[Bloquez l'empire!] action alert from the Haiti Action Committee

[aaron at resist.ca]

Urgent action alert from the Haiti Action Committee - December 24, 2006
The UN’s Christmas present to Haiti -- A pre-dawn, heavy-caliber assault
on  the men, women and children of Cite Soleil

In the early morning of Friday, December 22nd, starting at approximately 3
 a.m., 400 Brazilian-led UN occupation troops in armored vehicles carried
out  a massive assault on the people of Cite Soleil, laying siege yet
again to  the impoverished community. Eyewitness reports said a wave of
indiscriminate  gunfire from heavy weapons began about 5 a.m. and
continued for much of the  day Friday -- an operation on the scale of the
July 6, 2005 UN massacre in  Cite Soleil. Detonations could be heard for
miles, AHP reported.

Initial press accounts reported at least 40 casualties, all civilians. 
According to community testimony, UN forces flew overhead in helicopters
and  fired down into houses while other troops attacked from the ground
with  Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs). People were killed in their
homes. UN  troops from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia took part in the
all-day  siege, backed by Haitian police. UN soldiers once again targeted
the Bois  Neuf and Drouillard districts of Cite Soleil -- scene of the
July 6th  massacre.

While reports are still coming in, this is what we do know right now: *  
A Reuters photographer "counted 9 bodies, and eyewitnesses counted 4 
others dead. As many as 30 people were wounded, humanitarian workers said.
 All of the casualties are believed to be civilians." (Reuters)
*   One Haitian human rights observer personally counted at least 17 dead 
bodies on the ground. This eyewitness also reported:
         +  A woman 6-months pregnant was shot in the stomach, killing the
unborn child.
         +  A man and his 8-year-old boy were in their beds when a
helicopter rained bullets into their house, wounding both.
         +  A man named Jacquelin Olivier was killed in his bed when bullets
pierced the walls. He leaves a wife and 3-year old boy.
*   "The foreigners came shooting for hours without interruption and
killed  10 people," said Bois Neuf resident Johnny Claircidor, quoted by
Reuters.  "They came here to terrorize the population," Cite Soleil
resident Rose  Martel told Reuters, referring to UN troops and police. "I
don't think they  really killed any bandits, unless they consider all of
us as bandits." *    Agence Haitienne de Presse (AHP) said Cite Soleil
"residents report  very serious property damage and there are concerns
that a critical water  shortage may now develop because water cisterns and
pipes were punctured by  the gunfire."
*   "Local residents say the victims were ordinary citizens whose only
crime  was that they live in the targeted neighborhood." (AHP)

UN soldiers block Red Cross vehicles from coming to aid the wounded -- 
According to Pierre Alexis, the Haitian Red Cross coordinator for Cite 
Soleil, the UN soldiers prevented the Haitian Red Cross from treating 
children injured during the assault. Alexis said that many children were 
suffering serious injuries, but that UN soldiers blocked Red Cross
vehicles  from entering Cite Soleil. AHP reported that "residents were
outraged that  [UN] soldiers refused to allow medical care...for people
they had injured."  Despite this, St. Catherine's Hospital in Cite Soleil
reported receiving  many wounded.

Why this latest assault on the people of Cite Soleil? -- UN occupation 
authorities in Haiti claim it is part of their fight against "bandits" and
 "kidnappers," scapegoating the 300,000 residents of Cite Soleil. However,
it  is widely known throughout Port-au-Prince that kidnappers are coming
from  all sectors, including corrupt police officials and the wealthy.
Does the UN  lead military assaults on affluent neighborhoods where
kidnappers are known  to operate? Of course not.

A more plausible explanation comes from grassroots activists in Cite
Soleil.  They argue that this is "punishment" for their ongoing protests
demanding an  end to the UN occupation, restoration of full democracy,
return of President  Aristide, and the release of political prisoners.
Additionally, the people  of Cite Soleil have been vigorously protesting
the December 3rd municipal  elections, in which there were widespread
allegations of fraud and many from  the popular neighborhoods were
prevented from voting.

Just recently, on December 16th, the people of Cite Soleil led a massive 
protest throughout Port-au-Prince marking the anniversary of Jean-Bertrand
 Aristide’s first election as president in 1990. [They marched despite the
UN  shooting up the district the night before, in what was widely viewed
as a UN  attempt to intimidate the populace on the eve of the march.] In
the week  following the march, tensions continued to escalate, culminating
in the  December 22nd assault by UN forces under Brazilian command.

Enough is enough! Join us in denouncing the ongoing UN terror attacks on
the  Haitian people!

Now is the time for people in the US and throughout the world to step up
our  solidarity efforts with the people of Haiti. Our protests, calls and
letters  after the UN massacre in Cite Soleil on July 6th, 2005 -- and the
many UN  attacks since then -- need to be updated, expanded, intensified.
Demand an  end to the UN’s repeated, brutal assaults on this besieged
community.

Email or fax the UN official below. Keep it brief.
*** Denounce the massive, heavy-caliber assault on the citizens of Cite 
Soleil by UN occupation forces on Dec. 22, 2006.
*** Demand reparations for the victims and their families.
*** Demand prosecution of the UN officials, commanders and soldiers 
responsible for this latest UN atrocity in Haiti.

TO: Edmond Mulet, UN Special Representative in Haiti -- mulet at un.org  fax 
011-509-244-3512
cc to: Thierry Fagart, UN Human Rights chief in Haiti -- fagart at un.org    
fax 011-509-244-9366
cc to: Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights --
ngochr at ohchr.org  fax 011-41-22-917-9011

For more information: 510 483 7481    or email  haitiaction at yahoo.com
www.haitiaction.net  and  www.haitisolidarity.net

_________________________________________________________________
Download now! Visit http://www.telusmobility.com/msnxbox/ to enter and see
 how cool it is to get Messenger with you on your cell phone.
http://www.telusmobility.com/msnxbox/