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05 May 2010 By Stephen Lendman
Over 15 weeks post-quake, Haiti's
imperial takeover is proceeding. It began straightaway
after the calamity, Haitians victimized by denied aid,
appalling repression, and now dispossession of their
land, homes, and communities. More on that below.
On April 16, The New York Times
carried Reuters and AP reports stating Haiti's
parliament approved the participation of foreign
investors to rebuild the country, meaning, of course,
seize, occupy, own, control, and colonize it for
profit, using Haitians as exploited serfs.
AP stated:
"Haiti's soon-to-expire
parliament has approved the creation of (an Interim
Haiti Reconstruction Commission - IHRC) co-chaired by
former US President Bill Clinton to oversee billions
in post-quake reconstruction aid, the Ministry of
Communications said Friday (April 16)."
The vote also extended Haiti's
state of emergency for 18 months, leaving the Rene
Preval-Jean-Max Bellerive government in charge,
effectively a dictatorship like Preval instituted in
1999 by not renewing parliament and ruling by decree
pending new elections.
Reuters explained that a March 31
"donors" conference established the IHRC to oversee
their investment, Preval to have nominal veto power
over commission decisions. In fact, he'll rubber stamp
what Washington and corporate interests dictate,
supervised by the World Bank, a longstanding imperial
tool.
Preval asked, "Do we lose our
sovereignty because of the creation of this
commission? I think the answer is no."
Except for the Aristide years
(1991, 1994 - 96, and 2001 -2004), early in Preval's
first term (1996 - 2001), and its brief 1804
liberation, Haiti lacked sovereignty throughout its
history. Post-quake, it has even less, its people more
than ever in jeopardy with imperial plans to gravely
harm them, perhaps exterminate hundreds of thousands
through neglect or other means.
Laying Imperial
Plans
On March 10, prior to the March
31 "donors" conference, Preval was received at the
White House, held a joint press conference, ignored
the plight of his people, yet Obama thanked him for
"showing great courage and determination," when, in
fact, he's been largely invisible, and to date has
done nothing to engage Haitians directly, including in
their makeshift camps the way Jean-Bertrand Aristide
would have done straightaway, with a hands-on approach
for long hours daily.
Preval prefers White House
photo-ops in deference to power and privilege,
increasing, not alleviating his peoples' suffering.
The Predators
Ball - Nations Gather in New York for Their Share
The web site
www.haiticonference.org announced the:
"International Donors' Conference
Toward a New Future for Haiti" explaining:
"The United States and the United
Nations (UN), in cooperation with the Government of
Haiti, and with the support Brazil, Canada, the
European Union, France, and Spain co-hosted" the
conference and received "over US $5 billion pledged
for Haiti's recovery" - around $1 billion promised by
Washington, less than the EU's $1.7 billion and
Venezuela's $1.3 billion. In total, however, it's a
fraction of what Haitians need, and "redevelopment"
won't reach them as it's earmarked for profit-making
ventures, not poverty-stricken neighborhoods and
essential infrastructure to support them.
A recovery and development
roadmap outlined short and longer-term priorities,
with participating countries lining up for their take,
the lion's share, of course for America, then France
and Canada, and what they have in mind is more
sweatshops, gentrified elite areas, expanded tourism,
free trade zones, and the grand prize - exploiting
Haiti's resources, including what's believed to be
abundant untapped oil reserves, what US oil giants
made plans for decades ago. They intend deep water
ports, refineries, and other facilities to fully
exploit the treasure, not mentioned in major media
reports, now largely silent on Haiti and its
long-suffering people.
Ahead of the conference on March
27, a New York Times editorial headlined, "Making
Haiti Whole," endorsed it, saying:
It marks "the beginning of the
long, slow birth of a new Haiti. Representative of the
Haitian government, the United States and other
nations and aid organizations will be discussing
large, ambitious, farsighted plans," far different
ones from what The Times suggests.
On April 28, Reuters headlined,
"Lawmakers agree on trade bill to help Haiti,"
saying:
"Top US lawmakers said on
Wednesday they have reached a bipartisan deal to help
Haiti rebuild its earthquake-shattered economy by
opening the US market to more Haitian clothing and
textiles" - to be produced in rebuilt sweatshops,
where workers are treated like slaves, not human
beings. They pay starvation wages, no benefits, and no
overtime for up to 70 hours a week in harsh or
hazardous environments. They're inhumane workplaces,
dimly lit in stifling heat, with no way to organize
for redress or avoid being fired if complain.
Yet according to Congressman
Charles Rangel (representing his black Harlem
constituents):
"The Haitian garment sector,
Haiti's flagship industry, was making important
strides prior to the earthquake and helping the
country's economy establish a stable foothold. With
this legislation, we will help to get the garment
sector and Haiti's economy back on that critical
trajectory," mindless of how it affects exploited
workers.
Mindless also of
haitian-truth.org's April 27 report headlined, "Preval
Instigated Fire rips through major Haitian market,"
saying:
"A large incendiary fire"
destroyed much of Port-au-Prince's main public market,
Marche du Port, affecting hundreds of stalls and two
surrounding blocks. UN Blue Helmets (MINUSTAH) were
notably absent. Firefighters had inadequate resources,
and shopkeepers rushed to save what they could.
