GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
THE U.S. MUST PROVIDE SHELTER FOR HAITIANS
FLEEING TURMOIL AND REBEL THUGS, SAY GREENS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders joined Human Rights Watch and Oxfam in sharp criticism of the Bush
Administration's decision to return Haitian refugees fleeing by boat from their country's turmoil.
Greens called on the White House and the U.S. State Department to honor the formal request from the U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees that neighboring countries suspend all forced returns to Haiti and afford fleeing Haitians
temporary protection.
"The United States has an obligation to ensure the safety of Haitians who face death and violence if forced to return to
their country," said Diane White, Pennsylvania Green and member of the steering committee of the Green Party's Black
Caucus. "The well-being of the Haitian people must be our chief concern. The chaos that has erupted during the
rebellion, which is being led by thugs from the CIA-connected terror and death squads Tonton Macoute and Le Front pour
l'avancement et le progrés d'Haiti (FRAPH), places thousands of Haitians in great danger. One of the thugs, Guy
Phillippe, reportedly controls the Haitian military now, a sign that all of Aristide's supporters will face bloody
reprisals."
Greens also note a vicious double standard in the Bush Administration's willingness to accept refugees from Cuba while
blocking escapes from Haiti.
"Given the historical treatment of Haiti by the U.S., marked by generations of colonial exploitation, racism, and
support for the dictatorial Duvalier dynasty, we owe a debt to the Haitian people," said Jonathan Oriole, New Jersey
Green and member of the International Committee of the Green Party of the United States. "Instead of humanitarian aid,
the Bush Administration wants to condemn the Haitian people to further misery and punishment."
Greens have also called for an investigation into allegations that the U.S. forces abducted President Aristide from
Haiti and that the U.S. has aided the insurgents in their coup, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and international
law.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party Presidential Nomination Convention & Candidates http://www.gp.org/convention/process.html Media credentialing for the convention
http://www.gp.org/forms/media/
The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org 1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404 Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN Fax 202-319-7193
Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean: statements on the crisis in Haiti http://www.epica.org/
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