Statement of solidarity from the Dominican community with the people of Haiti.
Greetings from New York City. The Haitian and Haitian/Dominican Community living in the Dominican Republic need your help. Please add your name and also circulate this document.
Please send this document with your name to President Leonel Fernandez’s attention to the following e-mail addresses; Dominican Republic Embassy in the United States
embassy@us.serex.gov.doSupreme Court
suprema.corte@codetel.net.do Immigration Department
despacho.gral@codetel.net.doPlease send copy of your communication to my attention.
Fr. Luis Barrios lbarrios@jjay.cuny.eduThank you for your support and solidarity. Peace with justice,
Fr. Luis Barrios
Dominican Coalition of Solidarity with the Haitian Community in the Dominican Republic
c/o San Romero de Las Américas Church-UCC
313 P.O. Box
New York, NY 10040End the human rights violations against our Haitian and/or
Haitian-Dominican sisters and brothersThe persons whose signatures appear below are people who are extremely concerned with the indiscriminate arrests, arbitrary deportations and assassinations that experienced by Haitians and/or Dominican-Haitians sisters and brothers who live in the Dominican Republic.
The President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández, told the Dominican people: “. . . We believe that we can forge a society-wide project, we can create a model of economic and social development for the Dominican Republic and do so democratically.” It seems to us that his conciliatory statement is appropriate. However, as a Solidarity Coalition, we also believe that to those words you have to add the words of our great Eugenio María de Hostos who continues to tell us that: “Without civil equality, without political freedom, there is no dignity; without dignity there is no life.” Based on this we understand that a society that does not guarantee this type of civil equality is not democratic.
We are greatly concerned by the irresponsible and despotic manner that past and present government administrations have continued to engage in the inhuman treatment of Haitian and/or Haitian-Dominican communities in the Dominican Republic. We recognize that violations of human rights are not new, and indeed, many human rights reports attest to the many types of abuses that have occurred, including:
(1) the 1991, 2000 and 2001 reports of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission and
(2) the 2003 Report Regarding the Practices of Human Rights in the Dominican Republic prepared by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. Shamefully, those who attain presidential power continue to ignore these recommendations, the very recommendations that guarantee a democratic society.
As a Solidarity Coalition, we recognize that the human rights violations directed against our Haitian and Haitian-Dominican sisters and brothers reflect a level of moral stagnation that can not be tolerated and that, therefore, should be corrected immediately. We also understand that the violation of human rights by a country against its own citizens is a reflection of bad government. It is time to recognize that the Haitian community—like other communities—is part of the Dominican Republic’s reality and that no amount of racism, prejudices, discriminations, and xenophobia will cause them to leave the country. We reiterate the same to the government of the United States about our presence as immigrants in that territory. We arrive, we stay and we will not leave. Therefore, it becomes necessary to learn to live in that reality. While we understand that there is a place for controlling immigration, we are also clear that violating human rights is unacceptable. Under the pretext of immigration controls, hundreds of people have been assassinated and physically and emotionally abused. We invite the Dominican people to break the curtain of silence through a national campaign of healing where we can learn to live in brotherhood/sisterhood—respecting our linguistic, cultural, religious, racial, ethnic and other differences. We believe that building a better and different world is possible. Let us go down in history demonstrating that this reality was possible in the Dominican Republic. Those of us in the diaspora place ourselves at the service of this social project of benefit to the Dominican homeland.
In recent days during which massive deportations and racist and xenophobic persecution are being carried out, a regrettable incident occurred in which 3 Haitians allegedly killed Dominican merchant Maritza Núñez and injured her husband Domingo Antonio Luna, in the municipal district of Hatillo Palma in the province of Monte Cristi. We say allegedly because according to the Dominican Judicial System these persons should be processed and brought to trial, and if they are really guilty then, and only then, should they face the full weight of the law. It goes without saying that in the City of New York, if a Dominican commits a crime, we do not allow this to become a generalization applied to the rest of the Dominican community. Sadly, the evil monster of anti-Haitian sentiment that proliferates throughout the entire Dominican society was reawakened.
