I would like to add some comments to Vicki
Kett's article about Haiti of some weeks ago.
Her laudatory remarks about the interim
government and its council of "wise men," installed by the
invasion forces are rather naive given the actions of this
government.
This artificial and illegitimate entity has
brought unlimited mayhem to the large majority of the
population, most of them dirt poor and living in
slums-bidonvilles.
The interim government's actions entail
principally the eradication of the party of President Jean
Bertrand Aristide the Fanmi La valas party (70 percent of the
vote) by all possible means from starvation to assassination.
These brutal actions are supported by the now totally
discredited UNSTAH mission of soldiers from several countries
including Canada.
Its main actions have been military-style
attacks on Port au Prince's huge bidonvilles to punish and kill
"bandits," as they call all opposition to the interim
government, especially members or voters of the Fanmi Iavalas
party, already mentioned, the only organized party in the
country.
The killing is very indiscriminate and
constantly causes numerous civilian casualties-women and
children. The UN forces also tolerate the brutal participation
of local interim "police" (supposedly being trained by the
RCMP) and death squads, hacking people to death with machetes.
See the Economist of Sept. 3, 2005. The death squads
return.
With these intolerable conditions maintained
by brute force poor, Haiti will need our help for a very long
time, including the good works of Vicki Kett. Let her continue
by all means.
Last but not least from an effective media
point of view: if you want to show a rebuilt school, don't show
a picture of a ruin, and if there is a Haitian person in the
picture don't leave this person nameless, just "being there",
this is not very kosher, especially as Haitians have to do all
the hard work. Without them nothing will ever be accomplished
when their political voice is being smothered in blood.
Robert Hoogendoorn
Laurentian University