Hands Chopped Off With a Machete
http://www.nothingtoxic.com/media/1204257533/Poor_Bastard_Gets_his_Hand_Chopped_Off_With_a_Machete
(The allegations are that this is an enslaved Haitian working in the sugar plantations (Batayes) in the Dominican Republic.

Below are some developments on it.
Haitian gov. has launched an investigation.
Others say the video is a fake, or alternatively that this occurred in Colombia or Venezuela.

We don't know if this Video is real or not and offer no opinion or comment only the information available and only to highlight the real and great suffering of Haitian bracero workers in the Dominican Republic and some direction to those who may wish to take action to help alleviate the suffering.

This Video is deplorable whether it's faked or not. For the staggering suffering and living conditions of the Haitians in the DR are horrendous enough.
See the documentary - Price of Sugar for an authentic look.

Anyone requiring information on the conditions for Haitians in the DR, may contact Mr. Edwin M. Paraison"

<e_paraison@hotmail.com>, who is more than well qualified to speak on the manner.

We recommend his letter on this below.

Also Ezili's HLLN highly recommends that those who are not yet supporting the work of Sonia Pierre in the Dominican Republic to do so.

Sonia Pierre is a Dominican of Haitian descent and her work is pivotal, consistent and systematic. It is at the center of the battle to assist Haitian workers in the DR and to defend Haitians against exploitation, racism and sexism in the Dominican Repubic.

Sonia Pierre heads MUDHA and received the 2006 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for defending the human rights of Haitians in the Dominican Republic.

Additionally, we support the request that those living in New York back-up the picket line of Batay Ouvriye that occurs in front of the Dominican Republic Consulate protesting the treatment of Haitian workers in the DR each Friday. Their email is also attached on this. HLLN, Dec. 10, 2008)
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Le gouvernement ouvre une enquête sur une vidéo horrible diffusée sur Internet , Radio Metropole, Dec. 10, 2008
http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.php?id=14461

Le ministre haïtien des affaires étrangères, Alrich Nicolas, a entrepris des démarches afin d'authentifier une vidéo diffusée sur Internet montrant un dominicain coupant les deux bras d'un haïtien travaillant dans un batey.

Le chancelier haïtien a fait montre de prudence dans ce dossier évitant toute déclaration officielle avant une authentification de la vidéo.

M. Nicolas informe que l'ambassadeur haïtien à Santo Domingo, Fritz Cinéas, s'est entretenu avec des officiels dominicains et le chef de la police qui estiment que cette scène ne s'est pas produite en République dominicaine.

"Ils indiquent que la vidéo est un montage arguant que le langage des individus révèlent qu'ils peuvent être originaires de la Colombie ou du Venezuela", rapporte le ministre Nicolas annonçant que des spécialistes haïtiens devront également analyser la vidéo.

"Nous continuons l'enquête afin de faire la lumière sur ces images horribles", ajoute t-il.
" Si les faits sont authentiques alors on pourra prendre une décision", prévient le chancelier haïtien révélant qu'une mission s'était rendue à Neiba afin de faire la lumière sur les incidents de novembre.

Par ailleurs, le ministre haïtien des affaires étrangères déplore la décision des autorités américaines d'autoriser la reprise des déportations des immigrants illégaux haïtiens. "

Le Centre de Krome a sollicité 60 documents auprès du consulat haïtien de Miami", dit-il estimant que ceci est le signe de la reprise prochaine des déportations.

Au cours des 3 derniers mois les autorités américaines avaient suspendu les déportations des immigrants illégaux haïtiens en raison des dégâts causés par le passage de 4 ouragans en septembre 2008.

Le chancelier haïtien craint une reprise des déportations des immigrants illégaux dans plusieurs pays touchés par la récession. Il plaide pour une planification des déportations avec les pays

**************************************************************
From Edwin M. Paraison <e_paraison@hotmail.com>, Dec. 10, 2008

Chers amis,

Je partage avec vous la lettre envoyee hier par email au President de l´Institut Dominicain des Telecommunications (INDOTEL) lui demandant d´ouvrir une enquete sur ce dossier.

J´encourage nos experts en informatique et technologie de la communication, de faire leurs propres recherches sur le video, afin de determiner non seulement l´authenticite des images, mais aussi sa provenance reelle.

Tenant compte que des journalistes dominicains et colombiens a Santo Domingo, reputes pour leur traitement objectif de la question haitienne en RD, apres une analyse minitieuse du video, avancent l´hypothese que l´action aurait ete perpetree en territoire colombien.

Deux elements de blocage que la societe civile insulaire devrait vaincre:

1- Les autorites dominicaines en reaction aux denonces des groupes de droits humains affirment toujours qu´il existe une campagne de diffamation contre leur pays. Elles soulignent des fois, que cette campagne est orchestree par les pays competiteurs de la region, dans le domaine touristique.

