in terms of economic, social and political development, which remained subordinate to the interests of the western world.
Fast forward to the aftermath of the Cold War (1991) and the policy became more disturbing. Sparing down their costly military expenditures following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the western nations adopted a novel approach to interventions in the Third World: having these countries police themselves. As Russia, the successor to the Soviet Union, retreats into introspection and China, an emerging giant unsure of itself, dares not challenge the west’s political supremacy, the unrestrained power of the Security Council is invariably used by the western powers to implement the New Order. Thus Third World nations, which could eventually be victimized under the same policy, are defending the world against “the threat to international peace and security” in Haiti as decreed by the western-dominated Security Council. The policy, which should be dubbed “Domination by proxies”, is absurd and highlights the temerity of its architects and many participating nations. Presently, dysfunctional luminaries such as Benin, Burundi, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Madagascar, Nigeria and Niger are not only protecting the free world against the “Haitian threat” but also helping built Democracy and the rule of law in Haiti.
Founded upon the inalienable right to self-determination, incidentally a core principle of the United Nations Charter, Haiti became the most prominent victim of that policy in the year of its bi-centennial (2004). That year, an armed rebellion against the democratically elected government of that country, instigated by Canada, France and the U.S, was used as rationale for the designation of Haiti “a threat to international peace and security” by the UN Security Council under the repressive Chapter VII, which authorizes military actions against the offender.
Almost 7 years into this fateful decision, the so-called threat is being dealt with in the form of a protracted and deliberate process of steering the Haitian state into oblivion. An army of foreign-funded and administered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) has practically taken over the administration of the country with the tacit approval of the current government. Haitian women and children are facing the gun barrels of the occupiers daily while thousands of their fellow compatriots have died or are dying from an imported cholera epidemic that seems to have fallen below the radar of both the U.N and the government’s priorities. Needless to say, the panacea to Haiti’s problems under the UN occupation (2004-?) remains as elusive as the western world’s unending quest to subjugate the population by sheer intimidations and institutionalized terror.
Roger Noriega, Assistant U.S Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs (2003-05) and primary coordinator of the policy, which led to the February 29, 2004 invasion of Haiti, was unapologetic for his role. Despite the thousands of deaths resulting from the endeavor, he would later declare nonchalantly and condescendingly “We (the U.S) are glad to see Aristide (the deposed president) gone. Haiti is better off without him. Though we had no right to change presidents in Haiti, that doesn’t means we cannot make logical decisions as to what is best for the country.” Having made a logical decision for Haiti, Roger Noriega is now a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, probably improving his infallible judging ability and devising ways to deal with similar threats to world peace and security.
The commission appointed by Ban Ki-Moon, the UN General Secretary, to probe the origin of the cholera epidemic and the OAS technical team’s recommendation that the November 28, 2010 election results be partially overturned are palpable instances of Haiti being a plantation. Ki-Moon’s decision was taken without the authorization of the Haitian government and not one Haitian health expert was assigned to the panel, an ominous indication the presumptive culprit, the Nepalese battalion attached to the MINUSTAH, will be exonerated. As for the OAS technical team’s edict, it probably came with a warning to Préval that he’ll be held accountable for a recurrence of last December riots, in the event his candidate refuses to accept it.
The fact that Haiti has been on the right side of justice, hence on the wrong side of tyranny, apparently justifies its designation as a threat to world peace and security. A new approach to dealing with its tormentors is needed, if the country were to overcome the two centuries of methodical harassments that have made it a laughingstock. Forfeiting its membership in the OAS and the UN is the prerequisite to Haiti achieving that goal, since most Haitians cannot in good conscience countenance these organizations’ responsibility in the subjugation of their country.
At the beginning of the Cold War (1945) until its end (1991) the western powers, preoccupied with stopping the Soviet juggernaut, abandoned the principle of direct rule of less advanced nations in favor of nominal independence. With the exception of France and the US, the leading western powers refrained from direct military interventions in the Third World throughout that period and institutionalized a policy of organized chaos as an alternative. Naturally any country that stretches its autonomy away from the western world’s economic and political umbrella finds itself confronting economic sanctions or embargoes, indigenous armed rebellions, military coups and other stratagems calibrated to bring it back into the fold. In Africa, particularly, even countries that toed the line did not fare any better in terms of economic, social and political development, which remained subordinate to the interests of the western world.
