Haitians Detained at Navy Base Start Hunger Strike
Nearly 300 Haitians stranded at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, most of them infected with the virus that causes AIDS, have started a hunger strike and intend to fast until they are admitted to the United States, their leader and a lawyer for them said Sunday.
The 268 refugees--including 65 women and 42 children--expect President Clinton to follow through on a campaign pledge and act to allow them to immigrate, said Michael Ratner, a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York.
His group is working to win asylum for them in the United States. State Department officials were not available for comment.
During last year’s campaign, Clinton promised that if elected he would end AIDS-related immigration and travel restrictions. He also promised to give temporary asylum to Haitian political refugees.
Many of those at Guantanamo have been stuck at the military base for over a year, Ratner said.
The U.S. government has determined they are political refugees but federal regulations prevent people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus from entering the country, he said.
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