[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 45 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           DEMOCRACY IN HAITI

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, yesterday Senator Dodd and several 
other colleagues introduced a bill to restore democracy in Haiti. 
Today, I would like to add my name as a cosponsor of S. 2027, the 
Haitian Restoration of Democracy Act of 1994.
  This bill sends a clear signal to the military junta in Haiti that 
the United States will not tolerate the deposing of a freely elected 
President in the Western Hemisphere. If the United States cannot stand 
up for democracy only 600 miles from our shore, how will we face 
injustice in countries in which we have no national interests?
  S. 2027 tightens the embargo against Haiti so that those responsible 
for the instability in Haiti, the Army and their supporters, will feel 
the brunt of these sanctions. Heretofore, only average Haitians have 
been affected by the sanctions. For the sanctions to have any tangible 
affect on the political situation in Haiti, we must make certain that 
General Cedras and his supporters feel the sanctions' effects.
  In addition, S. 2027 makes it United States policy to take steps 
against countries who violate international and United States sanctions 
against Haiti. The international community has spoken through the 
Organization of American States [OAS] and the United Nations against 
those rogue elements in Haiti by establishing sanctions. This bill 
ensures that those nations who ignore the sanctions against Haiti will 
also have a price to pay.
  Human rights violations in Haiti have increased since the OAS 
withdrew its human right monitors last fall. It is imperative that the 
international community address this problem as soon as possible. 
Murder, rape, and abduction for political reasons are daily occurrences 
in Haiti. If these violations are not monitored and reported to 
international bodies for appropriate action, the instability of Haiti 
could turn into total chaos. This bill addresses this issue by 
facilitating the return of a full contingent of human rights observers 
under the auspices of the United Nations and/or the Organization of 
American States.
  While I support the foreign policy provisions of S. 2027, I do 
however, have serious reservations about certain immigration provisions 
in this bill.
  My main concern is that it should not be U.S. policy to encourage, 
for any reason, citizens of any nation to make a perilous journey, over 
water, in unseaworthy boats, to the United States. The provisions of S. 
2027 regarding temporary protected status for virtually all Haitians--
including those currently in Haiti--will likely encourage precisely 
such a journey.
  Rather than inducing an undesirable exodus, we need to develop and 
enforce policies that improve conditions in Haiti and render the 
journey to the United States unnecessary. I am confident the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee will address these issues at the committee 
level. If, however, they cannot be resolved, I will reconsider my 
support for S. 2027.
  The Haiti question will not go away. The coup leaders continue to 
believe that the international community will forget about their 
heinous actions over time. I urge my colleagues to support S. 2027 
because it clearly states that the United States makes democracy and 
the rule of law a priority in Haiti, the stability of which is in our 
national interest.

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