Fast forward to the aftermath of the Cold War (1991) and the policy became more disturbing. Sparing down their costly military expenditures following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the western nations adopted a novel approach to interventions in the Third World: having these countries police themselves. As Russia, the successor to the Soviet Union, retreats into introspection and China, an emerging giant unsure of itself, dares not challenge the west’s political supremacy, the unrestrained power of the Security Council is invariably used by the western powers to implement the New Order. Thus Third World nations, which could eventually be victimized under the same policy, are defending the world against “the threat to international peace and security” in Haiti as decreed by the western-dominated Security Council. The policy, which should be dubbed “Domination by proxies”, is absurd and highlights the temerity of its architects and many participating nations. Presently, dysfunctional luminaries such as Benin, Burundi, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Madagascar, Nigeria and Niger are not only protecting the free world against the “Haitian threat” but also helping built Democracy and the rule of law in Haiti.
Founded upon the inalienable right to self-determination, incidentally a core principle of the United Nations Charter, Haiti became the most prominent victim of that policy in the year of its bi-centennial (2004). That year, an armed rebellion against the democratically elected government of that country, instigated by Canada, France and the U.S, was used as rationale for the designation of Haiti “a threat to international peace and security” by the UN Security Council under the repressive Chapter VII, which authorizes military actions against the offender.
Almost 7 years into this fateful decision, the so-called threat is being dealt with in the form of a protracted and deliberate process of steering the Haitian state into oblivion. An army of foreign-funded and administered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) has practically taken over the administration of the country with the tacit approval of the current government. Haitian women and children are facing the gun barrels of the occupiers daily while thousands of their fellow compatriots have died or are dying from an imported cholera epidemic that seems to have fallen below the radar of both the U.N and the government’s priorities. Needless to say, the panacea to Haiti’s problems under the UN occupation (2004-?) remains as elusive as the western world’s unending quest to subjugate the population by sheer intimidations and institutionalized terror.
Roger Noriega, Assistant U.S Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs (2003-05) and primary coordinator of the policy, which led to the February 29, 2004 invasion of Haiti, was unapologetic for his role. Despite the thousands of deaths resulting from the endeavor, he would later declare nonchalantly and condescendingly “We (the U.S) are glad to see Aristide (the deposed president) gone. Haiti is better off without him. Though we had no right to change presidents in Haiti, that doesn’t means we cannot make logical decisions as to what is best for the country.” Having made a logical decision for Haiti, Roger Noriega is now a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, probably improving his infallible judging ability and devising ways to deal with similar threats to world peace and security.
The commission appointed by Ban Ki-Moon, the UN General Secretary, to probe the origin of the cholera epidemic and the OAS technical team’s recommendation that the November 28, 2010 election results be partially overturned are palpable instances of Haiti being a plantation. Ki-Moon’s decision was taken without the authorization of the Haitian government and not one Haitian health expert was assigned to the panel, an ominous indication the presumptive culprit, the Nepalese battalion attached to the MINUSTAH, will be exonerated. As for the OAS technical team’s edict, it probably came with a warning to Préval that he’ll be held accountable for a recurrence of last December riots, in the event his candidate refuses to accept it.
The fact that Haiti has been on the right side of justice, hence on the wrong side of tyranny, apparently justifies its designation as a threat to world peace and security. A new approach to dealing with its tormentors is needed, if the country were to overcome the two centuries of methodical harassments that have made it a laughingstock. Forfeiting its membership in the OAS and the UN is the prerequisite to Haiti achieving that goal, since most Haitians cannot in good conscience countenance these organizations’ responsibility in the subjugation of their country.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Aristide - part deux
(Reuters)
PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Haiti is ready to issue a diplomatic passport to ousted ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, opening the way for his possible return from exile in South Africa, a senior official said yesterday.
"The Council of Ministers, under the leadership of President René Préval, decided that a diplomatic passport be issued to President Aristide, if he asks for it," said Fritz Longchamp, general secretary for the presidency.
Some aid donors fear the one-time Catholic priest who became Haiti's first freely elected president in 1990 could disrupt an already confused election process from which his party is banned.
PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Haiti is ready to issue a diplomatic passport to ousted ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, opening the way for his possible return from exile in South Africa, a senior official said yesterday.
