Haiti: Information on the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) from 1991 to present, and on the difficulties faced by its preachers, missionaries and members

The following information was provided by the in-field specialist at the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a telephone interview on 31 October 1994. The in-field specialist is the first person contacted by the mission presidents for welfare, safety or assistance. He is in constant contact with the Mormon mission in Haiti.

The Mormons have been an officially recognized church in Haiti for 14 years and currently have approximately 3,500 native members. With the military overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide three years ago, the approximately 20 U.S. Mormon missionaries were recalled from Haiti by the Mormon headquarters, leaving only native missionaries in the country. Mormon members have been affected by the embargo placed on Haiti, but no more so than the general population. The Church of Latter Day Saints has, however, been able to send funds and supplies to its members in Haiti via Puerto Rico.

The in-field specialist stated that Mormons are "fairly free" to practise their faith, proselytize and build churches among other things, within the restrictions imposed on the general population by the military regime. The in-field specialist stated that Mormons are not targeted specifically because of their religious affiliations. More precise information could not be obtained from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints in Utah.

The following information was provided in a telephone interview on 1 November 1994 by the Caribbean/Latin America consultant for the National Coalition for Haitian Refugees in New York. The consultant was previously the legal director of the OAS/UN (Organization of American States/United Nations) international civilian mission in Haiti, and spent most of 1993 and the first half of 1994 in Haiti.

Clergy and lay people were not targeted by the army because of a particular religious affiliation, but because they may have had pro-Aristide sympathies. The Catholic Church hierarchy and many Protestant churches were opposed to Aristide before he won the elections. Following the September 1991 coup d'état, the military considered all those who were anti-Aristide to be pro-coup, and therefore, pro-military. The military ignored these organizations and instead concentrated its harassment on those who were pro-Aristide and who followed Aristide's social activism.

Haiti has many rapidly growing Protestant sects. Established Protestant denominations such as the Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists and Episcopalians can be found throughout the country and operate freely. The Mormons too have grown dramatically and their American missionaries can be seen everywhere. The consultant stated that he saw American Mormon missionaries during his visits to Haiti after the coup. In a subsequent telephone interview on 2 November 1994, the consultant stated that Mormon missionaries are identified by a plastic identification card, worn on the chest, on which is written the name of the individual, with "Church of Latter Day Saints" underneath.

The following information pertains to the general situation of religious groups and churches in Haiti. According to Country Reports 1993, religious groups operate freely in Haiti, membership in evangelical christian movements has grown significantly, and foreign evangelists visit regularly (1994, 486). However, Human Rights Watch World Report 1993 states that the Catholic Church has come under particularly fierce attack, and Protestant churches and groups strongly linked with social activism and development have also been targeted (HRW 1993, 121). Please consult the attachments for the treatment of various religious clergymen and organizations in Haiti.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. 31 October 1994. Telephone interview with in-field specialist.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 1993. Human Rights Watch World Report 1993. 1993. New York: Human Rights Watch.

National Coalition for Haitian Refugees, New York. 1 November 1994. Telephone interview with Caribbean/Latin America consultant.

. 2 November 1994. Telephone interview with Caribbean/Latin American consultant.

Attachments

Amnesty International. 1993. Amnesty International Report 1993. New York: Amnesty International, p. 147.

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 1993. Human Rights Watch World Report 1993. 1993. New York: Human Rights Watch, pp. 120-121.

Human Rights Watch/Americas and National Coalition for Haitian Refugees. April 1994. Vol. 6, No. 5. Terror Prevails in Haiti: Human Rights Violations and Failed Diplomacy. Washington, DC: Human Rights Watch, pp. 17-19.

Human Rights Watch/Americas, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and National Coalition for Haitian Refugees. August 1994. Vol. 6, No. 10. Fugitives from Injustice: The Crisis of Internal Displacement in Haiti. Washington, DC: Human Rights Watch, p. 26.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 8 September 1994. Vol. 26, No. 32. "Priest's Killing Adds to Haiti's Pain," pp. 1, 8.

. 1 September 1994. Vol. 26, No. 31. "Church: Haiti: Workers for Lutheran-Sponsored Projects ...," p. 8.

. 28 July 1994. Vol. 26, No. 28. "Church: Haiti: Armed Men Threaten a Foreign Priest ...," p. 8.

Additional Sources Consulted

Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. November 1992. Haiti: Country Profile.

Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights & Civil Liberties 1992-1993. 1993.

Human Rights Watch World Report. Yearly. 1992, 1994.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly. 1993.

News from Americas Watch. 1992-present.

Religion in Politics: A World Guide. 1989.