Congresswoman Waters urges President Bush to provide former Haitian Yvon Neptune immediate Temporary Asylum in the United States to receive medical treatment.

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) sent a letter to President Bush, urging him to provide former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune immediate temporary asylum in the United States to receive medical treatment. Copies of the letter were sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ambassador James Foley, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti.

This is the second of two letters that the Congresswoman sent to the President today expressing concern about Prime Minister Neptune, who is in the 20th day of a hunger strike to protest his unjust imprisonment by the interim government of Haiti. An earlier letter had been signed by fifteen of the Congresswoman's colleagues. The text of the most recent letter follows:

After I visited former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune in prison in Haiti on Monday, I reported that he was in a severely weakened state and his life was in danger. I had warned that he may die unless immediate action is taken to save his life and obtain his release from prison. Today, I have learned that Prime Minister Neptune has fallen into a critical condition, and rumor has it that he has been falling in and out of consciousness.

Prime Minister Neptune's death is a tragedy that could still be avoided. However, it is critical that he is provided the best possible medical care and that, should he survive, he is not returned to prison.

I implore you to intervene forthwith to provide Prime Minister Neptune immediate temporary asylum in the United States to receive quality medical care so that he may fully recover. If you act quickly, you may be able to save his life.