Nous qui sommes preoccupes a la fois pour le respect des droits de nos compatriotes et la preservation de rapports harmonieux entre nos deux nations, devons confirmer toute information relative a la migration haitienne en Republique Dominicaine, avant de prendre certaines positions publiques qui au lieu d´aider la cause, renforceraient le principal argument de defense de la partie dominicaine, a savoir, l´existence d´une campagne de denigrement de l´image internationale de la RD et de diffamation contre l´Etat dominicain. Ce qui nous maintendrait dos a dos avec les autorites dominicaines, sans grande possibilite d´avancer.

2- Nous sommes en face d´une decision politique du President Preval, depuis la publication par le Listin Diario en Mars 2006, attribuant au Chef de l´Etat des declarations de negation des violations systematiques des droits de nos compatriotes en RD, de ne plus aborder le dossier de la presence haitienne dans ce pays, pour le moins de facon publique.

Cette decision politique s´est constituee en une ligne gouvernementale dans la gestion de nos rapports avec la RD. Il semble qu´aucun fonctionnaire du gouvernement n´est autorise a faire des declarations sur ce theme.

Meme l´ancien et l´actuel Ministre de la Diaspora, n´ose visiter la communaute haitienne en RD, voir visiter un batey. Pendant les trois dernieres annees 18 cas d´action de type xenophobe ont ete enregistres contre nos compatriotes, sans aucune reaction de la part des autorites haitiennes.
http://www.almomento.net/news/135/ARTICLE/22275/2008-12-06.html


C´est une realite sur laquelle nous devons questionner nos dirigeants, sans nous mettre dos a dos avec eux.

Sans la participation des principales autorites des deux pays, nous n´arriverons jamais au changement que nous souhaitons tous pour la communaute haitienne en RD.

Conscient de cette situation, nous sommes en train de promouvoir le Sommet BiNational sur la migration. Pour lequel nous vous demandons votre soutien.

http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article7856&var_recherche=progressio

Continuons a lutter ensemble et intelligemment pour atteindre nos buts.
Edwin
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Source: "Edwin M. Paraison" <e_paraison@hotmail.com>, via e-mail; Dec. 10, 2008
**********************************************************
De: Fundacion Zile <f_zile@yahoo.fr>
Objet: MUY URGENTE SUGERENCIA DE INTERVENCION DE INDOTEL
À: jrvargas@indotel.gob.do
Date: Mardi 9 Décembre 2008, 14h41

Ing. Jose Rafael Vargas
Presidente del INDOTEL

Senor Presidente
Estimado Amigo,

De manera urgente le hacemos llegar el archivo adjunto que es un video que circula en la internet hace varios dias, de un acto de salvajismo en contra de una persona de piel negra.

Quienes lo distribuyen afirman que fue filmado en la Republica Dominicana, siendo la victima de nacionalidad haitiana. Un analisis realizado por reconocidos periodistas dominicanos y colombianos abre la hipotesis que tendria como escenario, algun lugar del territorio colombiano.

Usted comprendera, que los multiples actos de violencia colectiva de los cuales hayan sido victimas trabajadores migrantes haitianos en el pais, en los ultimos tres anos, particularmente los acontecimientos de Neiba y Guayubin del mes de octubre pasado, dieran pie a las denuncias legitimas de grupos de derechos humanos, lideres religiosos y miembros de la comunidad haitiana.

Cortesmente, solicitamos que el INDOTEL apoyado por la unidad especializada de la Policia Nacional en asuntos ciberneticos, inicie una investigacion para determinar la autenticidad de las imagenes, a la vez remontar a la fuente primaria de la difusion del video.

Dicha investigacion permitiria arrojar luz sobre este asunto, para la actuacion rapida de la justicia. Ademas, reforzaria las actuales acciones de las autoridades, para garantizar la proteccion de los inmigrantes haitianos en el pais, con el arresto de algunos de los involucrados en los casos de Neiba y Guayubin y el despedido publico deshonroso por el Jefe de la Policia Nacional, de dos agentes responsables de un atraco contra un comerciante haitiano.

Con nuestros agradecimientos por su amable atencion a la presente, le pedimos recibir senor presidente, nuestras salutaciones calurosos y mejores deseos en esta epoca navidena.

Edwin Paraison
Director Ejecutivo

BORDERMISSION
Firstable we don't say White Frenchman killing of black people for how many centuries now. Let's remember black people were brought by force to this continent. They were captured in Africa, some sold when captured by white people and brought unwillingly to this continent. So what Desaliness and some African slave did was a very minimum pay pack of the treatment, cruelty, killing, rape the whites have done to them since the 1500's. Let me more objective and more just. Please. One side of the story sounds to subjective and white ass kisser.

