Originally: Open letter
Open letter to:
Nelson Rolihlahla MANDELA
Desmond Mpilo Tutu
Mr. President,
Dear Reverend:
I am a citizen deeply committed to the well-being of
the Haitian people, my people, that has kept longing
for freedom for years. Haiti is, as you know for
sure, a little piece of Africa.
Needless to say, Mr. President and Dear Reverend, how admirative and supportive the sons and inheritors of Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines have been to your heroic struggle against the apartheid regime. Steve Biko, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sizulu, Chris Hani, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and so on? are also our heroes.
Some years ago, we felt frustrated, when President
Mandela visited the neighboring islands of Cuba and
Jamaica without throwing an eye on Haiti. Today, on
the eve of our independence bicentennial, we feel as
much frustrated, but for a different reason. We?d love
to host an important south-african delegation on
January 1, 2004, but there is an enormous problem.
President Aristide whom most Haitians considered, in
the nineties, as a freedom fighter has totally
unsmasked himself today. The man has a lot of blood
on his hands. He is a criminal who doesn?t hesitate
to kill broadcasters, press editors, students and even
children ( a one-month baby died in Gonaives, some
weeks ago, in a house burned down by the so-called
chimères, i.e, Aristide?s militia). Most of his
attention is directed toward drugs and big bucks.
Knowledge and culture scare him. Last week, he
organized with his thugs the worst attack ever carried
out in a couple of education centers. Students,
professors and the university rector were beaten up
and injured with gunshots.
According to the regime propaganda, President Mbeki plans to take part in the disgusting show Mr Aristide will organize on January 1, 2004. On behalf of the overwhelming majority of the Haitian people fighting to get rid of the monster, we urge you to do not give a hand to the brutal rulers of our country. We hope President Mbeki will stay home. His coming here would be a big help to Mr. Aristide and a betrayal of Haiti and its sufferring people.
Long live to Azania!
Long live to Haiti!
Long live to solidarity among the peoples!
Thanks a lot!
December 10th 2003
Rose-Anne Auguste
Reebok Humans Rights Award Recipient 1994