By: Chris Burke
I sometimes joke that I have a love/hate relationship with Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange. In our early “relationship”, in 2009, I deeply criticised Julian for publishing a court ordered protected document leaked by the UK government in Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI]. I asserted that Julian’s leak of the protected document, and particularly his editorial introduction that accompanied it, blatantly helped to cover up UK's plot to recolonize Turks and Caicos. I said that Julian was reckless in failing to learn the origin of the leak as well as improperly characterising the document’s meaning. The UK targeted several individuals in the Turks and Caicos for corruption as part of a pretext to take control of the island’s government. A judge in the islands at the time ordered the names be sealed pending a further investigation and due process. The document was nonetheless leaked and Wikileaks was happy to publish it. The British governor in TCI apologised for his “error” in failing to keep the document’s content safe but never took responsibility for leaking it in order to bolster UK's position in TCI.
Thereafter, Julian redeemed himself in my eyes. He got it right by publishing evidence of a loan to TCI arranged by the UK whereby members of a local UK-appointed advisory committee were named as makers of the loan without their knowledge. The loan terms were not transparent until it was finally published by Wikileaks. This gave more evidence of UK’s abuse of power in the TCI and showed me that Julian was fair and not supporting a particular agenda. My feelings for Julian shifted away from "hate" and I let Julian know. I then termed him my “frienemy” (friend/enemy).
Then came Wikileak’s 2010 Collateral Murder video showing footage of the US Army in Iraq erroneously shooting civilians. The leak of the video was perfectly reasonable in my opinion. But again, I took exception to his running editorial subtitles, which in my opinion did more to interpret the event from his perspective instead of translate it.
At some point in my back-and-forth feelings for Julian, I came to accept the good with the bad because the good far outweighed the bad. He has put all governments on notice that citizens can and should hold their governments to account. Demanding government transparency is more than words, it comes with accountability and consequences.
It takes a muckraker like Julian to put a spotlight on governments and empower those governments' citizens with the same tools. Even if he gets it wrong a percentage of the time, his mere presence in the world is enough to deter governments from human rights and democracy abuses. Julian is responsible for empowering citizens to revolt against their dictatorship governments, a feat unheard of until this new age of anonymous whistle-blowing.
As the UK shelters Julian from rape charges in Sweden, I wondered how Julian would handle exposing UK abuses now that he is seemingly beholden to that government for his freedom. Is he following UK colonial and democracy abuses in UK-occupied Turks and Caicos or would he protect the UK government in his time of vulnerability.
I think I got my answer. Julian, just this week, criticised the UK government, opining that the UK refuses to keep documents purposefully to keep secrets. He also accused the UK of appealing to their mid-brow squeamish culture by “its risk-adverse approach” against assisting countries to achieve freedom from dictatorship regimes or gain democracy. He said, "[UK] would rather destroy an entire revolution, and keep a country in dictatorship, than risk being blamed for the tiniest thing."
My conclusion is that Julian Assange is the real deal. He has revolutionised a new world culture of confidence to expose the truth as always being the right thing. It for sure has changed the way that governments around the world view accountability to their citizens. The UK seems to have chosen an interesting approach, prevent leaks by simply not keeping records.
My message to the UK is that they can’t keep everyone quiet. It will leak, one way or another. Julian has create the climate, atmosphere and culture to make sure of it.
Well done, my “friend” (it has been decided).
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Did the New United Nations' Decolonization Meeting Favour Turks and Caicos in UK Political Crisis?
By: Chris Burke
Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI] has been waiting for an opportunity for an outside third party entity to weigh the political fall out of the last 2 years. Direct UK rule was implemented in August 2009. With that, the UK took the TCI citizens' democracy, rights to trial by jury and withheld their input in the local government.
To be sure, many members of UK parliament and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Office stayed on the directive that UK's actions in TCI were justified due to the suspicion of TCI local government corruption. Despite the denouncement of UK’s actions by the UN and the bloc Caricom, the UK continued its occupation of TCI and refused to withdraw.
This week, commencing May 31, The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation met again on the overseas territories’ right to self determination to discuss plans to empower the 16 remaining territories, one of which is Turks and Caicos.
The Turks and Caicos Islands' political crisis was discussed at length at the UN meeting held in Grenadines. TCI was fortunate to have had a citizen delegate in attendance, Dr. Conrad Howell.
In the meeting, the Special Committee noted that TCI’s Caribbean neighbors: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the United States Virgin Islands had all expressed objection to UK’s direct rule in TCI, as well as the rights violations that went with it.
The UN committee asserted that “political, economic, social or educational preparedness” should not be used as a pretext to deny a territory the right to independence or self determination. As in the case of Turks and Caicos, the UK contends that it is bringing good governance, righting the political system and the islands' economic condition. The UK’s actions therefore are considered merely a pretext to deny the TCI people their rights.
Dr. Howell made an excellent address to the committee regarding, among other things, UK’s actions seen as discouraging that it plans to ever return any sort of self government to the TCI people. Dr. Howell spoke of the UK Governor wielding absolute authority, the indefinitely suspended general elections, and he described the condition created by the UK where TCI citizens were not allowed to vote on any government decisions, only UK-appointed “advisers”. Dr. Howell made it known that the UK has little or no intent to listen to the voice of the indigenous people of Turks and Caicos.
In addition to Dr. Howell, another meeting participant stated that, Turks and Caicos was prepared to explore its relationship with the rest of the world, including through independence, and must find a regional association in which it could benefit from being seen “as an equal”. That of course is an option if Turks and Caicos wishes to explore an association with a different country, group or bloc other than the UK. This option of regional association is also called “Free Association” as defined by the Compact of Free Association. Often times it is used by a self governing state, with colonial ties to an administrative power, to opt out of that relationship and associate with a different entity for purposes of defence and foreign relations, while often enjoying favorable economic terms such as market access. This is usually a step away from the colonial power relationship and towards independence. Turks and Caicos was already operating as a self governing nation, with its own branches of government and all revenue having been generated by the Turks and Caicos Islands solely.
The UN committee also attested that this is a time when constitutions of the territories should be reformed or rewritten to award “greater autonomy” as an option in the event that the territories “did not want independence and that the United Kingdom did not accept the free association or integration options.” The world must examine, why is the UK rewriting the TCI constitution to recant powers of autonomy of Turks and Caicos? UK’s actions in Turks and Caicos are contrary to any principles of UN’s self determination policies particularly since the UN addressed territories rewriting constitutions specifically to grant MORE power and rights to the territories. If rewriting a new constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands is such a good idea, why is the UK not allowing a vote or referendum by the TCI citizens?
In addition to the UN calling for greater government control by the citizens of the territories, it also made a shocking finding: the installation of a foreign Governor in the territories is a deeply flawed policy. The UN stated, “If constitutional modernization meant anything, it denoted greater self-government and democratization, he said, and to attain it, the 'democratic deficit' between the Governor’s power and that of the peoples’ elected representatives must be dramatically reduced.” The British Virgin Islands was relieved for its “new” UK governor as described in the UN report, the delegate expressing that they welcomed the new Governor and “the difference was between night and day”.