GIZMO Theres no justification for his actions his violent invasion left permanent scars of mistrust and hatred. His true intentions were simple to erradicate the inhabitants on the eastern side of the island, Dessalines was a murdering tyrant plain and simple. And anyone that supports Dessalines is simply a Black racist supremacist in my book. What people forget is that the Haitian Revolution was a failure and the objectives did not come into fruition. The east was very different to the west, one was clearly a slave colony where most were slaves that's the French side.The Spanish side had a very low count of slaves, with freedom being easy to obtain.Those that keep on spewing the same ignorance are just spreading falsehoods that are easily debunked stop it, and do some research the truth is staring at you back.

Successful and glorious my arse. How can it be "successful" and "glorious" when 75% percent of the people in your country wants to flee at the first opportunity? And to the "royalists", "slaveowning" and "racists" USA and DR, no less. In my estimation, the only thing that your people did was to change the french master for the haitian master, changing the yoke of plantation slavery for an even more insidious one: the yoke of poverty, which is even worse, cuz' in it the "owner" don't have even the slightest obligation to see for the well being of his "slaves", thinking that, if one of them drops dead on the spot or flees, there will always be more in line to occupy the place left vacant, and at even more cheap prices. You have the gall of pointing fingers at our racism, when the fact is that in your own country this blight is even worse, cuz' the affranchi elite left in power by your "glorious revolution" have an even more pronounced stranglehold over the means of production. In other words, why don't you apply yourself to the task of overthrowing those affranchis instead of annoying us with your ceaseless "I'm black, nobody loves me" crap? And before you start comparing your "glorious and successful" revolution with the american and french ones, let me tell you that the big difference between those and yours is that at least in the latter these left in place powerful, successful and thriving countries. Yours, on the contrary, only left anarchy, chaos, unending violence and ruin in place, transforming what was once the richest colony in the universe into something barely resembling a country. If the Tainos were alive to see that battle ravaged place again, the impression that the sight greeting their eyes would leave in them will be enough to send them to their graves again. If there's something in which I agree with marxists wholeheartedly is the fact that the production of wealth is the main factor explaining the success of civilizations, a department in which you're sorely lacking.

Listen you dimwit, you can find dozens of posts made by me personallt denouncing the figure of Trujillo. I hate the bastard and everything he stood for and such I don't see the argument that you're trying to make.

You know what caonabohayti? Prove to us that Dessalines did not help Leclerc's expidition reintroduce forced labor to the black masses, prove to us that Dessalines didn't leave burned villages and thousands dead as he was he was making his way back west through the cibao, prove to us that he didn't kill just men but women and children arbitrarily, prove to us that he didn't force thoudsands to work against there will (ie slavery) to build his grandiose projects. Prove it to us. And I'm not talking about just you making a claim. I want scholarly works and what not cited. I'll be waiting.

Poverty under your countrymen is not worse than slavery under racial supremacists. Also Haiti's condition today is not a direct result of events 200 years ago. You do not have to go too far back into the 20th C. to find a saner, more orderly Haiti, even if it was still poor. Once again I ask that we not let the provocations of the Dessalines fan club force us into condemning brutalized slaves taking care of business on their own turf. I don't think our beef should be with their revolution but with the destructive decision to interfere in our side in such a bloody manner.

Caonabo I had said you face an uphill battle, but honestly you are digging yourself deeper into a trench. If there is any historian in the universe who can convince Dominicans to respect this Dessalines you must accept that it isn't you on this forum. Right now all you are inspiring is more dislike of your nation's revolutionary history by arguing we should admire this guy who to us represents the dark side of that history.

Manny, I thoroughly respect the Haitian Revolution and hold some of the figures it produced in reverance. Contrary to many Dominicans I revere the figure of Touissant for I respect what the man accomplished and his goals. With that said I know damn well who Dessalines was and as such I will continue, until the end of my days, refer to his person as a butcher and murderer for those are fitting epitaphs for the likes of him. And you are quite correct about early 20th century Haiti, As a matter of fact US controlled Puerto Rico had a higher poverty rate in the early 30s, after nearly four decades of American tutlegae, than that of Haiti in the same era.

Good post Manhattanite,

Hello, excuse me sir, the slaves were not captured and sold by "white people" they were captured and sold by other black tribes and traded to the whites in exchange for goods. It was called "triangle trade". Read your basic African slave history first.

Lautaro:
The sad thing about their contaminated black supremacists thoughts trying to justify the genocide on the eastern part of Saint Domingue, is now beside claiming our "ignorance of the real motives", and we "do not understand the dangers that the Haitian revolution was facing", so that in their minds justifies........
'THE SLAUGHTERING OF THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS OF THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE WOMEN AND CHILDREN "JUST IN CASE" was justified because after
all they could have bred more men that could have become soldiers and hurt their "glorious" revolution.
Incredible, just incredible, the warped mindset. We even have a failed boring half Haitian poet posting similar garbage.