I apologize to the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew for the "fake blood" accidentally spilt on his favourite Calvin Klein suit during my protest Friday against human rights abuses in Haiti and Canada's role in overthrowing the country's democracy.
I intended for the fake blood to stain only Mr. Pettigrew's hands.

 
I apologize to the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew for the "fake blood" accidentally spilt on his favourite Calvin Klein suit during my protest Friday against human rights abuses in Haiti and Canada's role in overthrowing the country's democracy.
I intended for the fake blood to stain only Mr. Pettigrew's hands.

Given my feelings of guilt, I am prepared to stand on a street corner and collect money for the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister's Clothing Fund the next time I am in Port au Prince.

Of course it may take awhile to collect the money needed for a new suit that meets the taste of Mr. Pettigrew. It would require 32,000 residents giving one Haitian Gourde each to purchase even a modest $1000 Cdn. jacket and trousers. A further complication is the fact that the last time thousands of poor Haitians assembled, Canadian-funded police fired into the peaceful crowd killing several people.

I was frustrated because Pettigrew has said nothing to condemn the February 2004 overthrow of the democratically elected government of Haiti-- not just President Jean Bertrand Aristide, but hundreds of local officials whose only "crime" was their popularity amongst ordinary Haitians.

I was frustrated because Mr. Pettigrew has denied knowledge of any human rights abuses since the Canadian-backed coup despite the fact that in March I personally handed him a copy of an extensive report by the University of Miami's Center for Human Rights. That report details widespread abuse by the new Haitian police and the sham of a judicial system that Canada is directly funding. The report even has the second highest official in the interim government's Justice Ministry acknowledging he was appointed and is paid by CIDA, Canada's aid agency.

The Associated Press and the Miami Herald have reported on a disturbing pattern of police firing on peaceful protestors who call for the return of their constitutional government. On February 28th, two unarmed protestors were killed, and between March 24th and April 27th, at least six other peaceful demonstrators were gunned down by the Haitian police. Many Haitians view Canada, which heads the U.N. police force that trains and supports the Haitian police, as complicit.

Unlike the Foreign Affairs Minister I value Canada's good name among the poor majority of Haitians, descendents of the world's only successful slave rebellion in 1804, who continue to stand up to injustice. When I visited Port au Prince in December, I was constantly asked, "Why is Canada doing this to us?"

After ceasing aid to the previous elected government, Canada has already given more than a hundred million dollars to the present unconstitutional regime. Not once having visited during the ten-year period of democratic governance, Paul Martin made the first-ever official trip by a Prime Minister to Haiti six months ago. Pierre Pettigrew has ensured continued support for the installed government during his trips to Haiti in September and mid-March.

The Liberals are supporting the Bush administration, which undermined, destabilized and then overthrew the government chosen by the Haitian people. Instead of backing Bush, Canada should adopt the stance of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), which refuses to recognise the installed regime and calls for a return of the popular, elected Haitian government.

This leaves one to wonder whether Canada is supporting the Americans in Haiti to make up for its refusal to participate in the Iraq invasion.

Haiti is the poorest country in the hemisphere and needs our support. Real aid, however, is respectful of the will of the people and is not imposed through the barrel of a gun.

Canada should end support for a government that has committed and continues to commit human rights abuses daily in Haiti. Canada should call for the reinstatement of Haiti's democratically elected government.

I apologize to Mr. Pettigrew. In return, I ask him to apologize to the Haitian people.

Yves Engler is co-author of Canada In Haiti -- Waging War on the Poor Majority to be released this Fall by RED/Fernwood.

To join the Canada Haiti Action Network email list, email Kevin at kskerrett@cupe.ca