Statement of solidarity from the Dominican community with the people of Haiti.
p>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.do
Supreme Court
suprema.corte@codetel.net.do
Immigration Department
despacho.gral@codetel.net.do
Please send copy of your communication to my attention.
Fr. Luis Barrios lbarrios@jjay.cuny.edu
Thank 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 10040
End the human rights violations against our Haitian
and/or
Haitian-Dominican sisters and brothers
The 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