In the case of Turks and Caicos, the UK has rewritten the constitution to include ultimate power to the UK installed Governor, whomever is appointed by the UK at that time. The Turks and Caicos people had asserted at the UK constitutional meeting that giving any UK governor the ultimate power over the government was like playing Russian Roulette, as governance by one man depends on that one man’s character or ability to manage effectively. The principles of government checks and balances is exactly to eliminate the possibility that decisions will be left to one person’s volition. Government checks and balances are based on sound principles of democracy, yet are being taken away from the TCI by the new constitution, assigning power to an unelected UK-appointed Governor.
The UN in closing acknowledged that there is a triangle relationship between the territories, the administering power and the UN. The UN vows to balance its duties to ascertain the true will of the people.
Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI] has been waiting for an opportunity for an outside third party entity to weigh the political fall out of the last 2 years. Direct UK rule was implemented in August 2009. With that, the UK took the TCI citizens' democracy, rights to trial by jury and withheld their input in the local government.
To be sure, many members of UK parliament and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Office stayed on the directive that UK's actions in TCI were justified due to the suspicion of TCI local government corruption. Despite the denouncement of UK’s actions by the UN and the bloc Caricom, the UK continued its occupation of TCI and refused to withdraw.
This week, commencing May 31, The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation met again on the overseas territories’ right to self determination to discuss plans to empower the 16 remaining territories, one of which is Turks and Caicos.
The Turks and Caicos Islands' political crisis was discussed at length at the UN meeting held in Grenadines. TCI was fortunate to have had a citizen delegate in attendance, Dr. Conrad Howell.
In the meeting, the Special Committee noted that TCI’s Caribbean neighbors: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the United States Virgin Islands had all expressed objection to UK’s direct rule in TCI, as well as the rights violations that went with it.
The UN committee asserted that “political, economic, social or educational preparedness” should not be used as a pretext to deny a territory the right to independence or self determination. As in the case of Turks and Caicos, the UK contends that it is bringing good governance, righting the political system and the islands' economic condition. The UK’s actions therefore are considered merely a pretext to deny the TCI people their rights.
Dr. Howell made an excellent address to the committee regarding, among other things, UK’s actions seen as discouraging that it plans to ever return any sort of self government to the TCI people. Dr. Howell spoke of the UK Governor wielding absolute authority, the indefinitely suspended general elections, and he described the condition created by the UK where TCI citizens were not allowed to vote on any government decisions, only UK-appointed “advisers”. Dr. Howell made it known that the UK has little or no intent to listen to the voice of the indigenous people of Turks and Caicos.
In addition to Dr. Howell, another meeting participant stated that, Turks and Caicos was prepared to explore its relationship with the rest of the world, including through independence, and must find a regional association in which it could benefit from being seen “as an equal”. That of course is an option if Turks and Caicos wishes to explore an association with a different country, group or bloc other than the UK. This option of regional association is also called “Free Association” as defined by the Compact of Free Association. Often times it is used by a self governing state, with colonial ties to an administrative power, to opt out of that relationship and associate with a different entity for purposes of defence and foreign relations, while often enjoying favorable economic terms such as market access. This is usually a step away from the colonial power relationship and towards independence. Turks and Caicos was already operating as a self governing nation, with its own branches of government and all revenue having been generated by the Turks and Caicos Islands solely.
The UN committee also attested that this is a time when constitutions of the territories should be reformed or rewritten to award “greater autonomy” as an option in the event that the territories “did not want independence and that the United Kingdom did not accept the free association or integration options.” The world must examine, why is the UK rewriting the TCI constitution to recant powers of autonomy of Turks and Caicos? UK’s actions in Turks and Caicos are contrary to any principles of UN’s self determination policies particularly since the UN addressed territories rewriting constitutions specifically to grant MORE power and rights to the territories. If rewriting a new constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands is such a good idea, why is the UK not allowing a vote or referendum by the TCI citizens?
In addition to the UN calling for greater government control by the citizens of the territories, it also made a shocking finding: the installation of a foreign Governor in the territories is a deeply flawed policy. The UN stated, “If constitutional modernization meant anything, it denoted greater self-government and democratization, he said, and to attain it, the 'democratic deficit' between the Governor’s power and that of the peoples’ elected representatives must be dramatically reduced.” The British Virgin Islands was relieved for its “new” UK governor as described in the UN report, the delegate expressing that they welcomed the new Governor and “the difference was between night and day”.
In the case of Turks and Caicos, the UK has rewritten the constitution to include ultimate power to the UK installed Governor, whomever is appointed by the UK at that time. The Turks and Caicos people had asserted at the UK constitutional meeting that giving any UK governor the ultimate power over the government was like playing Russian Roulette, as governance by one man depends on that one man’s character or ability to manage effectively. The principles of government checks and balances is exactly to eliminate the possibility that decisions will be left to one person’s volition. Government checks and balances are based on sound principles of democracy, yet are being taken away from the TCI by the new constitution, assigning power to an unelected UK-appointed Governor.
The UN in closing acknowledged that there is a triangle relationship between the territories, the administering power and the UN. The UN vows to balance its duties to ascertain the true will of the people.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Visit to Turks and Caicos was More than a Holiday? Clinton Interviewed Citizens Regarding UK Occupation
By: Chris Burke
On May 5, 2011, former US president Bill Clinton and present US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI], for what was reported to be a, “break from their busy schedules to bask in the beautiful TCI sunshine.”
The couple stayed on the famous resort island of Parrot Cay at Donna Karan’s luxury beach home for the entire holiday.
However, TCI insiders have revealed that Mrs. Clinton’s trip to Turks and Caicos was also a fact-finding mission to talk to citizens about the UK occupation. During the couple's trip to TCI, they reportedly covertly spoke with several local citizens. The names of the citizens were not disclosed, but it was reported that both Mr. and Mrs. Clinton conducted interviews. Some reports also suggest that they traveled to North Caicos to question citizens. One witness said, “I know they were asking lots of questions from locals”. However, the exact questions are unknown but had to do with the condition of the TCI citizens following the UK occupation as well as the citizens' loss of democracy and self determination.
How Mr. and Mrs. Clinton came to the decision to interview various TCI citizens is said to have been from a direct plea by a Turks and Caicos citizen who has personal connections with a former US congressman and current Senator from Florida.
More facts are still being investigated. Members of the public are invited to reveal more information, if they are comfortable doing so, by emailing me TCIwatch@gmail.com.
On May 5, 2011, former US president Bill Clinton and present US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI], for what was reported to be a, “break from their busy schedules to bask in the beautiful TCI sunshine.”
The couple stayed on the famous resort island of Parrot Cay at Donna Karan’s luxury beach home for the entire holiday.
However, TCI insiders have revealed that Mrs. Clinton’s trip to Turks and Caicos was also a fact-finding mission to talk to citizens about the UK occupation. During the couple's trip to TCI, they reportedly covertly spoke with several local citizens. The names of the citizens were not disclosed, but it was reported that both Mr. and Mrs. Clinton conducted interviews. Some reports also suggest that they traveled to North Caicos to question citizens. One witness said, “I know they were asking lots of questions from locals”. However, the exact questions are unknown but had to do with the condition of the TCI citizens following the UK occupation as well as the citizens' loss of democracy and self determination.
How Mr. and Mrs. Clinton came to the decision to interview various TCI citizens is said to have been from a direct plea by a Turks and Caicos citizen who has personal connections with a former US congressman and current Senator from Florida.
More facts are still being investigated. Members of the public are invited to reveal more information, if they are comfortable doing so, by emailing me TCIwatch@gmail.com.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Where Does Barack Obama Stand on UK Colonialism Offensive in Turks and Caicos, His Westminster Speech Gives Clues
By: Chris Burke
On May 25, 2011, we heard United States president Barack Obama in Westminster addressing the United Kingdom government, espouse the virtues of democracy and self determination. Amoung the front row attendees was UK's Foreign Affairs Secretary, William Hague, who appeared distinctly provoked. In a polite way, the United States president called some of the United Kingdom's foreign policies hyprocritical. Mr. Obama complimented the United Kingdom's advanced democracy methods of centuries ago but pointed out that failing to implement the policies of democracy and trials by jury today causes a loss of credibility of its foreign policies. President Obama said that if it's good for the United Kingdom it is also good for all people and nations around the world.
Could Mr. Obama have been talking about the UK invasion of Turks and Caicos (TCI) in August 2009, at least in part? According to many Turks and Caicos Islanders, it felt that Barack Obama was talking right to them. It was assuring that Mr. Obama would take the opportunity to admonish the UK government in their own sacred political lair of Westminster.
One Turks and Caicos citizen emailed me and made an interesting point about Mr. Obama's speech. A young lawyer in TCI said it was completely ironic that a world leader of African decent was scolding white stately men whose ancesters created the imperial kingdom. It was quite ironic.
But in any event, times are changing and Mr. Obama made that clear calling for the UK and the US to step back and let other countries explore their potential for economic greatness, that it doesn't have to be the creation and control of the UK or the US in order for it to be good values and make economic sense.
Mr. Obama is right. The UK has spent centuries trying to control trade, land acquisition and power, for UK value. The time to step back and let outside innovation shine is long past due.
Turks and Caicos was such a nation that was innovating and shining prior to the UK takeover. TCI aspired and succeeded in surpassing the sentiment that countries decsecending from slavery can break free from the shackles of their oppressive white masters and excel. TCI was a young nation that only gained its autonomy 40 years ago when it became a self governing nation. Independence was around the corner as TCI required no financial support or any ties to the UK for anything. TCI was quite wealthy with a GDP that any country would envy at $266 Million (2006 stats).
In hindsight, TCI was not without its challenges. TCI's exploding tourist economy created many new residents, business owners and a growing expatriate population that soon proved to be overpowering the smaller TCI citizen (Belonger) population. The TCI caught the attention of the UK government in 2008; whispers of accusations against the TCI local government began that some were engaging in special interest relationships with foreign developers. Depsite a UK governor installed in the islands at all times overseeing the local government operations, the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office still called for a complete UK government takeover of TCI. The entire takeover was predicated on unproven allegations against a few people in TCI's local government, though it cost the entire populace their democracy and self determination.
Just like that, on August 14, 2009, with UK warships surrounding the Caribbean waters of Turks and Caicos, the UK took direct rule of TCI. It immediately announced the "suspension" of the TCI constitution, which is now being replaced by a UK constitution without a vote or referendum by the TCI citizens. The UK also called for all democracy to be withheld as well as the right to trial by jury. The UK also purports that the expatriate population has tripled the Belonger population and should therefore be afforded a vote and the opportunity to be involved in the TCI government. In a blink of an eye, the TCI citizens lost their constitution, democracy, self determination, right to trial by jury and now non-citizen residents are being bestowed rights in TCI that would diminish the citizens' will.
The UK said that TCI can have their democracy restored after the UK is done transforming the islands to total British rule with the new constitution. A political back-and-forth ensues in the islands to this very day, as the UK plan is nearing its conclusion.
Back in Washington D.C. president Barack Obama has been silent as to the human rights abuses and democracy abuses by the UK in TCI. If Mr. Obama's speech in Westminster is any indication that he is paying attention to the democracy abuses and withholding of self determination in Turks and Cacios, then it couldn't come at a better time since the new UK constitution is set to pass any time which will result in UK permanently taking all rights away from the local citizens.
Mr. Obama made a very good point during his speech, he said that citizens who come from a country of corruption have even more of a right to break free and govern themselves. If UK is insisting that forcing its will in the TCI is founded on past local government corruption, then how does it sqaure up with taking democracy and self determination from the remaining citizens?
Mr. Obama also said that freedom and democracy is something that we cannot take for granted just because we have it. We must all learn to spread it and make it good for others to achieve and that the choice of self determination should fall squarely on the side of those who want to be free.
The Turks and Caicos citizens want to be free. TCI citizens are forceably and incompetently being governed by a foreign country of a culture that shares no heritage to the TCI people. It is colonialism in its most basic form.
The situation in Turks and Caicos could be the poster child for exactly what Barack Obama was preaching about in Westminster. I sure hope that Mr. Obama has the courage to address this situation directly and right away.
On May 25, 2011, we heard United States president Barack Obama in Westminster addressing the United Kingdom government, espouse the virtues of democracy and self determination. Amoung the front row attendees was UK's Foreign Affairs Secretary, William Hague, who appeared distinctly provoked. In a polite way, the United States president called some of the United Kingdom's foreign policies hyprocritical. Mr. Obama complimented the United Kingdom's advanced democracy methods of centuries ago but pointed out that failing to implement the policies of democracy and trials by jury today causes a loss of credibility of its foreign policies. President Obama said that if it's good for the United Kingdom it is also good for all people and nations around the world.
Could Mr. Obama have been talking about the UK invasion of Turks and Caicos (TCI) in August 2009, at least in part? According to many Turks and Caicos Islanders, it felt that Barack Obama was talking right to them. It was assuring that Mr. Obama would take the opportunity to admonish the UK government in their own sacred political lair of Westminster.
One Turks and Caicos citizen emailed me and made an interesting point about Mr. Obama's speech. A young lawyer in TCI said it was completely ironic that a world leader of African decent was scolding white stately men whose ancesters created the imperial kingdom. It was quite ironic.
But in any event, times are changing and Mr. Obama made that clear calling for the UK and the US to step back and let other countries explore their potential for economic greatness, that it doesn't have to be the creation and control of the UK or the US in order for it to be good values and make economic sense.
Mr. Obama is right. The UK has spent centuries trying to control trade, land acquisition and power, for UK value. The time to step back and let outside innovation shine is long past due.
Turks and Caicos was such a nation that was innovating and shining prior to the UK takeover. TCI aspired and succeeded in surpassing the sentiment that countries decsecending from slavery can break free from the shackles of their oppressive white masters and excel. TCI was a young nation that only gained its autonomy 40 years ago when it became a self governing nation. Independence was around the corner as TCI required no financial support or any ties to the UK for anything. TCI was quite wealthy with a GDP that any country would envy at $266 Million (2006 stats).
In hindsight, TCI was not without its challenges. TCI's exploding tourist economy created many new residents, business owners and a growing expatriate population that soon proved to be overpowering the smaller TCI citizen (Belonger) population. The TCI caught the attention of the UK government in 2008; whispers of accusations against the TCI local government began that some were engaging in special interest relationships with foreign developers. Depsite a UK governor installed in the islands at all times overseeing the local government operations, the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office still called for a complete UK government takeover of TCI. The entire takeover was predicated on unproven allegations against a few people in TCI's local government, though it cost the entire populace their democracy and self determination.
Just like that, on August 14, 2009, with UK warships surrounding the Caribbean waters of Turks and Caicos, the UK took direct rule of TCI. It immediately announced the "suspension" of the TCI constitution, which is now being replaced by a UK constitution without a vote or referendum by the TCI citizens. The UK also called for all democracy to be withheld as well as the right to trial by jury. The UK also purports that the expatriate population has tripled the Belonger population and should therefore be afforded a vote and the opportunity to be involved in the TCI government. In a blink of an eye, the TCI citizens lost their constitution, democracy, self determination, right to trial by jury and now non-citizen residents are being bestowed rights in TCI that would diminish the citizens' will.
The UK said that TCI can have their democracy restored after the UK is done transforming the islands to total British rule with the new constitution. A political back-and-forth ensues in the islands to this very day, as the UK plan is nearing its conclusion.
Back in Washington D.C. president Barack Obama has been silent as to the human rights abuses and democracy abuses by the UK in TCI. If Mr. Obama's speech in Westminster is any indication that he is paying attention to the democracy abuses and withholding of self determination in Turks and Cacios, then it couldn't come at a better time since the new UK constitution is set to pass any time which will result in UK permanently taking all rights away from the local citizens.
Mr. Obama made a very good point during his speech, he said that citizens who come from a country of corruption have even more of a right to break free and govern themselves. If UK is insisting that forcing its will in the TCI is founded on past local government corruption, then how does it sqaure up with taking democracy and self determination from the remaining citizens?
Mr. Obama also said that freedom and democracy is something that we cannot take for granted just because we have it. We must all learn to spread it and make it good for others to achieve and that the choice of self determination should fall squarely on the side of those who want to be free.
The Turks and Caicos citizens want to be free. TCI citizens are forceably and incompetently being governed by a foreign country of a culture that shares no heritage to the TCI people. It is colonialism in its most basic form.
The situation in Turks and Caicos could be the poster child for exactly what Barack Obama was preaching about in Westminster. I sure hope that Mr. Obama has the courage to address this situation directly and right away.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Is there nobody in UK Parliament that Turks and Caicos Islanders can Trust? Parliament Ignores Demands for Local Elections and Return to Democracy
By: Denny G.
It’s commonsense that the members of UK parliament should be smart cookies who are up on their current events. They can’t be oblivious to what is going on in their own territory with the withholding of our local elections and democracy. Turks Islanders are not taking UK abuse laying down anymore. Nobody in parliament is listening to us and we need to wake them up.
God knows that the [installed] British interim government is not listening to us. That's when we turned our attention to parliament and the foreign affairs committee to get someone to listen to us. But what we hear back is stuff like what Lord Nigel Jones told the TCWeekly. He said that we need to work with the British interim government before we can have elections and democracy. Excuse me, but that’s assbackwards. Lord Nigel Jones is saying that we have to work with the corrupt British interim government to stabilize our economy and correct government malfeasance. Excuse me, the British interim government is who destroyed our economy and if they don’t have government malfeasance fixed by now after two years of direct rule then they have proven incompetence or are purposely stonewalling us. Some of us believe that the British interim government is causing the malfeasance on purpose.
You know, I am sorely disappointed in the UK government. We were patient and helpful for a long time. We were trusting that they wanted to help. But the UK government is taking advantage of us and playing games with us. Lord Nigel Jones knows what he is talking about and he knows that Turks Islanders have been sucker punched. He has traded sides from his former position of going to bat for us. That really hurts.
It also really hurts that the UK is not looking out for our best interests. They are playing every trick up their proverbial sleeve to find a way for this draft constitution to bypass our approval. It’s out of order for us to trust the UK who took our democracy from us to start with. Now there is proof out there of some kind of health care deal and developer contracts that is driving the UK to be installed in Turks and Caicos. Our faith in the UK is gone. How can we let the UK govern us on any level even if it’s only as a territory supervisory level? We need independence just to keep the UK armed robbers from our doors.
What also really hurts is that it took the president of the United States to speak of our rights. When Barack Obama made that speech that the territories have a right to self determination and democracy, the camera turned to William Hague who looked angry at the president’s statement. They have no compassion for what they have done to us, only contempt.
We got the short stick being imprisoned by UK politics. They have turned against us and blame us for why we are suffering losses of rights and freedoms. Only abusers do that. It reminds me of a battered wife who is beaten by her husband and she’s blamed because “she had it coming”.
It’s commonsense that the members of UK parliament should be smart cookies who are up on their current events. They can’t be oblivious to what is going on in their own territory with the withholding of our local elections and democracy. Turks Islanders are not taking UK abuse laying down anymore. Nobody in parliament is listening to us and we need to wake them up.
God knows that the [installed] British interim government is not listening to us. That's when we turned our attention to parliament and the foreign affairs committee to get someone to listen to us. But what we hear back is stuff like what Lord Nigel Jones told the TCWeekly. He said that we need to work with the British interim government before we can have elections and democracy. Excuse me, but that’s assbackwards. Lord Nigel Jones is saying that we have to work with the corrupt British interim government to stabilize our economy and correct government malfeasance. Excuse me, the British interim government is who destroyed our economy and if they don’t have government malfeasance fixed by now after two years of direct rule then they have proven incompetence or are purposely stonewalling us. Some of us believe that the British interim government is causing the malfeasance on purpose.
You know, I am sorely disappointed in the UK government. We were patient and helpful for a long time. We were trusting that they wanted to help. But the UK government is taking advantage of us and playing games with us. Lord Nigel Jones knows what he is talking about and he knows that Turks Islanders have been sucker punched. He has traded sides from his former position of going to bat for us. That really hurts.
It also really hurts that the UK is not looking out for our best interests. They are playing every trick up their proverbial sleeve to find a way for this draft constitution to bypass our approval. It’s out of order for us to trust the UK who took our democracy from us to start with. Now there is proof out there of some kind of health care deal and developer contracts that is driving the UK to be installed in Turks and Caicos. Our faith in the UK is gone. How can we let the UK govern us on any level even if it’s only as a territory supervisory level? We need independence just to keep the UK armed robbers from our doors.
What also really hurts is that it took the president of the United States to speak of our rights. When Barack Obama made that speech that the territories have a right to self determination and democracy, the camera turned to William Hague who looked angry at the president’s statement. They have no compassion for what they have done to us, only contempt.
We got the short stick being imprisoned by UK politics. They have turned against us and blame us for why we are suffering losses of rights and freedoms. Only abusers do that. It reminds me of a battered wife who is beaten by her husband and she’s blamed because “she had it coming”.
Power to the People, Wikileaks Empowers Small Country to Fight for Self Determination
[Editor's note: The United Kingdom took the Turks and Caicos Islands in a coup in August 2009. The UK also took all democracy from the people and is trying to impose a new constitution giving UK permanent power there. A blogger from TCIpost discusses the threats and intimidation that he and his countrymen have endured when trying to bring attention to the democracy crisis and special interest deals by the UK which are alleged to have caused the takeover.]
By: John Glasgow
For everyone who has been following my blog, thank you. Even you Mr. Attorney General who I know feels that I picked on him. I am not about to label myself a political activist or anything like that I just see a need to defend my country of Turks and Caicos. Anyone can label me what they like. But like I said all along I label myself a dumb blogger. I started this blog to oppose the British regime hurting us and taking our power from us and hurting us when we try to expose they are taking our power from us. If you have been reading my blog, you know what I am saying. If you haven't, keep reading. I have been doing this for over a year.
My mother would be annoyed that I call myself dumb because she raised me after all and that could be an insult of the highest order to her as a mother. But relax mother, I say I am dumb but I am smart enough to see that the power is in my hands. The power is in all of our hands just some of us don't know it. I was given the gift of emotional intelligence by my mother who taught me to stand firm for my beliefs and to follow in Jesus' footsteps to march on with the message of good no matter what. Even when threatened by Pontius Pilates Jesus continued ahead with his message of truth. Now I am not saying that I am Jesus, so relax. I am saying that TCI people are religious people that have faith that God will save them. Just like God gave Jesus the power forge on with his message, God gave me that strength too.
If you have been reading my blog for the last few days you will see that I have written some entries about our Attorney General and I have gotten under his skin. I never thought that my agitating opinions about him would cause a threat of legal action against me and my blog. Here is where my emotional intelligence comes in and where Mr. AG's exits. I know that I am just a dumb little blogger and I cannot fight the big oppressive powers of the British government and either could most armies. But the British government is too dumb to see that they can't win a war in order to get away with their secret deals and cover ups anymore. I mean, they can probably get away with it if they threaten a weaker person. But not everyone is a weak person and all it takes is one strong person paying attention. It doesn't take an army anymore.
Come on Mr. AG and British interim government. Don't you see that we live in the age of the computer super highway? The internet can reach thousands of people in different nations around the world in seconds. Colonialisms best tool is conquer and divide. You can't do that anymore. Did you ever hear of a little group called Wikileaks, Mr. AG? They revolutionised the movement of helping citizens to force governments for transparency. This is the world we live in now. You need to modernise your thinking. Threats don't work in the new world of anonymous whistle blowing.
But I want to be honest, Mr. AG. When I wrote all of those articles about you and about the cover ups by the interim government what was I trying to achieve? Just like when the civil servants protested with a sick out, what were they trying to achieve. Do you think somewhere in your shiny head that we are trying to get you to listen. You had so many chances to listen, learn and collaborate with us. The UK doesn't operate like that, does it? You see us as trouble makers that you need to "deal with". With that attitude, Mr. AG, you will never win. You will never have our respect or alliance. We will always be your trouble makers. Nobody is backing down as you will see soon enough.
When you read my blog entries, you were angry like a little school boy. You'll show me, you thought. Where did I read it again, hmmmm, TCI Journal said that the TCIslanders are the children and the UK the parents and the UK needs to punish the children for being bad and that's what caused the UK to take our country. Mr. AG and the UK, you are the bad little children. If you were responsible adults you would not have thought in a million years that taking our rights and threatening us would work. My mother always said that adults must give children freedom to make mistakes, it is as important as sunlight to a seed. But the lot of you are not adults but spoiled children who just want your way in a fit or worse tyrannical monsters trying to govern us with an iron fist. You are not dealing with little children in TCI. You are dealing with clever adults that do not take kindly to threats and taking of our civil rights to keep us from speaking.
You threaten to silence me with criminal and legal threats when I hit a nerve. I find that to be laughable. We live in a world where news travels fast around the world. One click and you are on notice to the world. We live in a world where secrecy is old fashion and Wikileaks is right there listening and waiting. I have faith in the new era of information sharing. There is someone out there right now in the UK or the TCI that will leak the truth about the truth of the British agenda. Maybe it's a MP like Chris Bryant or maybe someone in the FCO or maybe someone in TCI. Somebody or several people out there will come forward with the smoking gun. I get leads and tips every day from my contributors who are your insiders. People know things. You will be accountable for your actions and trying to stop a dumb blogger like me is futile.
By: John Glasgow
For everyone who has been following my blog, thank you. Even you Mr. Attorney General who I know feels that I picked on him. I am not about to label myself a political activist or anything like that I just see a need to defend my country of Turks and Caicos. Anyone can label me what they like. But like I said all along I label myself a dumb blogger. I started this blog to oppose the British regime hurting us and taking our power from us and hurting us when we try to expose they are taking our power from us. If you have been reading my blog, you know what I am saying. If you haven't, keep reading. I have been doing this for over a year.
My mother would be annoyed that I call myself dumb because she raised me after all and that could be an insult of the highest order to her as a mother. But relax mother, I say I am dumb but I am smart enough to see that the power is in my hands. The power is in all of our hands just some of us don't know it. I was given the gift of emotional intelligence by my mother who taught me to stand firm for my beliefs and to follow in Jesus' footsteps to march on with the message of good no matter what. Even when threatened by Pontius Pilates Jesus continued ahead with his message of truth. Now I am not saying that I am Jesus, so relax. I am saying that TCI people are religious people that have faith that God will save them. Just like God gave Jesus the power forge on with his message, God gave me that strength too.
If you have been reading my blog for the last few days you will see that I have written some entries about our Attorney General and I have gotten under his skin. I never thought that my agitating opinions about him would cause a threat of legal action against me and my blog. Here is where my emotional intelligence comes in and where Mr. AG's exits. I know that I am just a dumb little blogger and I cannot fight the big oppressive powers of the British government and either could most armies. But the British government is too dumb to see that they can't win a war in order to get away with their secret deals and cover ups anymore. I mean, they can probably get away with it if they threaten a weaker person. But not everyone is a weak person and all it takes is one strong person paying attention. It doesn't take an army anymore.
Come on Mr. AG and British interim government. Don't you see that we live in the age of the computer super highway? The internet can reach thousands of people in different nations around the world in seconds. Colonialisms best tool is conquer and divide. You can't do that anymore. Did you ever hear of a little group called Wikileaks, Mr. AG? They revolutionised the movement of helping citizens to force governments for transparency. This is the world we live in now. You need to modernise your thinking. Threats don't work in the new world of anonymous whistle blowing.
But I want to be honest, Mr. AG. When I wrote all of those articles about you and about the cover ups by the interim government what was I trying to achieve? Just like when the civil servants protested with a sick out, what were they trying to achieve. Do you think somewhere in your shiny head that we are trying to get you to listen. You had so many chances to listen, learn and collaborate with us. The UK doesn't operate like that, does it? You see us as trouble makers that you need to "deal with". With that attitude, Mr. AG, you will never win. You will never have our respect or alliance. We will always be your trouble makers. Nobody is backing down as you will see soon enough.
When you read my blog entries, you were angry like a little school boy. You'll show me, you thought. Where did I read it again, hmmmm, TCI Journal said that the TCIslanders are the children and the UK the parents and the UK needs to punish the children for being bad and that's what caused the UK to take our country. Mr. AG and the UK, you are the bad little children. If you were responsible adults you would not have thought in a million years that taking our rights and threatening us would work. My mother always said that adults must give children freedom to make mistakes, it is as important as sunlight to a seed. But the lot of you are not adults but spoiled children who just want your way in a fit or worse tyrannical monsters trying to govern us with an iron fist. You are not dealing with little children in TCI. You are dealing with clever adults that do not take kindly to threats and taking of our civil rights to keep us from speaking.
You threaten to silence me with criminal and legal threats when I hit a nerve. I find that to be laughable. We live in a world where news travels fast around the world. One click and you are on notice to the world. We live in a world where secrecy is old fashion and Wikileaks is right there listening and waiting. I have faith in the new era of information sharing. There is someone out there right now in the UK or the TCI that will leak the truth about the truth of the British agenda. Maybe it's a MP like Chris Bryant or maybe someone in the FCO or maybe someone in TCI. Somebody or several people out there will come forward with the smoking gun. I get leads and tips every day from my contributors who are your insiders. People know things. You will be accountable for your actions and trying to stop a dumb blogger like me is futile.
Friday, May 27, 2011
UK Alleged to be Forcing Turks and Caicos Citizens to make Criminal Allegations Against Foreign Developers
By: John Glasgow
It is alleged that members of the SIPT [UK special prosecution team] went to Salt Cay yesterday harassing senior citizens trying to coerce them into signing false statements to oust Mario Hoffman and other developers. What kind of people would harass senior citizens and try to trick them to sign statements which they never made? Only lowlife contemptable Brits with no conscience of fair play and decency would commit such low down acts. If our senior citizens are not safe and afforded the respect they deserve then who is safe in the Turks and Caicos Islands?
However I am told that those senior citizens represented themselves well and race those investigators asses from in front of their doors. According to information received, the senior citizens reminded the SIPT team members that the British totally neglected the Island of Salt Cay and its residents during hurricane IKE and if it wasn't for Mario Hoffman and other developers Salt Cay residents may not have survived. I am proud of our senior citizens who light a fire under the SIPT team tails and race them out of town.
My concern now is that the resting places/grave yards of our love ones may not be safe. It appears that the SIPT Team is so desperate for information that I would not put it pass them to lay in wait for the spirits of our love ones and harass them for information. This investigation appears to have hit a ghost trail and it is clear that the investigators are now clutching at straws and jumping at shadows. I once again would like to urge SIPT over jealous investigators if these allegations are true to tone down and record exactly what they are told and not what they would like to hear.
It appears that the harassment and intimidation are not only confined to the the SIPT investigation Team. It now appears that the interim regime and the AG chambers are prepared to devote considerable time and resources to deny this lonely idiotic blogger his constitutional rights to free speech and to disseminate information in the public's interest. This is tantamount to an abuse of office. There are many serious problems in the Turks and Caicos which demand the full and undivided attention of the interim regime. Instead it appears that it is more important to the interim regime to threaten and intimidate the editor of the TCI POST. I condemn this in the strongest possible way.
It is the duty of the interim administration to engage the public in an on going conversation to allay their fears and to convince them that policy decisions made by the interim regime are in the best interest of the people of the Turks and Caicos. Instead it appears that the interim regime would spare no efforts to muzzle this editor. I wish to put the interim regime on notice as of now in case they did not get the message that they would have to jail me or assasinate me to shut me up. Threats of legal actions are nothing more than an attempt to shut me up and I don't take kindly to such threats. I will continue to ask hard questons of the interim regime and I expect nothing less than honest straight forward statements from those who took it on themselves to govern me without my consent. John Glasgow
It is alleged that members of the SIPT [UK special prosecution team] went to Salt Cay yesterday harassing senior citizens trying to coerce them into signing false statements to oust Mario Hoffman and other developers. What kind of people would harass senior citizens and try to trick them to sign statements which they never made? Only lowlife contemptable Brits with no conscience of fair play and decency would commit such low down acts. If our senior citizens are not safe and afforded the respect they deserve then who is safe in the Turks and Caicos Islands?
However I am told that those senior citizens represented themselves well and race those investigators asses from in front of their doors. According to information received, the senior citizens reminded the SIPT team members that the British totally neglected the Island of Salt Cay and its residents during hurricane IKE and if it wasn't for Mario Hoffman and other developers Salt Cay residents may not have survived. I am proud of our senior citizens who light a fire under the SIPT team tails and race them out of town.
My concern now is that the resting places/grave yards of our love ones may not be safe. It appears that the SIPT Team is so desperate for information that I would not put it pass them to lay in wait for the spirits of our love ones and harass them for information. This investigation appears to have hit a ghost trail and it is clear that the investigators are now clutching at straws and jumping at shadows. I once again would like to urge SIPT over jealous investigators if these allegations are true to tone down and record exactly what they are told and not what they would like to hear.
It appears that the harassment and intimidation are not only confined to the the SIPT investigation Team. It now appears that the interim regime and the AG chambers are prepared to devote considerable time and resources to deny this lonely idiotic blogger his constitutional rights to free speech and to disseminate information in the public's interest. This is tantamount to an abuse of office. There are many serious problems in the Turks and Caicos which demand the full and undivided attention of the interim regime. Instead it appears that it is more important to the interim regime to threaten and intimidate the editor of the TCI POST. I condemn this in the strongest possible way.