One seller, Pierre Elian, said:
"The front of the market place is
already burned down. We don't know if the area where
we kept our merchandise is also burning, because they
won't let us go near it."
Merchants blamed Preval-controlled
instigators, saying "recognized gang members were seen
pouring gasoline over material to" ignite the blaze -
as "political pressure against the poor" who need the
food and merchandise to survive.
Patrick Servius, who lost his
clothing business, said:
"Preval is angry with us for our
refusal to sell relief supplies in our places. These
are (donated goods) for the earthquake victims, not
for Preval's profits. Now we pay for our patriotism."
They'll soon know what else
Preval has in mind. More on that below.
The Next Shoe
to Drop - Forced Relocations
On April 7, the Haiti Response
Coalition (HRC, a network of urban and rural civil
society groups) issued an alert saying:
An encampment of 11,000 Haitians
on Saint Louis de Gonzague school land face forced
displacement. They've "been offered a plot of land
that will hold 500 in a different location. No regard
has been given to the fact that the majority of the
11,000 will end up in the street," or that mass forced
relocations are coming next.
On April 12, AFP headlined,
"Haiti evacuates quake victims camp, faces critics,"
saying:
"....authorities ramped up moves
to forcibly evacuate dozens of tent cities across the
capital....After evicting some 7,000 people at the
weekend (from the national stadium), the government
began the forced removal of a further 10,000" from
camps around the city, early steps preceding mass
numbers to follow, ahead of preparing the area for
redevelopment.
One camp member said he was given
a week to leave for Tabarre Issa, a UN camp where
there are "No toilets, no showers....there's nothing
there."
On April 11, Reuters reported
that "Haiti starts moving quake victims to safer
refuge," saying:
"Haiti's government and foreign
aid agencies started an operation....to move thousands
of earthquake survivors," on the pretext of sending
them to safer areas ahead of seasonal rains that cause
flooding.
On April 29, Los Angeles Times
writer Ken Ellingwood headlined, "Tensions rise over
Haiti tent camps," saying:
Tensions are "playing out at
stadiums, in churchyards and factory lots, almost
anywhere there is enough land to pitch a tent.
(Authorities face) the tricky task of balancing the
needs of more than a million homeless with the urge of
many others to resume a more normal life," ignoring
the real "urge" for imperial plunder.
Haiti's constitution recognizes
the rights of all citizens to "decent housing,
education, food and social security."
The "United Nations Guiding
Principles on Internal Displacement....reflect and are
consistent with international human rights law and
international humanitarian law." They:
-- assure "full equality, the
same rights and freedoms under international and
domestic law as do other persons in their country.
They shall not be discriminated against in the
enjoyment of any rights and freedoms on the ground
that they are internally displaced;
-- shall be observed by all
authorities....;
-- (assure) protection and
humanitarian assistance from these
authorities....without discrimination of any
kind....;
-- (guarantee) "the right to be
protected against forcible return to or resettlement
in any place where their life, safety, liberty, and/or
health would be at risk," among other provisions, 30
in all recognizing the needs of displaced people when
they're most vulnerable.
TransArica
Forum Alert
On April 12, Transafricaforum.org
issued a memorandum headlined "Forced IDP
Relocations," saying:
"Throughout our network of
contacts (on the ground in Haiti), we received a
report of a forceful removal of an IDP camp in
Caradeux Delas 75, Port-au-Prince. The exact number
affected isn't yet known....all reported a complete
lack of latrines....no water sources....and no food
distributions.
The Refugee Camp community
members reported that they did not receive warning
before the large Conseil Nationale Equipements (CNE)
bulldozers and graters came to their community with
Haitian National Police escorts late on Sunday evening
(April 4)....threaten(ing) the families with violence
if they did not leave their home immediately."
Batons were used, firearms
discharged in the air, and their homes were destroyed,
by officers, then bulldozers. The process continued
for three days and nights. Where those displaced were
sent isn't known. The only answer given was they're
"now living on the streets."
Around 1.2 million Haitians
remain in makeshift tent cities throughout
Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas with little aid
or concern for their welfare or safety. Now in
preparation for redevelopment, hundreds of thousands,
perhaps all, will be ordered to move or be forcibly
displaced to even grimmer locations, on their own,
with little beyond their own ingenuity to survive.
This is Washington's imperial
plan, being implemented for exploitation and plunder.
This writer's previous article explained Haiti is no
stranger to adversity and anguish, having endured over
500 years of oppression, slavery, despotism,
colonization, reparations, embargoes, sanctions,
extreme poverty, starvation, unrepayable debt, and
calamities like the January 12 quake killing around
300,000, destroying their homes and belongings, and
leaving them vulnerable to imperial plunder of their
land, resources and lives - again, on their own, out
of luck, and out of major media focus that ignores the
greater disaster awaiting them, and the trashing of
their human rights and freedoms.
Stephen Lendman lives in
Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished
guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the
Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs
are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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