Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-11-Speech-4-162"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20040311.7.4-162"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, 200 years ago, there was a slave revolt in San Domingo. The slaves overthrew their French masters and established the world's first black republic, which they named Haiti. A Proclamation of Independence pledged both brotherhood to those former masters whom 'do us justice' and 'its government henceforward to be one of justice'.
That was as good as it ever got for Haiti, which in our lifetime has sunk into poverty and terror. It has become a byword for state-sponsored violence and horror, with the Tonton Macoutes and the years of Papa Doc. With Aristide came a beacon of hope, which was snuffed out by a military coup, reinstated, but then the country steadily lapsed into a regime of economic decline, human rights abuses, murderous militias and dubious electoral practices.
Now it has imploded again. Bodies lie in the streets – victims of all sides – and children caught stealing beg for mercy to spare their lives. Children are at risk from hunger and disease. Factories and warehouses lie demolished, and with them have gone the jobs. Armed bandits, drug traffickers and death-squad leaders are exploiting the leadership vacuum. The world listened too late to Caricom's increasing anxiety, as so eloquently expressed by Louis Straker, Deputy Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at the ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Addis Ababa a few weeks ago. By that point it was too late to bring the government and opposition together – not that the opposition was particularly helpful when it came to sticking to its conditions for cooperation.
What can be done? France has sent troops to join those of the US. Presumably they will keep their EU partners informed, consult with them, and call on them as and when necessary. Should the rest of us wring our hands and leave it to them? Do we follow in the wake of UN resolutions? Do prepare and activate our humanitarian and subsequent development aid? Do we contribute to the cost of peacekeeping? Do we respond to UN calls to unblock roads to bring food and aid to the north? Do we help the local police to recapture the 3 500 prisoners who have escaped from 20 prisons, making it difficult to bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes during military rule? We need to do all these things. We need to release the frozen EDF monies. We need, once the multinational interim force has re-established order, to support CARICOM initiatives for a stabilisation force. We need to give support to the Prime Minister, Gérard Latortue, appointed by the Council of Wise Men, and the interim President, Alexandre. Then we need to help with bringing the guilty to justice and the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission.
On a day when terror has struck on our own continent, in Spain, and our hearts are with the people of Spain, we need to find room in our hearts for the people of Haiti too and to lend them our support and help them to have justice."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples