Dominican Republic ‘observes’ Haitians “Taking our territory”

Santo Domingo.- Two senior government officials on Monday rebuked the campaign "Taking our territory" (TNT) promoted by Haitian sectors in the Dominican Republic.

Interior and police minister José Ramón Fadul said he doesn’t want to believe that the slogan, coined by a NGO, promotes the idea that the island is one and indivisible.

He said the government is on the alert to see how the case unfolds. "Mr. Paraison has that NGO, has that name and for now it’s very thought-provoking and could be interpreted, in some way, as a bit disconcerting."

Fadul was referring to former Haitian consul Edwin Paraison, who’s married to a Dominican, and heads a pro-Haitian rights group.

The official said if Paraison needs to be called for a response he will, and warned that Dominican sovereignty must never be questioned by anyone under any circumstance.

Executive Branch legal adviser Cesar Pina said he’s observing the manifestations, since for now, “we cannot do more than that "We understand that it’s a form of expression which obviously many disagree with and hasn’t transcended still."