In an interview with the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR), just before Christmas, Miguel Saint Louis, the Coordinator of the Human Rights Committee of Belladère of Network Border Jeannot Success (RFJS), declared of Dominican military of CESFRONT, take advantage of the holidays and New Year, to make pay more taxes than provided to Haitian nationals.

Mr. Saint Louis gave the example of tourists and traders, coming in Dominican territory, forced to pay between 100 to 200 pesos in five different military checkpoint, before leaving the last military point to enter on the Haitian border (Belladère).

Miguel Saint Louis, has also reported having found that 7 soldiers of CESFRONT assigned to the point of Karisal (Elias Piña) were involved in this malicious activity.

He also stressed that of traders, currently pay 2.500 pesos per day for having access to the market of Elias Piña [Monday and Friday] while in regular period these same traders usually pay between 800 to 1000 pesos.

Note that various agreements were signed between the Haitian and Dominican governments during the year 2012, in which the persons concerned are not parties, and in which the fundamental issues such as, the management of border markets and the crossing of the border, have not been taken into account.

On the eve of this new year, the RFJS, face to this situation urges the Government Martelly-Lamothe to work with the Dominican State in order to restore the situation and create an atmosphere of peace and harmony for the benefit of the two nations sisters.

HL/ GAAR/ HaitiLibre