30348: Gilles (reply) Re : 30310: Roebling (reply) (On Haitians living in the DR (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Emmanuelle Gilles <manugi28@yahoo.fr>

One fact that Roebling has not mentioned in her posting is the smuggling of 
young poor Haitians at the Haitian border.  This traffic of young and poor 
haitians is driven by Dominicans themselves who are misleading young Haitians 
into thinking that they will find good opportunities in DR - instead they are 
taken straight to the bateys to work in the sugar cane industry like slaves. 
Those who are unable to work are those that they want to send back to Haiti as 
well as those living illegally.

Unfortunately, The Haitian Government has not done much to help its descendants 
in DR - in my view, they should encourage those working in the bateys and all 
those without papers to return home with dignity. Tax money can be collected 
from Haitian citizens to create jobs for them considering that they are not 
getting that much money from the Dominicans either.  It is a myth that they are 
living better lives in the DR. It is not so. The Haitian government can revive 
the sugar cane industry in Haiti and utilize its mainpower in the interest of 
Haiti rather than accepting the humiliation inflicted upon Haitians in the DR. 
All of this is happening because of their black race.

Indeed, Haiti has not managed to move from poverty into a middle income 
country.  In the 50's and 60's, Haiti was ahead of the DR in many aspects. 
The Dominican's economy depends largely on the Haitian market.  It suffices to 
close the Haitian border and block all commercial activities, the impact can be 
devastating to DR.  President Fernandez during a conference stated that Haiti 
is its main partner –generating US 100 million a year.

I blame the Haitian Government for not taking the appropriate action to provide 
means for all the Haitians made slaves in the DR to return home. What can they 
do when they return to Haiti? they can clean streets and get paid, the 
Government can create factories that can provide basic commodities rather than 
importing them while providing jobs for them.  What is the current Haitian 
government's policy on this issue?   Rather than letting the Dominicans 
deporting Haitians, the Government should request that all Haitians without 
papers leave the DR and return home where they can find their freedom and their 
dignity.  In Haiti, they are poor but not slaves.  In the DR, they are still 
poor and enslaved. What is the purpose of living in the DR in those conditions?

Is there a reason why the Haitian Government cannot manage this “dossier”? 
What force is behind the Dominican Sugar Cane industry, thus the Bateys?

We cannot talk about reconciliation between the two islands when they have an 
anti-african mentality and aspire to whiten their race rather than sharing the 
african heritage that they also have.  The Haitians have been disparaged by the 
US since the 1980's - this was followed by all other nations.  It is a pity. 
In reading some of the postings, I sense the reasonings that Haitians don't 
have the capacity to run their country - it is already declared a failed state 
- but abroad they run hospitals, they teach at universities even in the DR, 
they succeed in many other areas. The current Governor of Canada is of Haitian 
descent, the three "Dumas", author of Count of Monte Cristo were Haitians and 
one can go on.
When Aristide was thrown out of the country by the military - whether the 
military was corrupted or not, not to mention the excess of "FRAP" - it still 
would have been better than having Aristide for 10 years - of course President 
Clinton returned Aristide back to Haiti.   It was also the international 
community who convinced Preval to run for President, he was not even interested 
in the job.  The governance dilemma in Haiti has never been because we cannot 
run our country, it is because the power goes into the wrong hands.