[van-announce] MAWO statement on retired RCMP officer killed in occupation of Haiti

[Kira Koshelanyk]

*Below is Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO)’s statement on the 
retired RCMP officer killed in the occupation of Haiti. MAWO is also sending 
our endorsement of the emergency action against the occupation called by 
Haiti Solidarity BC set to take place Wednesday December 21 at 4:30pm 
outside the offices of Liberal Party MP Hedi Fry and we are encouraging all 
our members and supporters and all people against war and occupation to 
attend.*

Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO)
www.mawovancouver.org | info at mawovancouver.org | 604-322-1764

December 20, 2005
NEWS ITEM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONTACT:
Kira Koshelanyk 778-881-6156
Shannon Bundock 778-891-1470

RETIRED RCMP OFFICER KILLED IN OCCUPATION OF HAITI
VANCOUVER ANTI-WAR COALITION DEMANDS: CANADA OUT OF HAITI NOW!

-----------------------------------
Support the Haiti Solidarity BC rally against the occupation of Haiti
Wednesday, December 21, 4:30pm to 5:30pm
1125 Davie St. – at the corner of Thurlow, Vancouver BC
(outside the offices of Liberal Party MP Hedi Fry)
----------------------------------

On the morning of December 20, Mark Bourque, a retired Canadian RCMP officer 
stationed in Haiti as part of the UN backed occupation forces, was killed 
while on patrol in Cite Soleil. Responding to the death Prime Minister Paul 
Martin stated, "Bourque was in Haiti as part of Canada's efforts to promote 
good governance and democracy, and his work there exemplified to the world 
the finest of Canada's values.”

Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) refutes Paul Martin’s claims. 
In response to the death, MAWO co-chair Kira Koshelanyk said, “Mark 
Bourque’s death is another senseless and tragic loss on top of the thousands 
of Haitian lives that have already been lost through the occupation of 
Haiti. The only way to put an end to these tragic deaths is to end the 
occupation of Haiti and join the Haitian people in their demand for 
self-determination.”

At the end of February 2004, Canada, the US, and France invaded Haiti and 
brought down the country’s first ever democratically elected government. 
President Jean Bertand Aristide was forced into exile and the leaders of his 
Lavalas party were imprisoned or killed. Under the United Nations 
administered occupation of Haiti that has followed, Haitians have faced 
attacks in the forms of the round-ups of Lavalas party supporters in house 
to house raids and massacres like the execution of up to 50 victims by 
machete and hatchet on Aug. 21 in a soccer field in Gran Ravin-Martissant, 
Haiti.

Canada has continued to play a central role in the occupation of Haiti 
through 100 RCMP officers, present as part of the UN occupation, to train 
and assist the Haitian National Police (PHN), the main force of suppression 
of the anti-occupation movement in Haiti. UN and PHN forces have stepped up 
their raids and attacks on Bel Aire and other Haitian cities in recent days 
in preparation for the planned Haitian elections in January – elections that 
the Lavalas party is banned from participating in.

MAWO Co-Chair Shannon Bundock said, “The UN and PHN elections preparations 
have meant the suppression of people in Haiti who are organizing for the 
self-determination of Haiti and an end to the occupation. News reports on 
Bourque’s death have stated that the shots fired at his patrol car are the 
fourth incident of shooting of occupation forces in the past five days; but 
reports on the shootings of Haitian people have been noticeably absent.

“People in Canada play an important role in the Haitian demand for 
self-determination,” Bundock concluded, “To honour the life of Mark Bourque 
and the tragic loss of uncountable innocent Haitian lives, we call for 
people in Canada to get involved in the anti-war movement and to take action 
alongside the Haitian people to demand that Canada get out of Haiti, and to 
end the occupation now.”

At the time of the drafting of this release, a planned rally against the 
occupation of Haiti has been announced by Haiti Solidarity BC (HSBC). 
Mobilization Against War and Occupation endorses and calls for all people 
against war and occupation to attend and support this demonstration.

-30-

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