Amnesty International certainly has addressed correspondence to the US President and other US officials regarding not only Haitian prisoners of conscience but also US political prisoners like Mumia Abu Jamal.
I, however, am not a member of AI and do not defend that organization but the right of Haitian grassroots organizations and defenders of poor working-class Haitians to continue to support the president and government of their choice, be it Aristide/Lavalas or Preval/Lavalas or any other progressive political force that the Haitian elites and capitalist Western governments seek to remove in order to further their economic interests.If an Amnesty campaign happens to coincide with this objective then I gladly choose to participate.
Many working-class Haitians are disappointed that President Preval has not taken a stronger stand (such as Aristide did) against right-wing destabilization and occupation in Haiti.
His sympathizers point out, however, that Preval remains under threat of the same fate Aristide suffered if he is too outspoken.In this case, AI appeals are helpful in garnering international support for any attempts Preval may make to defend grass roots Haitian human rights and labour activists against persecution and death at the hands of right-wing thungs, death squads and police personnel.
I refer you to wadnerpierre.blogspot.com, haitiaction.net, margaritelaurant.com, haitilabor.org, canadahaitiaction.ca and
for more information about human rights violations in Haiti at the hands of US/Canada/France/MINUSTAH and right-wing Haitian politicians and sweatshop owners and their paramilitary death squads.
