Denying Haiti's Refugees

[seemslikeadream]

By Bill Frelick
Saturday, March 6, 2004; Page A19


As President Bush begins his reelection campaign, will he again claim to be a compassionate conservative? The question comes to mind as the first boatloads of fleeing Haitian refugees are returned to the volatile danger of their homeland. Since the current crisis began Feb. 21, hundreds of Haitians have been interdicted by U.S. Coast Guard cutters and returned forthwith to Haiti's beleaguered capital, Port-au-Prince. None were apprised of their right to seek asylum. Only a handful -- those who begged and pleaded the loudest -- were allowed cursory refugee pre-screening interviews aboard the cutters, and they were rejected as not having credible fears. As of Thursday, all 905 interdicted Haitians had been returned to Haiti.


The U.N. Refugee Convention forbids returning a person "in any manner whatsoever" to a place where his life or freedom would be threatened. By longstanding practice neighboring countries provide at least temporary refuge in the event of mass refugee influxes.

Except the United States


President Bill Clinton grew increasingly uncomfortable sending boat refugees back to Haiti, and in July 1994 declared the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, a "safe haven" where all fleeing Haitians would be held temporarily. For six critical months, during which time the thugs who had overthrown Aristide were killing and torturing, Haitian refugees were not returned.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35072-2004Mar5.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. The very idea that U.S. trained and supported rebel leaders were killing

people on the island, and that when the people tried to flee, U.S. Coast Guard boats picked them up and fed them right back into the tree shredder defies belief itself.

What COULD be more evil?

[asjr]

2. Especially when the administration

helped cause the problem. Compassionate conservative was simply a ploy in 2000 to gain the WH.

[young_at_heart]

3. He's compassionate alright.........to his rich friends

Talk about a double standard....."Welcome guest workers from Mexico" (oh, and you can have all the free social services you want while you're here). "Scram Haitians"......you must stay and struggle in your homeland!