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Yvon
Neptune's April 20, 2004 Letter From Jail (Pacot, Port-au-Prince,
Haiti) - April 20, 2005
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By Prime Minister Yvon Neptune
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From the time I left the
Prime Minister's residence on March 12, 2004, up until June 27, 2004,
the source of my insecurity had been the Government itself. When the
Government had me arrested on June 27, up until today, not only did
this source of my insecurity increase and became more direct, but even
worse, the Government deprived me of my freedom of movement, together
with my freedom to speak freely, with all the length and breadth and
depth that the Constitution allows for this right to be exercised.
The hunger strike I began on February 20 was aimed at forcing the Government
to set me free and to stop being the cause of my insecurity.
Because of a promise the Government had made that it was going to liberate
me, I accepted to put an end to my hunger strike and to go to the Argentine
Hospital under the jurisdiction of the MINUSTAH/United Nations.
Even while in that hospital, however, my insecurity continued because
of the Government's continuing refusal to set me free.
That is why, while I was in the Hospital managed by the Argentinians/MINUSTAH,
I continued to resist so that the United Nations would not send me to
the trap of the supposed Villa in Pacot, but rather, that it would require
instead that the Government free me and stop threatening my life. It
was in the context of the dilatory tactics of this wicked Government
that I was obliged to resume my hunger strike with even more force and
why I am continuing it in the prison in Pacot, still with the aim of
regaining my freedom and my security.
My friends, listen. On April 20, here is the information I had passed
on: “â€| this plot aims at keeping me in
prison by all means for as long as possible; that is one objective.
The second objective is to take me, no matter what the conditions, to
Saint-Marc to continue the political humiliation. Friends, listen: while
I was already into the fifth day of my complete hunger strike, on Thursday
afternoon, April 21, having given me guarantees that nothing would happen
to me, the United Nations Forces took me, against my will, to a supposed
Prison Villa in Pacot, close to the General Administration and Inspection
Headquarters of the Police, despite the fact that I had explained to
the UN Representative that this was a trap that the de facto Government
had set up to implement the death plan it had for me. Above all, I told
them that I would maintain my hunger strike in the supposed Prison Villa
as long as I was not set free.
My friends, on Friday April 22, early in the morning, a team of 7 to
10 executioners I recognized from the prison system burst in on me to
take me to Saint-Marc. I felt my life was in danger in the presence
of these executioners; I told them I had not eaten, nor drunk anything
in five days, and I asked them to leave me in peace because I was weak.
When they picked me up with force, put me outside, and tried to handcuff
me, I resisted for my life and I bit one of the many arms trying to
force handcuffs on my wrists.
They drove me to Saint-Marc. I threw up all along the way. When we arrived
in Saint-Marc, nothing was done. Supposedly, Mrs. Cluny Pierre Jules,
the supposed Investigating Judge declared that she was not coming because
she had not been previously notified.
When the UN Representative received news of what the conditions were
in Saint-Marc and of what kind of state I was in, he sent a helicopter
to pick me up and take me back to Port-au-Prince, where I received some
care in a UN ambulance which escorted me back to the supposed Prison
Villa in Pacot.
I am continuing my hunger strike, so that I can regain my freedom and
my security and so that the de facto Government will stop threatening
my life, while it continues to trample on my dignity.
Yvon Neptune
Former Prime Minister
Member of Fanmi Lavalas
Political Prisoner
At the Prison in Pacot, Port-au-Prince
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Kreyòl version:
Lè m te kite Primati a nan dat 12 mas 2004 rive jis 27 jen 2004,
sous ensekirite m se nan pouvwa a li te chita. Lè pouvwa a arete
m nan dat 27 jen, jis jounen jodi a, non sèlman sous ensekirite
m pa bò kote pouvwa a ogmante e vin pi dirèk, men sa ki
pi rèd, pouvwa a wete libète mouvman m, ansanm ak libète
pou m pale nan tout longè/lagè/fondyè konstitisyon
bay dwa swa a.
Grèv grangou mwen te tanmen apati dat 20 fevriye a, se te pou
pouvwa a remèt mwen libète m e sispann lakòz ensekirite
m.
Akòz pwomès Pouvwa a te fè kidedwa kòm kwa
li ta pral libere m, mwen te aksepte kanpe sou grèv grangou a,
epi al pran swen nan lopital Ajanten ki anba bannyè Minustah/Nasyonzini.
Men m nan lopital sa a, mwen te kontinye anba ensekirite Pouvwa a, epi
pouvwa a te kontinye refize reban mwen libète m.
