[HNA] Spread the Word! U.S. Should Not Recognize Sham Honduras Elections

[Kaveri Rajaraman]

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*Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, say: U.S. should not
recognize sham Honduras elections*
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Dear Kaveri,

Since you have taken action in the past in response to the coup in Honduras,
you probably already know that the elections held there on November 29 were
inherently flawed. Tens of thousands of troops and police officers manned
polling stations and even distributed electoral literature. These forces
have been responsible for killings, rapes, beatings, and detentions of
people opposed to the coup. Media reports cited many people who said they
did not vote out of fear. [1]

But many Americans don't know what's really going on because the U.S. press
hasn't been reporting it. *Can you help us spread the word by sending a
letter to your local newspaper?* You can find an editable sample letter and
a tool for sending it to your local paper at this link:

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/honduraselection<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2b%2FD3R9wlmkTZDw5bC5IvDnXLDRoHFQX>

The climate of repression in which the flawed elections took place included
human rights abuses and violence on election day and the days before.
Authorities raided the homes of people opposed to the coup; assaulted a
march in the city of San Pedro Sula using beatings, tear gas and water
cannons; and detained many people simply for gathering in groups of more
than four. The coup regime silenced broadcasts of media outlets that have
criticized the coup. These violations were condemned by major human rights
organizations including Amnesty International.

It appears that the Honduran electoral authority, the Tribunal Supremo
Electoral (TSE), may have grossly inflated participation figures for the
elections. The official electoral observation organization, Fundacion
Hagamos Democracia, while obtaining roughly the same results as the TSE
elsewhere in its polling, put the participation rate at 47.6%, as opposed to
the 61.3% rate presented by the TSE.

The U.S. government is wrong to recognize these elections as legitimate, and
is alienating us from Brazil and other allies who see the elections as
consolidating the success of a coup. Honduras needs new, free and fair,
elections - not held under a coup government - to move forward and have a
recognized government. Such elections would be overseen by independent
electoral observers - unlike those on November 29 - and would be recognized
by the both the international community and the Honduran people.

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/honduraselection<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Mx5Lk5AsAI2%2Bxcty%2B%2FwiIDnXLDRoHFQX>

Thank you for all you do to help bring about a just foreign policy.

Robert Naiman, Chelsea Mozen, Megan Iorio and Sarah Burns
Just Foreign Policy

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References:

1) "Honduran Elections Marred by Police Violence, Censorship, International
Non-Recognition, CEPR Co-Director Says," Press Release, Center for Economic
and Policy Research, November 30, 2009
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/press-releases/press-releases/honduran-elections-marred-by-violence/
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 © 2009 Just Foreign Policy

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