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Peter F. Romero Acting Assistant Secretary Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Statement before the House International Relations Committee Washington, DC, November 9, 1999

U.S. Policy Toward Haiti

I am pleased to be here with you this morning to discuss an issue in which we and our neighbors have vital stakes -- efforts to build democracy in a troubled land barely 600 miles off our shores. As is evident from the remarks of the Members of Congress who preceded me in testifying today, there is a mixed record of progress toward these goals. It is crucial that the Administration and Congress work together in the months ahead to address the problems that have been raised in this hearing.

September marked the 5-year anniversary of the UN-sanctioned military intervention that restored elected government to Haiti. Because we and the international community acted, Haiti's nightmarish repression ended, as did the flotillas of fleeing refugees. Deep-seated problems clearly remain -- and progress is less than we had hoped or Haitians had reason to expect. But the reality is that Haiti has experienced the longest period of democratic government in its history. Human rights problems continue to be a serious concern, but nonetheless pale in comparison to the pervasive political violence of the de facto or Duvalier eras. The roughly 380 extrajudicial and suspicious killings in the first 8 months of 1994 stand in stark contrast to 38 reported police killings in 1998. Haitians today enjoy an unprecedented level of freedom of the press and assembly and a range of political parties and civil society groups operate openly.

The United States' goals in Haiti remain unchanged: to help Haitians reverse the conditions that for nearly two centuries have mired the Haitian people in poverty and impeded the development of democracy. To succeed, our policy needs bipartisan support. Only with such a consensus can we work effectively with the Haitian authorities and people to meet the manifold and intractable challenges to reaching our common goals. We seek to modernize the Haitian state in all its aspects, construct a nation rooted in the rule of law, and create a foundation for sustained economic growth.

We are now increasingly worried about the state of the Haitian National Police (HNP), especially as Haiti prepares for elections. At the request of Haitian authorities, we and our international partners have worked diligently together and bilaterally to help build a professional and apolitical HNP. Due to lack of funds, the Organization of American States (OAS) component of the UN/OAS International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) has effectively closed. This unfortunately limits the present ability of the international community to monitor and report on police abuse and other human rights violations. We are currently working with the UN and other bilateral donors to ensure the continuation of UN police and human rights assistance after the November 30 termination of the current mandate for the UN International Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH) and the December 31 termination of the MICIVIH mandate. We cannot turn our backs on the problems in the Haitian National Police. Continued international engagement is essential to help train and mentor new police recruits, address continued management problems among the middle ranks of the HNP, and promote the strengthening of Haitian institutions and civil society to ensure improved respect for human rights.

The HNP faces a number of challenges, including a rise in attrition among the ranks and an apparent increase in incidents of human rights abuse and corruption. We are troubled by physical attacks in the past month on the senior police leadership that have weakened police morale and pose a serious threat to police neutrality. We have insisted that these attacks be investigated in full and have made clear to Haiti's leaders that U.S. law enforcement assistance requires their continued and public commitment to an apolitical security force.

The U.S. and international community are assisting Haiti in preparing for elections, scheduled for March 19, 2000, to restore fully the Parliament and independent local governments regarded as lapsed January 11 of this year. Despite some organizational difficulties, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) continues to operate in a credible manner and remains acceptable to a range of political parties. We are troubled by the October 24 violent disruption by self-professed supporters of former President Aristide of a CEP rally inaugurating the voter education campaign. We must not let actions by a band of thugs deter us from our commitment to helping Haiti consolidate its fragile democracy. In addition to possible steps in a bilateral context, we are urging the political parties participating in elections to sign and abide by a non-violence pact presently being developed by the CEP. We are also urging the CEP and HNP to improve communication and coordination to prevent a replay of the October 24 incident.

Haiti remains by far the poorest country in this hemisphere, with one of the most violent and politically repressive histories. Without U.S. and international assistance in 1994, Haiti would have remained under brutal dictatorship. Without continued international help, there is a real danger Haiti will slip backward, and the flotillas of refugees bound for U.S. shores will once again increase. We cannot afford for Haiti to retreat from democracy. We must remain engaged in helping Haitians achieve their goals of strengthened democratic institutions and sustainable economic growth.

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