Se poutèt sa, pandan m nan lopital Ajanten/Minustah, mwen t ap
goumen pou Nasyonzini pa foure m nan zatrap swadizan Vila nan Pako men
pito egzije nan men pouvwa a libere m epi tou, pou pouvwa sispann mennase
lavi m. Se anfas jwèt dilatwa ak koken pouvwa a, mwen te blije
rekòmanse grèv grangou a pou pi rèd, e ki ap rapousib
nan Prizon Pako a, toujou pou libète m ak sekirite m.
Mezanmi koute, nan dat 20 avril men enfòmasyon mwen te bay: “
â€| konplo sa a se chache pa tout mwayen pou kenbe m nan
prison pou plis tan posib, sa a se youn, lòt la se trennen m
kèlkeswa kondisyon an nan Sen Mak pou rapousib politik imilyasyon
anâ€| â€? Mezanmi koute: pandan m te deja sou
5 jou grèv grangou total kapital, jedi apremidi 21 avril, ak
garanti yo ban mwen anyen p ap rive, Fòs Nasyonzini yo mennen
m, kont volonte m, nan swadizan Vila Prizon nan Ri Pako, tou pre Direksyon
Jeneral ak Enspeksyon Jeneral Lapolis, malgre mwen te montre Reprezantan
Nasyonzini yo, se yon zatrap pouvwa de fakto a mete pou l egzekite plan
lanmò li gen pou mwen an. Sitou mwen te di yo, grèv grangou a
ap rapousib nan swadizan Vila Prizon an, toutotan mwen pa libere.
Mezanmi: se konsa vandredi 22 avril granm ti maten, yon ekip 7 a 10
bouwo mwen rekont nan sistèm prizon an debake sou mwen ak
lòd pou yo kondi m Sen Mak.
Mwen santi vi m andanje anfas bouwo sa a yo; mwen di yo, mwen gen 5
jou mwen pa manje, ni bwè, e mande yo pou yo kite m anpè
paske mwen fèb. Lè yo ranmase ak fòs, mete m deyò
epi seye minote m, mwen reziste pou lavi m, e mwen mòde youn
pami kokenn bra ki t ap fòse minòt nan ponyèt mwen.
Yo trenbale m Sen Mak. Mwen vomi fyèl mwen sou tout wout la.
Rive Sen Mak anyen pa fèt, swadizan Madan Cluny Pierre Jules,
swadizan Jij enstriksyon an te deklare li p ap vini, paske l pa t enfòme.
Lè Reprezantan Nasyonzini yo resevwa enfòmasyon nan ki
kondisyon e nan ki eta mwen twouve m Sen Mak, yo voye elikoptè
yo vin chache m, mennen m Pòtoprens, kote mwen resevwa swen nan yon
anbilans Nasyonzini ki eskòte m jis nan swadizan Vila Prizon
an nan Pako.
Grèv grangou a ap rapousib, pou m rejwenn libète m an
sekirite, e pou pouvwa defakto a sispann mennase lavi m, pandan l ap
kontinye pase diyite m anba pye.
Yvon NEPTUNE
Ansyen Premye Minis
Manm Fanmi Lavalas
Prizonye Politik
Prizon nan Pako, Pòtoprens.
URLs to photocopies of original handwritten letter:
1) http://haitiforever.com/neptune-letter-page1.jpg
2) http://haitiforever.com/neptune-letter-page2.jpg
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Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers' Leadership Network
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Men Anpil Chaj Pa Lou!!!
- is Kreyol for "Many hands make light a heavy load."
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The Haiti Resolution:
1. Support the return of constitutional rule to Haiti by restoring all
elected officials of all parties to their offices throughout the country
until the end of their mandates and another election is held, as mandated
by Haiti's Constitution;
2. Condemn the killings, illegal imprisonment and confiscation of the
property of supporters of Haiti's constitutional government and insist
that Haiti's illegitimate "interim government" immediately
cease its own persecution and put a stop to persecution by the thugs
and murderers from sectors in their police force,
from the paramilitaries, gangs and former soldiers;
3. Insist on the immediate release of all political prisoners in Haitian
jails, including Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, other constitutional government
officials and folksinger-activist Sò Ann;
4. Insist on the disarmament of the thugs, death squad leaders and convicted
human rights violators and their prosecution for all crimes committed
during the attack on Haiti's elected government and help rebuild Haiti's
police force, ensuring that it excludes anyone who helped to overthrow
the democratically elected
government or who participated in other human rights violations;
5. Stop the indefinite detention and automatic repatriation of Haitian
refugees and immediately grant Temporary Protected Status to all Haitian
refugees presently in the United States until democracy is restored
to Haiti; and
6. Support the calls by the OAS, CARICOM and the African Union for an
investigation into the circumstances of President Aristide's removal.
Support the enactment of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's T.R.U.T.H Act (HR
3919) which calls for a U.S. Congressional investigation of the forcible
removal of the democratically elected President and government of Haiti.
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