From: Curtis Price <cansv-AT-igc.apc.org> Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 18:32:51 +0000 Subject: AUT: (Fwd) General strike paralyzes Haiti's second largest city ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 18:18:47 -0700 From: NewsHound <NewsHound-AT-hound.com> Reply-to: NewsHound-AT-hound.com Subject: General strike paralyzes Haiti's second largest city NewsHound article from "STRIKES" hound, score "77." General >>strike<< paralyzes Haiti's second largest city PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- A >>strike<< protesting a proposed extension of the U.N. peacekeeping mandate paralyzed business in Haiti's second largest city and in parts of the capital Monday. Grass-roots groups had called for a nationwide work stoppage to block the United Nations from keeping its 1,600-member force in Haiti past the July 31 pullout date. The >>strike<< was confined to downtown Port-au-Prince, the capital, and north coast Cap Haitian. Police and U.N. troops patrolled slums in both cities to prevent militants from setting up flaming tire barricades. Police arrested >>strike<< leader Rene Civil, of the grass-roots What Will Happen Will Happen group, after he was reportedly found carrying a can of gasoline in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. No violence was reported in either city. The U.N. Security Council this week is expected to approve a four-month extension of a scaled-down force to help professionalize Haiti's police force before Friday's deadline. China and Russia have agreed to support the extension proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson said Monday. ``We need four more months of an international presence, of a U.N. presence, mainly to train local police there,'' Richardson told The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. The U.N. force took over in March 1995, six months after U.S. troops intervened, toppling the army-backed dictatorship and returning former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. In February, Rene Preval succeeded Aristide, who was barred under the constitution from seeking a second straight term in office. Aristide's supporters have expressed opposition to the U.N. force, which they claim is being used to force acceptance of an internationally-backed plan to modernize Haiti's economy. Aristide has come out against the measures, which would include laying off thousands of state >>workers<<. ------------------------------------------------------------ NewsHound is a service of Knight-Ridder, Inc. For more information, write to: speak-AT-hound.com This material is copyrighted and may not be republished without permission of the originating newspaper or wire service. ------------------------------------------------------------ For more information, visit the NewsHound website at http://www.newshound.com or send an email to speak-AT-hound.com. --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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