Central Africa moves to silence Aristide

[Tinoire]

Central Africa moves to silence Aristide
The Government of the Central African Republic has moved to silence its guest, ousted Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but said it is not ready to expel him from the country.

"The government has instructed the foreign ministry and myself to once again go and point out to him that he has an obligation to be discreet that he must respect," government spokesman Parfait M'bay said following a late-night cabinet meeting to discuss what to do with Mr Aristide.

"We are not however going to take away the telephone from him, nor oblige him to leave without consulting with the friends who asked us to welcome him."

National radio earlier announced that all local and foreign journalists with questions relating to Aristide, who has annoyed his hosts with embarrassing statements, must henceforth first address themselves to the CAR authorities.

"All agents of the private press and the foreign press must go to the foreign ministry over any matter related to the stay of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, for better coordination and orientation," a broadcast government statement said.

<snip>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1060364.htm

& Must watch: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/05/1543207

[Kagemusha]

1. Better coordination and orientation... with the US?

I think that sounds about right.

[Tinoire]

3. Here's a little more on the "coordination"

Youth Reporter Phones in Story From Haiti
By JOHNNY Pacific News Service (03-05-04)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Johnny (last name withheld for his safety), 18, is a former youth reporter with Radyo Timoun (Children’s Radio) 90.9 FM in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This week rebels looted and burned it along with the Aristide Foundation For Democracy in which the station was located. Johnny told his story to PNS contributor Lyn Duff via telephone from Port-au-Prince.

<snip>

When Titid became president he told the world that we street children were people, we had value, that we were human beings. Many adults didn’t like this message. They said we were dirty and should be thrown out like the trash that we are. But Titid loved us and when I met him, he kissed me and put his hand on my face and told me he loved me. And they were not the empty words of a politician.

<snip>

Right now it is hard to survive and we don’t know what we will do to find food and water. There are gangs everywhere in army clothes, looting and burning, attacking people and robbing those that are weaker. Everyone is fearful for the present and for the future.

The U.S. Marines stood by and did nothing while the library at the Aristide Foundation was burned. With my own eyes I saw the American Marines stand and watch while rebels cut a woman and shot her. I yelled at them, “Do something!” and they swung their guns around toward me and yelled, “Get back!”

While I hid in a field the American Marines put their hats on the bodies of dead people and posed for pictures with them. It made me sick because in Haiti we respect the dead. The Americans scare me; I don’t believe that they want anything good for the Haitian people because they support the criminals who oppose democracy.

<snip>

A new government has no hope for the children of Haiti. I am scared, I think the criminals will try to kill me too because I am one of Titid’s boys. But I am not just scared for myself. I am scared for all the children of Haiti. And today I cannot stop crying.

http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?issue=03-05-04&storyID=18407

[Isome]

2. That doesn't mean he's held against his will...

It just means that CAR is taking care of him well. Making sure those pesky journalists questions are filtered through them first. For goodness sake, surely we wouldn't allow any harm to come to him. This isn't like Patrice Lumumba being handed over to Belgium forces for eventual execution.

errrr, or is it?

[Tinoire]

4. Yeah... gracious aren't they. If they don't like it

they should just send him back to Haiti :)

[Darranar]

5. "Not ready to expel him"?

In other words, they're not ready to let him free.

The propaganda is ridiculous.

[Tinoire]

6. It sure is...

[Just Me]

7. They are acting to "protect" him,...

,...and avoid an unecessary martyrdom or crucifixation of a very important lighthouse.

Such actions could be perceived as very, very positive,...depending upon your point of view.

The Dalai Lama survived by wisely being quiet in the night,...and his message survived and was spread.