Targeted for years by supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government, private radio stations in Haiti are cautiously returning to the airwaves following a rebellion that left more than 300 dead and forced the embattled leader to flee.
But fear of attacks against journalists who used to work for pro-government stations still lingers in the traumatized nation where the media and government have long been at odds.
"These journalists are hiding from ... anyone with a gun or a grievance," said Joanne Mariner, Americas director for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
During the monthlong revolt that led to Aristide's ouster on Feb. 29, more than a dozen journalists were either threatened or attacked, including a Spanish television reporter who was killed when shots broke out during a demonstration held to celebrate Aristide's departure.
The shooting was blamed on Aristide militants, but US Marines say they also returned fire.
Under Aristide's administration, at least two journalists were killed -- including well-known radio host Jean Dominique -- and several others considering to hold an anti-Aristide bias were attacked. Dozens went into hiding or left the country, fearing for their lives.
Some reported getting anonymous calls with the sounds of guns clicking on the other end. Others were in radio stations while attackers sprayed the buildings with gunfire.
"I'm still afraid of Aristide's supporters," said Romney Cajuste, a reporter for the private station Radio Metropole who was kidnapped by armed thugs claiming to be Aristide loyalists. "They've told us we'll collect our punishment at the cemetery."
Since Aristide's departure, many say they feel safer to do their jobs but some journalists who worked for pro-government stations still fear reprisals.
In northern Cap-Haitien, where rebels maintain a strong presence, two radio stations linked to Aristide's Lavalas Family party were torched by residents and shot up by rebels.
Throughout decades of turmoil, radio has been one of few reliable mediums in this impoverished nation of 8 million. More than 150 stations operate in Haiti, made all the more vital since a little more than half of Haitians can read, and few can afford televisions.
"Everything happens on the radio here. People call and complain to radio stations instead of going to the police," said Dadou Jean-Bart, owner of the private Radio Galaxy.
LANDMARK CASE: ‘Every night we were dragged to US soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests,’ a victim said More than 100 South Korean women who were forced to work as prostitutes for US soldiers stationed in the country have filed a landmark lawsuit accusing Washington of abuse, their lawyers said yesterday. Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in country to protect the South from North Korea. In 2022, South Korea’s top court ruled that the government had illegally “established, managed and operated” such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay about 120 plaintiffs compensation. Last week, 117 victims
China on Monday announced its first ever sanctions against an individual Japanese lawmaker, targeting China-born Hei Seki for “spreading fallacies” on issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and disputed islands, prompting a protest from Tokyo. Beijing has an ongoing spat with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, and considers foreign criticism on sensitive political topics to be acts of interference. Seki, a naturalised Japanese citizen, “spread false information, colluded with Japanese anti-China forces, and wantonly attacked and smeared China”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Monday. “For his own selfish interests, (Seki)
Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday vowed to “accelerate” his libertarian reforms after a crushing defeat in Buenos Aires provincial elections. The 54-year-old economist has slashed public spending, dismissed tens of thousands of public employees and led a major deregulation drive since taking office in December 2023. He acknowledged his party’s “clear defeat” by the center-left Peronist movement in the elections to the legislature of Buenos Aires province, the country’s economic powerhouse. A deflated-sounding Milei admitted to unspecified “mistakes” which he vowed to “correct,” but said he would not be swayed “one millimeter” from his reform agenda. “We will deepen and accelerate it,” he
‘HYANGDO’: A South Korean lawmaker said there was no credible evidence to support rumors that Kim Jong-un has a son with a disability or who is studying abroad South Korea’s spy agency yesterday said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, who last week accompanied him on a high-profile visit to Beijing, is understood to be his recognized successor. The teenager drew global attention when she made her first official overseas trip with her father, as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Analysts have long seen her as Kim’s likely successor, although some have suggested she has an older brother who is being secretly groomed as the next leader. The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) “assesses that she [Kim Ju-ae]
RSS