It is the duty of the interim administration to engage the public in an on going conversation to allay their fears and to convince them that policy decisions made by the interim regime are in the best interest of the people of the Turks and Caicos. Instead it appears that the interim regime would spare no efforts to muzzle this editor. I wish to put the interim regime on notice as of now in case they did not get the message that they would have to jail me or assasinate me to shut me up. Threats of legal actions are nothing more than an attempt to shut me up and I don't take kindly to such threats. I will continue to ask hard questons of the interim regime and I expect nothing less than honest straight forward statements from those who took it on themselves to govern me without my consent. John Glasgow
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Who is to blame for political turmoil in Turks and Caicos? Every citizen should join together to oppose UK rule
By: Real Patriot
This is a question that I have thought long and hard about, even before the British invaded our country and took our rights. We can all blame the British for what they have done to hurt our country, our economy and our individual lives. But that's just passing the buck and a game that we as Islanders do. Why do we do that? Because we are lazy and vain. Yes, I said. People who know me know I talk real. I want to talk real now.
The reason we are in the horrific condition we are in with the British has some to do with our mentality. We have missed the boat and we need to confront our mistakes. We are lazy and roll with the tide and waves instead of swimming to safe land, because it's easier and we don't want to help each other. We fail ourselves by drawing conclusions instead of doing the work to find out for ourselves what we need to do. We let someone else do the work and then complain when the outcomes stinks. I was proud of us with the constitutional talks because at the last minute some of our leaders decided that they would take up the cause and put their objections in writing. But how long did it take for us flailing around rolling in the tide without an anchor? There was no working together.
Look at what it has taken for us to realise that we are being extorted and taken advantage of by the British. It took us so long because we were rolling with the tide lulled by the retched stories of Michael Misick instead of paying attention to what was really going on by the British. Nobody could reach us in our mental block. We allowed people like Shaun Malcolm to control the water and we just floated in it. We didn't do the work.
When we finally got our heads right and realized that we had a monumental, life changing political catastrophe with the British occupation, what did we do? We went our separate ways trying to distance ourselves from that group or this group because it wasn't an advantage for us personally. I heard so many people say that they wouldn't attend a constitutional meeting planned by our own because there wouldn't be enough in attendance and they would look foolish attending. Then you have websites bringing awareness and political transparency like TCI POST but you have the same 20 people commenting and participating. This is the only website that will reach readers beyond our islands that calls attention to our plight and only 20 people are participating. Nobody from other parts of the world are going to read our Facebook pages that shows how we feel. For all we know the world thinks we like the British rule and that only 20 freaks are complaining. Turks and Caicos Informers have a Google Group forum saying the same things as TCI POST, but it's not public. Why haven't TCI POST and Informers joined forces to get better exposure? See what I'm talking about? We are too vain not wanting to share resources or ideas, everyone wans it to be there own idea and control it.
That is why we were paralized when the British got here because we had no cohesion, we were lazy and vain. I just read a Wikileaks cable from December 22, 2010, only a few short months ago. The Bahamas questioned why CARICOM was not more forceful in stopping the British invasion to Turks and Caicos. Do you know what CARICOM said? I will quote, "TCI [was] too 'fractured' to launch a credible opposition to UK rule". The political parties and their constituents would not come together to launch a credible opposition. OUCH! That hurts but doens't it really say it all. We don't joining together and we keep ideas and resources to ourselves because we are vain. We have paid the ultimate price for our mistakes.
So who's to blame for where we are today? I think we should take some blame for being too lazy and vain. I heard someone say once that we are too passive as a people. No, we are not passive. We are passive aggressive and we feel it is our right to disconnect when our vanity is at stake. That is what is causing us to lose the battle for our rights and freedoms. We have a few groups discussing the plight taken up here or there, some radio shows, on Facebook, on Informers, sometimes in our newspapers, sometimes in an individual political thesis that is only for exclusive reading by email. But how will that get anything done? It took us two years to get our heads right to see that the British government here means us no good. What will it take for us to do the work to oppose this?
Look at our employment problems. I say we are lazy thinkers. We want something for nothing and when it came to our past employment issues we let it tear us apart and create divisions. We spend so much time worrying about which foreigner going to hire Belongers and fighting about it that we didn't see a creative way to compromise so that everyone can win. We are still talking about it to this day. How many hear Expressions and Robert Hall give his opinion about hiring non Belongers. I like what Robert said. He said that it's not always about job qualification that gets someone hired, it's an attitude and compatibility. We think that because someone other than a Belonger gets a job that we should be angry at the employer, the person who got the job and the system. We let positive solutions escape us by focusing on petty things. We are lazy, we had no ideas. I think if we passed around a piece of paper every one of us could think of five ways to solve the old employment problem. But no, we dwelled on it and we dwell on it to this day. You know, we can blame whomever we want but we also created a division with the expats, yes the same expats that nearly triple us in population and now want to run our government. We need to be more marketable as workers and allow businesses to succeed the way they needed to for our own economic growth and we can take advantage of that by creating products and services from the extra visitors. That's how our local economy can thrive. We can offer incentives for foreign employers to hire Belongers but we shoud not hurt relationships with bitterness and laziness to find a better way. But now look at what happened, we are not just competing with foreign workers, we are being axed from our jobs and replaced by British nationals. I blame us to some of that because we didn't focus on where we needed to be. That's what my mother use to call "Penny wise but pound foolish."
We are keeping our own selves down. We have the same 20 people staying consistent with their public message when there should be thousands of us. Our leaders are doing their own things and should be joining the public debate not keeping their opinions guarded and sacred, it's not the time. Other people have opinions but won't join together for one reason or another and we are being foolish.
Have we not learned from any of our past? We are sinking. We are riding the tides and waves of others doing and nobody is swimming for their lives or for our lives. We are drowining and it is our fault. Where are the other people joining in the debate, putting their opinions out there, taking a chance to show their solidarity? If there was ever a time to have courage and put our laziness and vanity aside, it's right now. 20 people cannot fight for all of us, if the saying is that there's unity in numbers then the numbers are against us.
This is a question that I have thought long and hard about, even before the British invaded our country and took our rights. We can all blame the British for what they have done to hurt our country, our economy and our individual lives. But that's just passing the buck and a game that we as Islanders do. Why do we do that? Because we are lazy and vain. Yes, I said. People who know me know I talk real. I want to talk real now.
The reason we are in the horrific condition we are in with the British has some to do with our mentality. We have missed the boat and we need to confront our mistakes. We are lazy and roll with the tide and waves instead of swimming to safe land, because it's easier and we don't want to help each other. We fail ourselves by drawing conclusions instead of doing the work to find out for ourselves what we need to do. We let someone else do the work and then complain when the outcomes stinks. I was proud of us with the constitutional talks because at the last minute some of our leaders decided that they would take up the cause and put their objections in writing. But how long did it take for us flailing around rolling in the tide without an anchor? There was no working together.
Look at what it has taken for us to realise that we are being extorted and taken advantage of by the British. It took us so long because we were rolling with the tide lulled by the retched stories of Michael Misick instead of paying attention to what was really going on by the British. Nobody could reach us in our mental block. We allowed people like Shaun Malcolm to control the water and we just floated in it. We didn't do the work.
