[ppi] [ppiindia] Haiti di benua amrik latin dalam situasi ketidakpastian<-- perlu dukungan dunia

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Looting Erupts As Foreigners Leave Haiti    

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - U.S. Marines escorted foreigners trying to 
flee Haiti's capital Wednesday as looting broke out and opposition 
leaders urged a "timely and orderly" departure of beleaguered 
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 

  Haitian President Appeals for World Help 

President Bush (news - web sites) warned that the U.S. Coast Guard 
(news - web sites) would turn back any Haitian refugees trying to 
reach American shores. He said Washington still hoped for a political 
solution and was discussing a strong security presence in Haiti with 
the international community. 

Aristide loyalists built dozens of flaming barricades throughout the 
capital, blocking roads all over Port-au-Prince in hopes of thwarting 
a rebel attack. Thugs robbed people at the barricades. 

With a motley group of rebels overrunning half the country, led in 
part by Haitians accused in past massacres, the stalemate raised 
alarm in the international community and added to pressure for 
Aristide to resign. 

U.S. Marines guarded a convoy of U.N. personnel after the United 
Nations (news - web sites) on Wednesday ordered all nonessential 
staff and family to leave. 

A team of Canadian soldiers flew into Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to 
aid a possible evacuation of 1,000 citizens, Foreign Affairs 
spokesman Reynald Doiron said in Ottawa. 

Opposition leaders rejected a U.S.-backed peace plan for Haiti that 
would have Aristide remain as president but share power with 
political rivals. 

"It is absolutely necessary for the international community to 
accompany the country in its quest for a mechanism that will allow 
for a timely and orderly departure of Jean-Bertrand Aristide," the 
Democratic Platform coalition said in a statement. 

Opposition leader Evans Paul said at a news conference that the first 
step in resolving the crisis was Aristide's departure. 

As the Dominican Republic doubled the number of troops along its 225-
mile border with Haiti, Bush urged any Haitians who might try to flee 
the island "to stay home as we work to reach a peaceful solution to 
this problem." 

"We still hope to achieve a political settlement between the current 
government and the rebels," Bush said. "The secretary of state has 
been in touch with Canadian officials and French officials and 
Caribbean officials, all aimed to convince the parties to come to the 
table and effect a peaceful solution." 

French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said Tuesday that 
diplomats were considering proposing "a police force, or a civilian 
force" for approval by the U.N. Security Council. 

Rebel leader Guy Philippe remained in Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second-
largest city in the north that militants seized Sunday and are making 
their base. 

Britain and Australia on Tuesday urged their citizens to get out of 
Haiti, following similar warnings from the United States, France and 
Mexico. There are about 30,000 foreigners in Haiti, 20,000 of them 
Americans. 

Last-ditch diplomatic efforts by Secretary of State Colin Powell 
(news - web sites) did not save the peace plan because of the 
opposition's insistence upon the resignation of Aristide, who has 
lost much popular support amid accusations he condoned corruption, 
failed to help the poor and brutally suppressed the opposition. 

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin was to meet this week 
in Paris with representatives of the Haitian government and the 
opposition to try to resolve the escalating crisis in the former 
French colony. 

Police on patrol but did nothing to stop Aristide militants robbing 
people of handbags, cell phones or whatever they had in cars. 

Guy Lockrey, an auto worker from Flint, Mich., was forced to abandon 
his car at a barricade and was walking to the airport with his 
suitcase when police picked him up. 

"We didn't feel any tension until we got close to the capital," said 
Lockrey, who had driven from west-central Haiti, where he was helping 
build a church. 

Aristide loyalists have become more aggressive since Haiti's small 
and demoralized police force fled the rebel advance. The insurgents 
have torched more than 20 police stations in northern Haiti since the 
uprising began Feb. 5. 

On Tuesday, Aristide warned that if rebels try to take the capital, 
thousands would die. At least 70 people have been killed in the three-
week uprising, about 40 of them police officers. 

"We need the presence of the international community as soon as 
possible," he said. "Unfortunately many brothers and sisters ... will 
take to the sea, they will become boat people." 

At the National Palace, where Aristide made his plea in French, 
English, Spanish and Creole, few police officers were visible. But an 
official said about 100 were on guard. 

Haiti has no military. It was disbanded after U.S. troops returned 
Aristide, Haiti's first freely elected leader, to power in 1994. The 
military had deposed Aristide in 1991 and instituted a reign of 
terror. 

Philippe told The Associated Press on Tuesday he wants to restore the 
army but does not want another military dictatorship. 

Aristide said he was not calling for a military intervention, but 
international help to better train and equip Haiti's police. Previous 
requests have been ignored as countries, including the United States, 
accuse Aristide of politicizing the police force, ignoring corruption 
among officers and using the police and armed militants to crush 
dissent. Aristide denied those charges. 

In a letter to Powell, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., accused the Bush 
administration of standing by while an elected government faces 
violent overthrow. 

"People are dying, and our own commitment to democracy is under 
siege. ... Our failure to support the democratic process and help 
restore order looks like a covert effort to overthrow a government," 
wrote Lee. 

Human Rights Watch said the international community should consider 
sending soldiers and police to Haiti, citing the "horrendous human 
rights records" of some rebel leaders and the "violent and lawless 
methods" adopted by pro-government gangs. 

ActionAid agency warned of looming hunger and health crises. It said 
only one hospital still is operating in Port-au-Prince, and food 
prices in are rising. 



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Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg 
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.arsip.da.ru
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