Following this incident in a very well-orchestrated national campaign, the Army and Immigration authorities arrested hundreds of undocumented Haitian men and women in the provinces of Santiago, Espaillat, Montecristi and La Vega. Without allowing a hearing where they could make their case, these human beings under the pretext by the government of national security were arrested and deported. This case demonstrates how endemic anti-Haitianism is in the Domican Republic and how much it is justified, promoted, and blessed within the society. To make matters worse, discrimination and racism also led to the deportation of more than fifty (50) Dominican citizens because they are black and minors without the appropriate protection and supervision. Racial hostility, blatantly expressed through collective panic, reflect the historic and cultural prejudices toward the Haitian community. This must be corrected if we believe in a democratic society. We repeat and emphasize that the matter of immigration control or national security—controls that all countries should have—have nothing to do with these injustices in violation of the human rights of our Haitian and Haitian-Dominican sisters and brothers.
This Solidarity Coalition recognizes that it is not correct or possible to deny the fact that within the construction and sugar industries—just to mention two examples—the Haitian community throughout the years and into the present has made significant contributions to the national life of the Dominican Republic in the areas of economic, social, political and spiritual development. Therefore, like compañero and Brother Jesus, they also carry upon their labored and bloodied shoulders the cross of the Dominican economy. Nevertheless, they continue to suffer from rejection and oppression. Let us stop this crucifixion.
As a Solidarity Coalition we also understand that all this discrimination and lack of regard is nothing more than a reflection of a social crisis of xenophobic prejudices. We know very well of the cases of Europe and Africa—to mention only two regions—and how the ideology of neoliberalism seeks to promote injustice. In both regions, thousands of people engaging in ethnic confrontation have been assassinated and/or displaced. As proof, there is the painful case of the Dominican woman, Lucrecia Pérez, in Spain. We, therefore ask ourselves, is this what is occurring in the Dominican Republic? As a result, we remind the President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernandez, that he promised a neoliberalism with a humanist face. Where is the humanity? We remind him, his government and the rest of the Dominican people that here in the United States we ourselves experience exploitation with every day that passes. This is why through our activism we combat the immorality that dehumanizes us. This is at the core of our call that greater respect be given to the image of God and that we stop this ideology of rejection and ethnic superiority which is clearly anti-Christian.
This Solidarity Coalition wishes to take the opportunity afforded by this communication to reassert the recommendations made by Human Rights Watch in their report of 2005 titled: "Illegal People": Haitians and Dominico-Haitians in the Dominican Republic.” In this report, Human Rights Watch made recommendations to the United Nations, the government of Haiti, the International Labor Organization, and, of course, to the government of the Dominican Republic regarding deportations. Implementation of these recommendations is a humane way to deal with the reality of the undocumented in the Haitian community and the Haitian-Dominican community which lives in the Dominican Republic. We remind you that these recommendations should not be ignored, they must be followed through. We take the liberty here of reiterating the recommendations that were made to the Dominican Republic:
Deportations
• Dominican migrations officials should ensure that suspected undocumented aliens are afforded, at a minimum, the due process safeguards guaranteed by Law 95 and Regulation 279, including the opportunity to defend against deportation.
• Low-ranking migration and military officials should not be permitted to render final, on-the-spot deportation decisions. Pursuant to Law 95 and Regulation 279, such officials' initial deportability determinations should be subject to review by a hierarchical superior. Judicial review of these decisions should also be permitted, at least in cases in which a claim of Dominican citizenship is asserted.
• Dominican migration officials should not limit the opportunity to defend against deportation by focusing solely on the presentation of Dominican identity documents, since Dominicans of Haitian descent are frequently unable to obtain the identity documents properly due to them. Dominican officials should also be required to question potential deportees regarding their status. Officials should ask questions such as: "Where were you born?" "Do you have any identity documents?" "Did you ever have any identification documents?" "Did you ever try to apply for identity documents?" "When did you come to the Dominican Republic and how?"
• The Dominican government should abide by the terms of the 1999 Protocol of Understanding between the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti on the Procedures for Repatriation. In particular, the Dominican government should avoid separating nuclear families; allow deportees to collect their personal belongings and to retain their identity documents; provide each deportee with a copy of his or her order of deportation; and give Haitian authorities advance notice of repatriations.
• Military officials should not be permitted to conduct deportations independent of trained migration officials. Their role in deportations should be an auxiliary one, limited to providing transportation and logistical support.
