Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Mon., Dec. 20, 2004
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 12-20-04
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Freed Haitian Priest Gerard Jean-Juste: Aristide Supporters
"Are Not Only Targeted, We Are Being Chased"
Sudanese Liberation Army Rebel Asks the World For Help Against
Government Campaign of "Genocide"
Freed Haitian Priest Gerard Jean-Juste: Aristide
Supporters "Are Not Only Targeted, We Are Being Chased"
Haitian priest Father Gerard Jean-Juste joins us in our
firehouse studio to talk about his imprisonment, the continuing
chaos in Haiti, the role of the U.S. and the international
community and much more. Jean-Juste was released Nov. 29 after
being imprisoned for seven weeks by the interim Haitian government.
We also speak with human rights and immigration lawyer Tom
Griffin, who recently traveled to Haiti to document human
rights abuses.
We take a look at the situation in Haiti where political
violence and insecurity continues to rock the Caribbean nation.
The interim government has come under fire for human rights
abuses ever since assuming power last March. 700 political
prisoners languish in Haitian jails and pro-democracy demonstrations
are held in cities throughout the country.
This weekend, the London
Observer reported that scores of prisoners were massacred
during a prison riot earlier this month. According to official
reports, prisoners in a three-story cell block called "Titanic"
had rioted, breaking free from their cells, setting fire to
mattresses and brandishing water pipes as weapons. Prison
guards called in a special police unit to help put down the
uprising. Officials later said that seven prisoners had been
killed and more than 40 detainees and guards wounded.
But according to the London Observer, this is a gross understatement.
Witnesses told the paper, the interim Haitian government is
concealing a savage bloodbath in which up to 110 prisoners
were killed by police and guards. At the time, Secretary of
State Colin Powell was visiting interim Haitian President
Boniface Alexandre at the national palace.
One prisoner told the Observer police opened fire on the
detainees, and then went from cell to cell, forcing prisoners
into a passageway and methodically executing them.
Prisoners and police say the riot was motivated by the decision
to transfer some detainees to another penitentiary, combined
with growing frustration at the slow progress of their legal
cases. Only 17 of around 1,100 prisoners at the national penitentiary
have been convicted of a crime, and many detainees have not
seen a judge.
The day before the prison massacre, Father Gerard Jean-Juste
- perhaps Haiti's most famous political prisoner - was released
after serving seven weeks in jail. No warrant for his arrest
was ever produced, nor was any evidence linking him to any
crime. Father Jean-Juste traveled to the U.S. this last week
and gave a press conference in New York. He joins us in our
firehouse studio. He are also joined by Tom Griffin, a human
rights and immigration lawyer who recently traveled to Hatiti
to document human rights abuses.
- Rev. Gerard Jean-Juste, Roman Catholic priest in Haiti
who was recently released from prison.
- Thomas Griffin, human rights and immigration lawyer who
recently traveled to Haiti to document human rights abuses.
Sudanese Liberation Army Rebel Asks the World For
Help Against Government Campaign of "Genocide"
As the crisis and killing continues in Sudan, we go to Darfur
to speak with Suleiman Jamous, a coordinator with the Sudanese
Liberation Army and we are joined in our firehouse studio
by Mark Brecke, documentary photographer and filmmaker who
recently returned from a month-long trip to Sudan.
The African Union has temporarily suspended all monitoring
flights in the Darfur region of western Sudan, after one of
its helicopters came under fire.
The helicopter was carrying a team of AU observers who were
trying to verify compliance with a ceasefire on Sunday. After
urgent talks with international envoys, Sudan said it would
suspend operations in Darfur. The AU had threatened to refer
Sudan and the rebels to the U.N. Security Council if the two
sides failed to meet the deadline.
Some 70,000 people have been killed and about 2 million displaced
since fighting in Darfur began in February 2003. The government
and Arab militiamen have tried to suppress the rebellion but
are accused of targeting civilians in a campaign of murder,
rape and arson. The United States accuses the militiamen of
genocide.
- Mark Brecke, a documentary photographer and filmmaker
who has worked in conflict zones around the world. Late
last week, he returned to the U.S. from the Sudan where
he spent almost a month in Darfur.
- Suleiman Jamous, Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator for
the Sudanese Liberation Army. He joins us on the line from
Darfur.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