"The Council of Ministers, under the leadership of President René Préval, decided that a diplomatic passport be issued to President Aristide, if he asks for it," said Fritz Longchamp, general secretary for the presidency.
Some aid donors fear the one-time Catholic priest who became Haiti's first freely elected president in 1990 could disrupt an already confused election process from which his party is banned.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Haiti judge eyes Baby Doc charges
(The Associated Press)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A judge will decide whether former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier will be tried on charges of corruption and embezzlement for allegedly pilfering the nation's treasury, his lawyer said yesterday.
Duvalier was taken into police custody two days after the former Haitian strongman, also accused by human rights groups of torturing his opponents, made a surprise return to the struggling island nation where a popular uprising forced him from power in 1986.
Under the Haitian system, judges investigate allegations made by prosecutors. Haiti allows for pretrial detention, but that is unlikely in the 59-year-old Duvalier's case
Earlier yesterday, a contingent of police led the former dictator through a hotel and to a waiting SUV. He was not wearing handcuffs.
The SUV drove in a convoy to a courthouse, even as dozens of Duvalier supporters tried to block streets.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A judge will decide whether former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier will be tried on charges of corruption and embezzlement for allegedly pilfering the nation's treasury, his lawyer said yesterday.
Duvalier was taken into police custody two days after the former Haitian strongman, also accused by human rights groups of torturing his opponents, made a surprise return to the struggling island nation where a popular uprising forced him from power in 1986.
Under the Haitian system, judges investigate allegations made by prosecutors. Haiti allows for pretrial detention, but that is unlikely in the 59-year-old Duvalier's case
Earlier yesterday, a contingent of police led the former dictator through a hotel and to a waiting SUV. He was not wearing handcuffs.
The SUV drove in a convoy to a courthouse, even as dozens of Duvalier supporters tried to block streets.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Haiti is told: Bust Baby Doc
(Reuters)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Rights groups yesterday demanded Haiti arrest former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier for crimes against humanity after his surprise return from 25 years in exile.
Analysts said the arrival in Port-au-Prince on Sunday of Duvalier, who had fled in 1986 to escape a popular revolt, could only complicate the nervous uncertainty in earthquake-battered Haiti.
"Duvalier's return to Haiti should be for one purpose only: to face justice," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of the US-based Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said Duvalier, 59, should be put on trial for the killings and torture of thousands of opponents during his 15 years in power.
It appeared there were no outstanding arrest warrants against him.
"The widespread and systematic human-rights violations committed in Haiti during Duvalier's rule amount to crimes against humanity," said Javier Zuniga, special adviser at Amnesty International. "Haiti is under the obligation to prosecute him and anyone else responsible for such crimes."
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Rights groups yesterday demanded Haiti arrest former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier for crimes against humanity after his surprise return from 25 years in exile.
Analysts said the arrival in Port-au-Prince on Sunday of Duvalier, who had fled in 1986 to escape a popular revolt, could only complicate the nervous uncertainty in earthquake-battered Haiti.
"Duvalier's return to Haiti should be for one purpose only: to face justice," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of the US-based Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said Duvalier, 59, should be put on trial for the killings and torture of thousands of opponents during his 15 years in power.
It appeared there were no outstanding arrest warrants against him.
"The widespread and systematic human-rights violations committed in Haiti during Duvalier's rule amount to crimes against humanity," said Javier Zuniga, special adviser at Amnesty International. "Haiti is under the obligation to prosecute him and anyone else responsible for such crimes."
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Haiti waits for election decision
(bbc.co.uk)
The Haitian government and international experts have been discussing what to do about the disputed presidential election.
The run-off vote should have taken place on 16 January, but it has been postponed because of a row over who should be on the ballot.
Former first lady Mirlande Manigat won the first round in November.
But both governing party candidate Jude Celestin and singer Michel Martelly say they should face her in the run-off.
The 28 November first-round vote was widely criticised, with reports of ballot box stuffing and violence and intimidation at polling stations.
Provisional results announced by Haiti's electoral council in December said Mr Celestin came second, narrowly beating Mr Martelly into third place.
But the results provoked violent protests by supporters of Mr Martelly, who said he had been fraudulently denied second place.
Amid fears that violence might escalate, the Organisation of American States (OAS) sent a team of experts to assess the result.
Fraud
Their report was presented to outgoing President Rene Preval on Thursday.
