STORY OF HAITIAN CADAVERS ALONG BORDER STILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 004930

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SMIG DR
SUBJECT: STORY OF HAITIAN CADAVERS ALONG BORDER STILL
UNCLEAR

Classified By: ECOPOL COUNSELOR MICHAEL MEIGS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D)


1. (C) The Dominican Committee on Human Rights announced on
September 3 that approximately 14 Haitian bodies had been
discovered in Pedernales, a province along the
Dominican-Haitian border. Virgilio Almanzar, chairperson of
the committee, told Poloffs that he personally saw only 7
skeletons during a recent trip to the site, but expected to
find more on a follow-up visit next week. Almanzar confirmed
that the Attorney General,s office in cooperation with Armed
Forces officials would send a team to the border to
investigate the murder allegations. The details of what
happened remain sketchy. During a September 10 meeting with
Poloffs, Almanzar claimed that one of the female victims had
been sexually assaulted before being killed. However,
Almanzar also admitted that two of the victims had died of
hunger or dehydration, and wild dogs had eaten some of the
bodies.


2. (C) Almanzar said Army officers along the border
frequently accept bribes in determining which Haitians should
or should not be allowed entry into the Dominican Republic,
an issue that has been covered in Human Rights Reports.
According to Almanzar, some Army officers known to
assassinate Haitians are also drug traffickers and pay off
Dominican military intelligence officials to keep their jobs.


3. (C) Comment: Even though he is a respected human rights
consultant in civil society, Almanzar rarely produces hard
evidence to support his allegations. That said, it is
difficult to gather solid information from any source on
Haitian migrants given the porous border situation and a
culture permeated by corruption.

HERTELL