<nettime> URGENT ACTION ALERT - HAITI

["Drazen Pantic" <drazen@location1.org>]

from http://www.eGroups.com/list/creative-radio

French and Spanish messages will follow.
Le message en francais suivra.
El mensaje espagnol seguira.

URGENT ACTION ALERT - HAITI

CELEBRATED RADIO JOURNALIST MURDERED IN HAITI

Originator: The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters

(AMARC) 2000-04-11. AMARC condemns the brutal assassination of
celebrated journalist Jean L. Dominique. On April 3, the seventy
year-old suffered various gun shots on the premises of his own
station, Radio Haiti Inter, located in Delmas, next to Port au
Prince. The radio station's security guard, Jean Claude Louissaint
was also murdered.

According to SICRAD, Service d'Information du Centre de Recherche
et d'Action pour le Developpement (Information service for the
research and action for development center), Dominique was
considered a great defender of freedom of expression and respected
for his role in protesting the military dictatorship in Haiti.
Dominique defined himself as an activist for democracy, and his
editorials had a large public following.

Created in the 1930s, Radio Haiti station was on the front lines
in the fight against dictator Duvalier, 1957-1986. The station was
closed by the regime in 1980, and most journalists were imprisoned
or exiled, including Jean Dominique. The station began
rebroadcasting when Duvalier was ousted, only to be forced to stop
broadcasting again in1991 following the military coup d'etat
against former President Aristide.

Most recently, Dominique openly denounced elections for being "
rigged ".  His last editorial aired March 27 when he raised
questions about an accord between the CNO, Conseil National
d'Observation (National observation council) and the CEP, Conseil
Electoral Provisoire (Provisional electoral council), which gives
considerable powers to the observatory body. The document outlines
that those designated by the National observation council " will
have access to work processes and decision making " at all levels
of the electoral process. This is not the first time violent acts
take place in electoral processes marked by exacerbated conflicts
of interest.

AMARC considers the murder of the "most ferocious defender of
freedom of expression" a serious threat to the right communicate,
which is an extension of the right to freedom of expression under
which all journalists are protected. AMARC supports the right to
communicate as a necessary element of effective democracies which
must be protected. AMARC asks that this crime be denounced so that
the perpetrators receive just punishment.  Messages of support and
solidarity should also be launched for Radio Haiti Inter. The
station has been closed since the incident occurred, and it is
uncertain when it will resume broadcasting.

Send letters of support :
Radio Haiti Inter
522, route de Delmas (66A)
Delmas, Haiti
CP 6120
Tel. : (509) 257 2727
Fax : (509) 257 3399

Send letters of protest :
Camille Leblanc
Ministre de la Justice
18, Ave Charles Summer
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tel : (509) 245 9737
Fax : (509) 245 0474

For more information, contact Elvira Truglia, at AMARC
International Secretariat, 3575 Saint-Laurent Blvd. #611, Montral, Qu
bec,
H2X  2T7, Canada, tel : +514 982 03 51, fax : +514 849 71 29, e-mail:
interad@amarc.org, Internet: http://www.amarc.org

AMARC's source: SICRAD - Service d'Information du Centre de Recherche
et
d'Action pour le Dveloppement; Tel: 2463496, 2492242; Fax: 2492242;
Courriel: si.crad@rehred-haiti.net

The information contained in this action alert is the sole
responsibility of
AMARC. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please
credit
AMARC.

DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622    fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org    general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_____________________________________



Elvira Truglia
Communications Officer
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters
Association Mondiale des Radiodiffuseurs Communautaires
Asociacion Mundial de Radios Comunitarias

International Secretariat
3575 Saint-Laurent Blvd. #611
Montral, Qu bec  H2X  2T7   CANADA
Tel : +1 (514) 982 03 51 Fax : +1 (514) 849 71 29
Email: interad@amarc.org
WWW : http://www.amarc.org


#  distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission
#  <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism,
#  collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets
#  more info: majordomo@bbs.thing.net and "info nettime-l" in the msg body
#  archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@bbs.thing.net