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| For
a plate of rice…
Panthel
Etienne of Dâme-Marie was a restaurant owner
who innocently served two members of the revolutionary
group "Jeune Haiti" that invaded the
country for the purpose of liberating the Haitian
people from the terrors of Papa Doc in 1964. During
the repression that followed the invasion, Etienne
was arrested, accused of conspiracy and summarily
executed for selling a plate of rice! |
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The Chronicle
is developed on the web as a virtual monument
to memorialize the thousands of forgotten
victims of the Duvaliers. The story of these
victims is a matter of record that underscores
the value of their lives and their untimely
deaths. We need to document those events
for posterity, so that future generations
can learn about their history.
Those
of us who witnessed and survived the repressive
machine of the Duvaliers' dictatorship have
a moral obligation to first immortalize
the victims, then to erect in their honor
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a
living memorial, similar to those dedicated
to the Holocaust and war veterans throughout
the world. Fort-Dimanche, the physical site
and symbol of the horrors of that repressive
era, was ironically destroyed in 1994-1995
under the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide,
instead of being transformed into a museum,
as expected.
With
your collaboration this project will no
longer be a dream; it will be a reality.
Please send us names, photos and information
on all known victims of the years 1957-1986.
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| The
chronicle recognizes
the thousands of individuals who, under the
regime of both Duvaliers, were unjustifiably
stripped of their undeniable rights and/or
deprived unreasonably of their civil liberties.
Many of these victims were incarcerated and
subjected to physical and mental torture without
cause or due process. Many others were forced
into exile and a great number disappeared,
were killed in Fort-Dimanche or elsewhere,
or died as a direct consequence of the terrors
of this oppresive regime. Among them, you
will find the names of many well-known individuals
who ironically fell prey to the horrors of
the Duvalier era, despite their initial involvement
or affiliation with the masterminds or architects
of the same regime that eventually crushed
them. Nonetheless, they were victims as well.
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| "PA
BLIE" (Don't Forget): The Forgotten
Organization… |
| On
April 26, 1986, 2 months after the the
downfall of Jean-Claude Duvalier, a
group of concerned citizens organized
a march that ended in front of Fort
Dimanche to honor and pay respect to
the thousands who perished there. Family
members of thousands of victims peacefully
demanded that the Fort be turned over
to the people and converted into a museum
or memorial. The Army opened fire and
killed Fred Coriolan, an active member
of the group. n May 1987, after months
of discusion, more than 50 survivors
of the regime signed the by-laws of
an organization called "Pa Blié"
for the purpose of documenting the atrocities
of the Duvalier regime. Their slogan
"Bay kou blie, pote mak songe"
characterized their threefold mission
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1)
establishing a museum; 2) developing
a park where each tree would be dedicated
to a specific victim; and 3) enact into
law April 26 as the " Haitian Anti-Repression
Day." "Pa blie" collected
hundreds of historical photographs and
artifacts related to this repressive
era and shared them with the public
at several exhibits. This movement has
been silent in recent past and unfortunately
no apparent effort is being made to
give the victims their earned legacy.It
is our hope that this chronicle, though
virtual, will revive their efforts and
serve as a fitting steppingstone to
an actual memorial that the victims
so deserve.
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| Fort
Dimanche soon to become a museum…
On
January 31, 1991, the newly elected mayor of Port-au-Prince,
Evans Paul announced in a press conference that
Fort Dimanche, the symbol of repression and torture
of the Duvalier regime, will be transformed into
a museum. It was at that infamous dungeon that
most political opponents to the regime were incacerated.
Mayor Evans Paul announced that all instruments
of torture will be put in display to better educate
our future generations of such
horrors.
On the right, what remains today… |
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