MINUSTAH out! Joint action for the sovereignty of Haiti

We, the various trade unions, political and popular movements in the Caribbean including Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Martinique, the United States of America, France and Haiti as well as representatives of Association of Workers and Peoples of the Caribbean (ATPC) and the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples' Rights, meeting in Cap Haitien on 16, 17 and 18 November 2011 following the introduction in September 2009 in Port- au-Prince International Commission of Investigation and Monitoring Committee to better understand and fight against the occupation suffered by Haiti for over seven years and look together for ways to end the occupation of MINUSTAH and adopt appropriate resolutions. During this conference, we have analysed and understood:

1 The consequences of the military occupation of Haiti and MINUSTAH shame is the ‘arm of imperialist domination’;

2 The need for a constant struggle against the presence of occupation forces, for the immediate departure of MINUSTAH and the restoration of full sovereignty of the Haitian people, which fight should be national but also international and Caribbean;

3 The need to build on the monitoring committee of the international commission of inquiry leading to the formation of a coherent national structure capable of carrying the fight to the end;

We have heard from fellow trade unionists, political groups and associations present at the conference evidence which allowed us to better understand the true policy of privatisation and development zones for the benefit of multinational workers requiring a plan of operations without the right to organise and without warranty office outside of legal norms and conventions of Haitian the International Labour Organisation (ILO). We also saw the destruction of domestic agricultural production to multinational corporations (for example, rice production). The coverage of food consumption needs of the Haitian people by the national agricultural production rose less than 25 percent within 20 years. We have also found the evidence of the exploitation of mineral resources across the country by foreign companies, which constitutes a serious attack on the sovereignty of the first independent black republic.

At this historic moment in the life of the Haitian people, on the occasion of the celebration of the commemorative date of the Battle of Vertières, we find that:

-The occupying forces of the United Nations are illegal and illegitimate;
-Many crimes are committed by agents of the MINUSTAH (hanging of the young Gerald Jean Gilles in the MINUSTAH base in Cap-Haitien, on sexual violence in Port Hi Johny John recently; without enumerating the many cases of rape exercised against girls, women and young Haitians);
-The Haitian people are stigmatised because of the spread of the epidemic of cholera, for which the military of the United Nations is solely responsible. The epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 7,000 Haitians and infected more people 500,000;
-The solidarity of the people against the occupation of Haiti is the essential tool that can advance the fight until the total liberation and final passing first by the immediate departure of MINUSTAH;
-The current Haitian government has shown no desire to seek the departure of MINUSTAH nor does it show any willingness to comply with Haitian law in the free zones, such as refusing to compel the owners of the zone to return CODEVI unionists fired for union activities;
-The IHRC, co-chaired by Bill Clinton (also chairman of the newly created Advisory Board by puppet President Joseph Michel Martelly) is a tool of international imperialism to make permanent the occupation of Haiti and deny democracy and sovereignty to the Haitian people
-More than 600,000 people (children, women, youth, older people) are still languishing in tents in dehumanizing living conditions nearly two years after the earthquake and are subject to threats and illegal evictions.

With these findings, in the spirit of the heroes of Vertieres, we adopt the resolutions as follows:

1 Make 1 June 2012, the eighth anniversary of the occupation of Haiti by the MINUSTAH, a real day of continental and international advocacy towards governments (primarily those directly involved in the occupation) to require the immediate departure of MINUSTAH. Thus, we endorse the commitment of the conference participants in Sao Paulo;
2 Justice and compensation for all victims of cholera in particular and all other crimes by MINUSTAH in general;
3 Development in Haiti and in all countries involved in the occupation of Haiti and more generally wherever possible wide committees and unit preparation for this day;
4 Strengthen the debates, exchanges between organisations that met at the conference;
5 - To help strengthen the national network of trade unions and popular movements, women's groups formed as part of the Monitoring Committee;
6 Contribute to the strengthening of the Association of Workers and Peoples of the Caribbean (ATPC) around the regular publication of its newsletter ‘Tribune Free Caribbean’ as a tool for discussion and information on current initiatives in the various countries and the establishment of effective coordination of CLTS provided at this stage jointly by the General Union of Workers of Guadeloupe (UGTG) and the Mouvman Nonm Travayè e Peyizan, press correspondents in each country in the Caribbean ;
7 We appeal to international democratic workers' movement to demand the reinstatement of two officials of the Union of Workers and Employees Free Zone Ouanaminthe SOFEZO-CODEVI and six (6) activists Sendika Ouvriye Tekstil Abiman ak (SOTA), unfairly dismissed for their union activities in Mills subcontracting in the metropolitan area;
8 We also call on the international democratic workers' movement to demand that the French government stop trade union repression in Guadeloupe particularly against the activists of UGTG;
9 We condemn all forms of repression directed against Haitian militant unionists;
10 We demand that light be shed on the disappearance of the student at the Faculty of Humanities Onald Augustus;
11 Information held in Algiers in an emergency conference against interference in the internal affairs of countries to defend the integrity and sovereignty of nations, we decide to support this conference which aims to meet ours;
12 We also demand the restitution of the independence debt imposed by France to the young republic of Haiti.

Live free or die! Nou pa pap peye DWE new!

For authentication: Robert Fabert Numa Guy; CLTS / Monitoring Committee Guadeloupe / Haiti

Signatory organizations:
Haiti: SM, CATH, Antena Ouvriye, candles, Batay Ouvriye, Tet Kole Ti Peyizan Ayisyen, Tet Kole Oganizasyon Popilè yo, FRAKKA, KPN, FGPB, CMD-OD, MODOD, KRPN, APDNE, MPB, RPRC, KIWO / nodes, fpdns, KRNPSE, ODCM, OPGB, KPNA, SOEN, MODECADEC, KTTMA, OPAM, Sek Gramsci, AVS, RPS, Moja, OFALA, OPK, JPO, OPJL, SPPP, OFPS, AKP, Defenders Oppressed / Oppressed (DOP) FESEV, OPDHG, OJEPODEBL, APABET, MOPP, ASPPP, MRCP, ACREPH, OLAJEKA, SOFEZO-CODEVI, PTA, RHCS, FEMODEK, RHCS, OD4SS, SPPTCN, Morea, KPSKBM, JGA, OFDF, ODTR, MJDD.
Guadeloupe: COTA, General Union of Workers of Guadeloupe (UGTG) Mouvman Nonm, Travayè e Peyizan,
Trinidad and Tobago: OWTU (Official Trade Workers Union)
Martinique: worker-peasant alliance (PDO),
Dominique: National Workers UNID,
United States: Guadeloupe, Haiti United States Tour Committee,
France: Independent Labour Party / International Society of Workers and Peoples

Alain Philoctetes [email][email protected]