• The Dominican government should ensure humane conditions of detention for all deportees, providing sufficient food, sanitary facilities, and separate accommodations for immigration detainees and convicted criminals. Conditions of detention should conform to international and regional standards, including the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the U.N. Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under any Form of Detention.
Citizenship and Proof of Dominican Identity
• The Dominican government should publicly recognize that, in accordance with Article 11 of the Dominican Constitution, the Dominican-born children of Haitian migrant workers are Dominican citizens.
• The Dominican government should take immediate and concrete steps to provide identity documents to each of the many thousands of Dominican individuals of Haitian descent who have been unable to obtain proof of Dominican citizenship.
• Dominican civil registry officials should not require the parents of children born in the Dominican Republic to present Dominican cédulas (identity cards) in order to obtain birth certificates for their children. To ensure that officials stop imposing this requirement, the Central Electoral Board should issue a directive to this effect. It should also train registry officials regarding the eligibility of children of Haitian descent who were born in the Dominican Republic to Dominican identity documents.
• The Central Electoral Board should issue a directive to all hospitals informing hospital staff that they should issue maternity papers for all children born in their facilities, regardless of whether the children's parents are documented or undocumented.
• The Central Electoral Board should eliminate the requirement that a late applicant for Dominican nationality documentation must obtain certifications from all fourteen official registries, verifying that he or she was not already registered in another district.
• The Central Electoral Board should issue a directive cautioning civil registry officials against allowing racial discrimination to taint decisions regarding the provision of identity documents. Education
• The Dominican Republic should ensure that all children, documented and undocumented, have equal access to Dominican schools. To that end, the Dominican government should take steps to ensure that local schools comply with the secretary of education's July 2001 resolution regarding access.
• The Dominican government should launch a public awareness campaign to invite the parents of undocumented children to send them to school. Therefore, as a Solidarity Coalition we reiterate again that the issue of the violation of human and civil rights of Haitians and/or Dominico-Haitians citizens should be also a priority of the government of President Leonel Fernández. But also we understand that the human practice of democracy should be shown with facts and not only with words. From here we request that an immediately moratorium be established and all these arbitrary and inhuman arrests and deportations be suspended and by the same token demonstrate due respect for the human and civil rights of the Haitian and/or Dominican-Haitian community in the Dominican Republic.
NAMES
Fr. Luis Barrios, New York, NY
Hortensia González, New York, NY
Radhamés Pérez, New York, NY
Manuel Castro, New York, NY
Radhamés Morales, New York, NY
Minerva Mella, New York, NY
Aracelis M. Delgado Ramos, San Juan, PR
Darién A. Medina Delgado, Miami, FL
Omar R. Medina Delgado, San Juan, PR
Dharma A. Medina Delgado, Tampa, FL
Claudia De la Cruz, New York, NY
Rafael de los Santos, New York, NY
Amarilis Guzmán, New York, NY
Leyda Fortunato, New York, NY
Livia Morales, New York, NY
Francisco Velez, New York, NY
Mark Torres, New York, NY
Miguel Hoffman, New York, NY
Gladys Sanchez, New York, NY
Verónica Conforme, New York, NY
Luis Matos, New York, NY
José Rodríguez, New York, NY
Simon Morell, New York, NY
Wilfredo Nicolás Larancuent Heredia, New York, NY
Dr.. Rafael A. Lantigua, New York, NY
Luis Rodríguez, New York, NY
Luis Cruz, New York, NY
Mónika Barrios, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Jonathan Barrios, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dra. Isabel Feliciano, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dr. Nelson Pichardo, New York, NY
William Camacaro, New York, NY
Saul Nieves, New York NY
Miriam Ventura, New York, NY
Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz, New York, NY
REFERENCES:
i-This document was presented to the Dominican Consulate in the City of New York on Monday, May 23, 2005, so that it may be forwarded and given to President Leonel Fernández and so that it may be given follow-up.
ii-Originally this document was written and circulated in Spanish on May 18, 2005, by Father Luis Barrios as an open letter to President Leonel Fernández. In the meeting of May 18, 2005, the Dominican Coalition in Solidarity with the Haitian Community in the Dominican Republic made that document a collective one. The Coalition then edited it with a much more community focus.
iii- http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/domrep/domrep0402-01.htm#P88_11252
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