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Dear friends and supporters of Haiti

We are all deeply troubled by the daily horrors of civil unrest in cities across Haiti costing the lives of hundreds and thousands of Haitians. The overthrow of the democratically elected government of Haiti by a superpower like the US is a dangerous precedent. We need to send a clear message to the Bush Administration that such actions are unacceptable and we will hold accountable those responsible for these acts of injustice.

You will find below a petition letter that expresses our sentiments of outrage on the act by the US government to depose the leader of a sovereign state. President Jean Bertrand Aristide is the choice of the Haitian people and only they should have the final say on electing their leader.

We ask you to sign the petition asking for immediate and unconditional re-instatement of President Aristide of Haiti. We are also demanding an investigation into the role of the Bush Administration in its violation of international laws. We will use this letter to support current demands for Congressional investigation. Congressmembers Barbara Lee and John Conyers, along with 24 of their colleagues have proposed the TRUTH Act, which calls for such an investigation. (Non-profit organizations need not be concerned about violating the "advocacy on legislation" clause of their 501.c(3). The petition does not mention this or any other specific Bill before Congress)

At this time, we are only asking for organizational endorsement of this petition. Please fill out the form below as completely as possible and clip and paste to send to: petition@haitiaction.org. For more information on current conditions in Haiti, please visit: www.haitiaction.net

Walter Turner & Kevin Danaher
Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA

Reverend Dr. J.Alfred Smith Sr.
Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, CA

Pierre Labossiere
Haiti Action Committee, Berkeley, CA

Nunu Kidane & Gerald Lenoir
Priority Africa Network, Berkeley, CA

Dale Sorenson
Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas
Marin, CA

---------------------------------- text of petition below

ORGANIZATIONAL PETITION ON HAITI

As organizations and institutions working for global justice:

• We denounce the US government for its role in the coup overthrowing the democratically elected government of Haiti and the forced removal of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from his elected office by the United States military.
• We are outraged at the imprisonment of President Aristide in the Central African Republic, where he was held virtually incommunicado under house arrest for two weeks. We oppose any attempt that seeks to restrict President Aristide's freedom of speech and movement.

This act of "regime change" sets a dangerous precedent for the world and has a particularly destabilizing effect on Latin American countries. This US-engineered coup in Haiti is unethical and immoral and in clear violation of international and federal laws, for which the Bush Administration should be held accountable.

We demand a Congressional investigation into the Bush administration's removal of a foreign country's leader from power. We join CARICOM and Africa Union in condemning this removal of a democratically elected president. This is not the first time the US government has acted in direct military retaliation against governments who differ from its economic and political policies.

Finally, we strongly question the role of the "free" press in its biased coverage of events in Haiti. Corporate media legitimizes the new government appointed illegally by the United States and France, and continues to report that President Aristide left voluntarily, when in fact he was forced out of office through coercion, specifically by threats to the safety of his followers.

For the above reasons, we demand:

• The unconditional and immediate return of President Aristide to Haiti in order to serve out his
  term of office until 2006. Respect the vote of the Haitian people.
  
  
• A congressional investigation into the role of the US government in the deliberate destabilization
  of the Haitian government and the implementation of the coup.
  
  
• An immediate end to the repression and daily attacks on Lavalas supporters and those
  demanding the return of President Aristide.
  
  
• Support for Haitian refugees, including Temporary Protective Services (TPS) to refugees
  from Haiti who are fleeing the terror of their home country.

In conclusion, we are alarmed by the Bush Administration's audacity in forcibly removing an elected President from office in total disregard of international norms and laws. We are highly concerned by the overall negative image of the US in global politics. As progressive members of the global community, we strive to co-exist with people and governments of the world in total respect for their sovereignty, which precludes coercive military attacks on foreign countries and their elected officials.

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HAITI PETITION FORM
Please fill out completely and clip and paste to send to:
petition@haitiaction.org

ORGANIZATION: ____________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

Tel/Fax: _____________________________________________________

Web: ________________________________________________________

Contact Name: ________________________________________________

Position: _____________________________________

Tel: _________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________

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