Democracy on the brink

A couple of stories have come out this week suggesting that the relative calm following Rene Preval's election in Haiti is now coming to an end. First, supporters of the exiled Jean-Bertrand Aristide held a peaceful protest to demand Aristide's return:

Thousands of people have demonstrated in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, demanding the return of exiled former President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Supporters chanted "Aristide or death!" and "Aristide's blood is our blood!" as they marched to the National Palace on the ex-leader's 53rd birthday...

President Rene Preval had said during this year's election campaign he would consider allowing him to return home...

Saturday's march was largely peaceful although there were some stand-offs with riot police.

Of course, such a non-violent protest should be exactly the type of freedom of speech which should be available to Haitians as well as to citizens of other countries. But while Aristide's supporters took peaceful democratic action, the violent gang warfare that has marked far too much of Haiti's recent history also made its return:

The killings began before dawn. Men armed with automatic rifles walked through the hillside slum of Grand Ravine, warning of a fire and yelling for residents to come out of their cinder-block and sheet-metal shacks. Those who obeyed were gunned down.

Several hours later, Haitian morgue workers and UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka piled bodies in one of the slum's main thoroughfares, a rocky stream bed at the bottom of the ravine after which the neighbourhood is named. The body count totalled 21, including three women and four children. Most of the victims were killed with a bullet to the head...

The massacre was as unexpected as it was gruesome. For several weeks, rival gangs had exchanged fire in a turf war over control of the slum. But the massacre that took place last Friday was so arbitrary - family members, neighbours, human rights observers and police all agree the victims were not gang members - that UN and Haitian officials believe it may have been in part an attempt to destabilise the newly elected government of President Rene Preval.

Whether or not Aristide returns to the country, it's readily apparent that plenty more international support will be needed to ensure that the democratic will of Haiti's people won't be overturned yet again. Hopefully Canadian and other leaders will take notice of the current instability, and take action to make sure that Haiti's new regime continues to respect legitimate protests while also having the means to clamp down on its gang wars.

(h/t to catnip.)