The findings have not been made public, but according to a leaked copy, the OAS is recommending that Mr Celestin be dropped from the second round in favour of pop star Mr Martelly.
After discounting fraudulent ballots, the leaked report found that Mr Martelly won more votes than Mr Celestin.
Mr Celestin is the preferred candidate of President Preval, who has been considering the OAS report before passing it to Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council, which will have the final say on who should be on the ballot for the second round.
Correspondents say Mr Preval is under strong international pressure to accept the recommendations.
The head of the OAS mission, Colin Granderson, told the AFP news agency that talks between the OAS and the Haitian government would wrap up in the next few days and the report would then be made public.
Whoever wins the presidency will face the task of rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake of a year ago which killed more than 250,000 people and left the capital, Port-au-Prince, in ruins.
More than a million people left homeless by the quake are still living in tents in poor conditions, and the country has also been ravaged by a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 3,700 people.
The impoverished Caribbean nation has suffered years of political turmoil, and almost 12,000 UN peacekeepers are in the country with a mandate to ensure security and support free and fair elections.
The Haitian government and international experts have been discussing what to do about the disputed presidential election.
The run-off vote should have taken place on 16 January, but it has been postponed because of a row over who should be on the ballot.
Former first lady Mirlande Manigat won the first round in November.
But both governing party candidate Jude Celestin and singer Michel Martelly say they should face her in the run-off.
The 28 November first-round vote was widely criticised, with reports of ballot box stuffing and violence and intimidation at polling stations.
Provisional results announced by Haiti's electoral council in December said Mr Celestin came second, narrowly beating Mr Martelly into third place.
But the results provoked violent protests by supporters of Mr Martelly, who said he had been fraudulently denied second place.
Amid fears that violence might escalate, the Organisation of American States (OAS) sent a team of experts to assess the result.
Fraud
Their report was presented to outgoing President Rene Preval on Thursday.
The findings have not been made public, but according to a leaked copy, the OAS is recommending that Mr Celestin be dropped from the second round in favour of pop star Mr Martelly.
After discounting fraudulent ballots, the leaked report found that Mr Martelly won more votes than Mr Celestin.
Mr Celestin is the preferred candidate of President Preval, who has been considering the OAS report before passing it to Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council, which will have the final say on who should be on the ballot for the second round.
Correspondents say Mr Preval is under strong international pressure to accept the recommendations.
The head of the OAS mission, Colin Granderson, told the AFP news agency that talks between the OAS and the Haitian government would wrap up in the next few days and the report would then be made public.
Whoever wins the presidency will face the task of rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake of a year ago which killed more than 250,000 people and left the capital, Port-au-Prince, in ruins.
More than a million people left homeless by the quake are still living in tents in poor conditions, and the country has also been ravaged by a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 3,700 people.
The impoverished Caribbean nation has suffered years of political turmoil, and almost 12,000 UN peacekeepers are in the country with a mandate to ensure security and support free and fair elections.
'Baby Doc' Duvalier back in Haiti after long exile
(The Associated Press)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returned Sunday to Haiti nearly 25 years after a popular uprising against his brutal dictatorship forced him into exile, a surprising and perplexing move that comes as his country struggles with a political crisis and the stalled effort to recover from last year's earthquake.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returned Sunday to Haiti nearly 25 years after a popular uprising against his brutal dictatorship forced him into exile, a surprising and perplexing move that comes as his country struggles with a political crisis and the stalled effort to recover from last year's earthquake.
Duvalier, part of a father-and-son dynasty that presided over one of the darkest chapters in Haitian history, arrived on an Air France jet in a jacket and tie to hugs from supporters at the Port-au-Prince airport. He was calm as he was led into the immigration office. He left the airport without making a statement to journalists, waving to a crowd of more than 200 supporters as he got into an SUV.
"He is happy to be back in this country, back in his home," said Mona Beruaveau, a candidate for Senate in a Duvalierist party who spoke to the former dictator inside the immigration office. "He is tired after a long trip."
Beruaveau said he would give a news conference on Monday.
Later, Duvalier appeared on a balcony of the Karibe Hotel and waved to supporters and journalists outside. All he said was "tomorrow, tomorrow," apparently in reference to the news conference.
Veronique Roy, his longtime companion, spoke briefly to reporters at the hotel and said he will stay in the country for three days. Asked why now, she said "'Why not?"
