AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

External Document

AI Index: AMR 36/013/2003 (Public)

News Service No: 284

17 December 2003

Embargo Date: 17 December 2003 00:01GMT

Haiti: Declaration by Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Haitian independence

On 1st January 2004, the worlds first black republic Haiti, will celebrate the 200th anniversary of it's births, on the eve of it's bicentennial we at Amnesty International would like to recognize the efforts of countless men and women who have struggled to make human rights real for the people of Haiti.

Unfortunately following it's Independence Haiti has suffered a string of dictators and human rights abuse.

Some reforms were made after the first peaceful hand-over between elected governments 8 years ago, however to this day Haiti remains one of the poorest countries in the world, and human rights abuses are again on the increase, and so on the eve of it's bicentennial Amnesty International is issuing a plan of action with ten concrete points, and we call on the leaders of Haiti of all political persuasion, as well as on world leaders, to support this plan of action and to make human rights real for the people of Haiti.

The people of Haiti deserve no less.

Public Document

****************************************

For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566

Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org