[Peace-discuss] Batay Ouvriye on repression, violence in Haiti

[Ricky Baldwin]

from http://www.batayouvriye.org

Jan. 2, 2006

2005: A Year ending in Repression and Terror for the
Popular Masses

During the end of 2005, particularly during these last
two weeks, while the politicians thrashed about in
their tenuous electoral process and the imperialists
daily reinforced their stronghold on this process as
well as the national situation generally, repression
and terror continued with ever more force. This state
of affairs had already reached a climax in November in
the Pelé neighbourhood, when MINUSTAH soldiers
literally machine-gunned the population. Presently,
even more and with greater intensity, this climate is
spreading throughout the country, particularly in
Port-au-Prince.

The areas mainly targeted are Cité Soleil and
Drouillard. Their inhabitants incapable of finding
another place to stay have undergone the worse
torments. They’ve been caught in a vise. On one hand,
the armed gangs continue to exert their terror. The
press, TV included, widely reports these abuses so as
to denounce the gangs and thus attain its’ political
objectives. Certainly, these acts should be denounced,
but we also have to unveil their political
connections, know their true backers and understand
their nature in the context of the decay the country
is falling into each day more and more.

We, of Batay Ouvriye, denounce these crimes in this
specific context, since for us, at the end of the day:
it is the masses that endure its consequences. Without
doubt, the rise in kidnapping cases is also a part of
this decay. We also denounce these acts for their
dragging the situation down since this violence’s
misguided nature results in the additional increase
the number of gangsters, which is an important effect
in the present climate of terror. We need to denounce
all of this. And all of this has to be resolved! We
should recall, however, that Lavalas didn’t first
introduce gangs in this area. The industrialist Mevs
had established several a far way back, in order to
pursue his anti-union objectives, to try to solve the
problems confronting him with the workers of the HASCO
(Haitian-American Sugar Company), as well as to better
control the area, seeking thus to facilitate his
activities and the various traffics of his port.
Similarly, Dr. Boulos functioned with gangs, again
with the aim of controlling the area and to benefit of
better conditions to carry out his “experiments”.
They’d like us to believe these actions only began
recently but, in fact, their roots are deep and what
we need to clearly understand is that they always
originate within the ruling classes, whether the
“traditional” bourgeoisie or the lavalas bureaucratic
bourgeoisie.

At the end of 2005, following the killing of a
policeman and a UN soldier, the occupation troops thus
unleashed a gigantic terror offensive in the areas of
Cité Soleil and Drouillard. “Pacifying” these areas is
difficult, but their bosses, the American
imperialists, passed the order of intervention
nevertheless. The only form possible, in this
contradiction, is through the use of TERROR. And
indeed, as the armed gangs feasted for Christmas, the
UN soldiers intervened brutally and blindly, which
implies, of course: against the population, the
popular masses. This was systematically repeated, day
after day, with varying intensity. Operating with
hooded informants present, this heightened the terror
even more. On December 25th, this repression reached
its pinnacle. Many were wounded, the occupation forces
machine-gunning homes and even churches. Even pigs in
the streets were taken down, victims of these bullet
blasts thus sprayed in such a criminal manner.
Projectiles reached the neighboring area of Cité
Brisson. Such acts not only reveal the UN troops’
incapacity to lead truly targeted operations, but also
their complete contempt for the population.

Equally reprehensible is the press’ silence in front
of these sanguinary attacks carried out by the
occupation troops. And if at times, a few words came
out, they were extremely scarce and never accompanied
by real denunciations. Which reveals how this press
functions in the occupation, how it works with it.
Batay Ouvriye denounces these acts of terror with all
its' force, just as we denounce, at the same time, the
UN troops’ presence on the field, throughout the
country. DOWN WITH THE TERROR ON THE POPULAR MASSES!
DOWN WITH THE OCCUPATION! Two situations that go
together. We repeat: the only solution is for the
masses to take their lives back in hand. Only popular
neighborhood organizations, with the workers in
central position, can end gang violence and, at the
same time, fight the occupation, the foreign troops’
presence in the country, on the basis of their own
interests. The workers, allied with the rest of the
people’s camp, are those who, truly, can wage such a
struggle. It won’t be easy. The road may appear long
and difficult. But there is no other way.

DOWN WITH THE REPRESSION AND TERROR ON THE POPULAR
MASSES, PARTICULARLY IN CITÉ SOLEIL AND DROUILLARD!

FORWARD THE POPULAR MASSES’ STRUGGLE!

FORWARD THE WORKERS’ STRUGGLE!

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