In the fall of 2007, President Rene Preval told reporters that Duvalier could return to Haiti but would face justice for the deaths of thousands of people and the theft of millions of dollars.
No immediate reaction
It was not immediately clear why the former dictator chose this tumultuous moment to return to Haiti. There were no immediate protests in reaction to his return and very few people were even aware that the former dictator had come back to Haiti, where more than 1 million people are living in crowded, squalid tent encampments after their homes were destroyed from the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. Half the people in the country are younger than 21, and weren't alive during Duvalier's rule.
At one of those camps, there was some enthusiasm for Duvalier's return.
"I don't know much about Jean-Claude Duvalier but I've heard he did good things for the country," said 34-year-old Joel Pierre. "I hope he will do good things again."
Nearby, 42-year-old Marline Joseph, living in the camp with her three kids, was also somewhat hopeful. "He's here, that's good. Now, what is he going to do for the country."
Haitians danced in the streets to celebrate the overthrow of Duvalier back in 1986, heckling the tubby, boyish tyrant as he drove to the airport and was flown into exile in France. Most Haitians hoped the rapacious strongman had left for good, closing a dark chapter of terror and repression that began under his late father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier in 1957.
But a handful of loyalists have been campaigning to bring Duvalier home from exile in France, launching a foundation to improve the dictatorship's image and reviving Baby Doc's political party in the hopes that one day he can return to power democratically.
"We want him to be president because we don't trust anyone in this election. He did bad things but since he left we have not had stability. We have more people without jobs, without homes," said Haiti Belizaire, a 47-year-old Duvalier supporter in the crowd outside the airport.
Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said that if Duvalier is involved in any political activities he is not aware of them.
"He is a Haitian and, as such, is free to return home," the prime minister said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Asked if Duvalier's presence could destablize the country, he said "Until now, there's no reason to believe that."
Violent history
The Duvaliers tortured and killed their political opponents, ruling in an atmosphere of fear and repression ensured by the bloody Tonton Macoute, their feared secret police force.
The end of his reign was followed by a period known as deshoukaj or "uprooting" in which Haitians carried out reprisals against Macoutes and regime loyalists, tearing their houses to the ground.
Duvalier has been accused of pilfering millions of dollars from public funds and spiriting them out of the country to Swiss banks, though he denies stealing from Haiti.
Dictators have long favored hiding their cash in the European nation due to its banking secrecy rules, but last year, lawmakers there approved a bill making it easier to seize ill-gotten funds.
Duvalier's return Sunday comes as the country struggles to work through a dire political crisis following the problematic Nov. 28 first-round presidential election.
Three candidates want to go onto a second round. The Organization of American States sent in a team of experts to resolve the deadlock, recommending that Preval's candidate be excluded. Preval was reportedly not pleased with the report. OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza was scheduled to be in Port-au-Prince to meet with Preval on Monday.
More exiled leaders to return?
The news floored Haiti experts and has thrown the country's entire political situation into question. Immediately speculation began about what other exiled leaders might return next.
"I was shocked when I heard the news and I am still wondering what is the next step, what Preval will say and obviously what (exiled former President Jean-Bertrand) Aristide will be doing," said Robert Fatton, a Haitian-born history professor at the University of Virginia and author of "The Roots of Haitian Despotism."
"If Jean-Claude is back in the country I assume Aristide will be trying to get back as quickly as possible."
Fatton wondered what role the French government played in Duvalier's return, saying they would have had to have been aware that the ex-despot was boarding an Air France jet to go home.
In France, the deputy spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said she had seen news of Duvalier's arrival in Haiti, but had "no information" about the matter and could not confirm that he'd left France. The spokeswoman did not give her name, in accordance with ministry policy.
Author Amy Wilentz, whose book "The Rainy Season" is a definitive account of the aftermath of Duvalier's exile and Aristide's rise, said: "This is not the right moment for such upheaval."
"Let's not forget what Duvalierism was: prison camps, torture, arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings, persecution of the opposition," she wrote in an e-mail to AP. And, she added, "If Haitian authorities allow Duvalier to return, can they thwart exiled President Aristide's desire to come back to the country?"
"Haitians need a steady hand to guide them through the earthquake recovery, not the ministrations of a scion of dictatorship."
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