HAITI: NEPTUNE REAFFIRMS RESOLVE TO CONTINUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 003042 SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD WHA ALSO FOR USOAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL HA SUBJECT: HAITI: NEPTUNE REAFFIRMS RESOLVE TO CONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE UNTIL HE IS RELEASED REF: PAP 2916 Classified By: CDA TIMOTHY M. CARNEY, REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: During a December 12 visit from poloff, former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune appeared more agitated and bitter than in recent months. While he remains intellectually sharp, he seemed physically weaker since the last visit on November 22 (reftel). During the 60-minute visit, Neptune, yelling at times, reaffirmed his commitment to continue his hunger strike until the very end and blamed a number of actors, including the USG and other Friends of Haiti governments, of delighting in his slow demise and for not doing enough to procure his release. Neptune appears committed to his decision not to cooperate with any solution offered by the IGOH and is resigned to the consequences of his hunger strike. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Poloff paid a visit to former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune at the Pacot Prison Annex on December 12 (Note: Father Jean-Juste followed poloff into Neptune's room to greet him before poloff began the meeting. Neptune remarked to Jean-Juste in Creole that his neck appeared more swollen than usual and that they should release him so he can see a doctor. Jean-Juste chuckled and replied that he had just told poloff the same thing in their meeting and he exited the room. Jean-Juste visit reported septel. End Note). Poloff commented to Neptune that he looked weaker than during the last visit. He said that he has not seen his doctor in over a month. Poloff offered to contact his doctor or to arrange for the prisons doctor to see him, to which he declined and said that "there's no point for him to see a doctor now," and that "his mind was made up." He said he had no more concern for his life, only for the lives of the Haitian people. He asked poloff to convey a message to DCM Griffiths and asked that he relay the message to the members of the Core Group: "Too many Haitians have died since February 29, 2004" and he wants to know "what the international community has done to help Haiti since then?" ¶3. (C) Neptune then began a 60-minute tirade expressing his frustration at his continued imprisonment. He claimed that certain members of the Latortue government would delight in his death (only mentioning PM Latortue and Foreign Minister Abraham by name). He said that he was "tired of playing games" and that if "they want to see him dead, they will get their wish, but that his death would be a slow one." Referring to his agreement, and subsequent refusal, to leave the country for medical treatment, Neptune said that he had deviated from his original philosophy not to cooperate with any plan that would appear to shed a favorable light on the interim government. He claimed that he agreed initially because UN SRSG Valdes had convinced him to accept the offer, but that since then, he no longer has confidence in Valdes. He added that he would not cooperate with any future solutions negotiated with the IGOH, judicial, political or otherwise, and demanded an unconditional release. ¶4. (C) Raising his voice and yelling at times, Neptune directly blamed USG officials from the embassy and in Washington for not doing more to obtain his release. He referred to his meeting with CODEL Hoekstra in October and demanded to know an update on the plan (the proposed plan involved a release on his own recognizance for Neptune but was ultimately rejected by Justice Minister Dorleans who stated that it was too late in the judicial process to consider that type of arrangement). Poloff assured Neptune that, both the embassy and officials in Washington, past and present, worked tirelessly to seek his release but that neither he nor IGOH officials would cooperate to reach an agreement. Neptune stated that he was at the end of his rope and asked poloff to tell his wife that she should only return to Haiti once he is released or to plan his funeral. ¶5. (C) Comment: Though Neptune seemed genuinely bitter at those of whom he lashed out, the presence in the room of his adopted daughter, an orphan whom he met while at the Aristide Foundation, may have also contributed to his emotional state. In any event, there is no reason to believe that he will in any way participate in the search for a solution to his detention. Post will continue to monitor Neptune's condition and his judicial case. End Comment. CARNEY