When we finally got our heads right and realized that we had a monumental, life changing political catastrophe with the British occupation, what did we do? We went our separate ways trying to distance ourselves from that group or this group because it wasn't an advantage for us personally. I heard so many people say that they wouldn't attend a constitutional meeting planned by our own because there wouldn't be enough in attendance and they would look foolish attending. Then you have websites bringing awareness and political transparency like TCI POST but you have the same 20 people commenting and participating. This is the only website that will reach readers beyond our islands that calls attention to our plight and only 20 people are participating. Nobody from other parts of the world are going to read our Facebook pages that shows how we feel. For all we know the world thinks we like the British rule and that only 20 freaks are complaining. Turks and Caicos Informers have a Google Group forum saying the same things as TCI POST, but it's not public. Why haven't TCI POST and Informers joined forces to get better exposure? See what I'm talking about? We are too vain not wanting to share resources or ideas, everyone wans it to be there own idea and control it.
That is why we were paralized when the British got here because we had no cohesion, we were lazy and vain. I just read a Wikileaks cable from December 22, 2010, only a few short months ago. The Bahamas questioned why CARICOM was not more forceful in stopping the British invasion to Turks and Caicos. Do you know what CARICOM said? I will quote, "TCI [was] too 'fractured' to launch a credible opposition to UK rule". The political parties and their constituents would not come together to launch a credible opposition. OUCH! That hurts but doens't it really say it all. We don't joining together and we keep ideas and resources to ourselves because we are vain. We have paid the ultimate price for our mistakes.
So who's to blame for where we are today? I think we should take some blame for being too lazy and vain. I heard someone say once that we are too passive as a people. No, we are not passive. We are passive aggressive and we feel it is our right to disconnect when our vanity is at stake. That is what is causing us to lose the battle for our rights and freedoms. We have a few groups discussing the plight taken up here or there, some radio shows, on Facebook, on Informers, sometimes in our newspapers, sometimes in an individual political thesis that is only for exclusive reading by email. But how will that get anything done? It took us two years to get our heads right to see that the British government here means us no good. What will it take for us to do the work to oppose this?
Look at our employment problems. I say we are lazy thinkers. We want something for nothing and when it came to our past employment issues we let it tear us apart and create divisions. We spend so much time worrying about which foreigner going to hire Belongers and fighting about it that we didn't see a creative way to compromise so that everyone can win. We are still talking about it to this day. How many hear Expressions and Robert Hall give his opinion about hiring non Belongers. I like what Robert said. He said that it's not always about job qualification that gets someone hired, it's an attitude and compatibility. We think that because someone other than a Belonger gets a job that we should be angry at the employer, the person who got the job and the system. We let positive solutions escape us by focusing on petty things. We are lazy, we had no ideas. I think if we passed around a piece of paper every one of us could think of five ways to solve the old employment problem. But no, we dwelled on it and we dwell on it to this day. You know, we can blame whomever we want but we also created a division with the expats, yes the same expats that nearly triple us in population and now want to run our government. We need to be more marketable as workers and allow businesses to succeed the way they needed to for our own economic growth and we can take advantage of that by creating products and services from the extra visitors. That's how our local economy can thrive. We can offer incentives for foreign employers to hire Belongers but we shoud not hurt relationships with bitterness and laziness to find a better way. But now look at what happened, we are not just competing with foreign workers, we are being axed from our jobs and replaced by British nationals. I blame us to some of that because we didn't focus on where we needed to be. That's what my mother use to call "Penny wise but pound foolish."
We are keeping our own selves down. We have the same 20 people staying consistent with their public message when there should be thousands of us. Our leaders are doing their own things and should be joining the public debate not keeping their opinions guarded and sacred, it's not the time. Other people have opinions but won't join together for one reason or another and we are being foolish.
Have we not learned from any of our past? We are sinking. We are riding the tides and waves of others doing and nobody is swimming for their lives or for our lives. We are drowining and it is our fault. Where are the other people joining in the debate, putting their opinions out there, taking a chance to show their solidarity? If there was ever a time to have courage and put our laziness and vanity aside, it's right now. 20 people cannot fight for all of us, if the saying is that there's unity in numbers then the numbers are against us.
Turks and Caicos Islands on the Agenda for UN Convention Eradicating Colonialism, May 31 - June 2, a plea to Francisco Carrión-Mena of Ecuador
By: Chris Burke
The United Nations has a long-standing history of advocating to end world colonialism. In so doing, decades ago, the UN general assembly created a special committee for decolonization to work specifically to eradicate colonization in the world. We learn that the UN special committee will meet in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from May 31 to June 2 in its annual convention.
Turks and Caicos Islands is scheduled on the agenda for discussion, along with the other remaining 15 non-self-governing territories.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared all forms of colonialism incompatible with the principles of international law, and as such supports the colonies' ability to preserve the cultural identity and national unity of Territories under their administration, encouraging the full development of indigenous cultures so as to facilitate “the unfettered exercise of the right of self-determination”. The UN has unrelentingly reaffirmed its committment calling for an end to colonialism and calling for the governing powers to grant colonies the right to achieve genuine self-government and economic self-reliance.
The call for self determination is particularly important for one of the last remaining 16 colonies, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in the Caribbean. TCI was a self governing territory of the United Kingdom whose government fell to the UK powers on August 14, 2009 amidst allegations of local government corruption.
Shortly thereafter, the United Nations specifically addressed the matter of Turks and Caicos on September 23, 2009, condemning UK’s actions in Turks and Caicos. In Section X (4) of the UN report, the United Nations addresses Turks and Caicos Islands’ direct rule by Great Britain and specifically calls for, “restoration of constitutional arrangements providing for representative democracy through elected territorial Government as soon as possible.” The UN also declared UK’s actions in Turks and Caicos is a "clear step in the wrong direction."
The UN should know and understand when discussing the UK’s seizing of Turks and Caicos, that the TCI citizens’ have suffered a complete loss of democracy, right to trial by jury and right to vote on any matter or for their own local leader.
Since the UK takeover of Turks and Caicos, the entire populace has been governed under a literal dictatorial political system, ongoing now for two years. In these two years, the special corruption team installed by the UK has discovered no proof of corruption, issued no indictments, scheduled no trials. Yet, the entire populace has been victims of democracy injustice and other abuses by the UK, merely predicated on the alleged wrong doing of just a handful of people. Nonetheless, the UK maintains that the people must wait until after it imposes its own constitution on the islands, a new constitution that will forcefully replace the constitution created by the TCI people in 2006 which demonstrated no constitutional failings of any kind.
It is every democracy-loving citizen’s hope that the UN’s Chairman of the Special Committee, Ambassador Francisco Carrión-Mena of Ecuador, will intervene on behalf of the citizens of TCI who have had their democracy forcibly taken. The UN is urged to make an inquiry and its own findings as to the new UK constitution, findings show that it will permanently take democracy and self determination from the TCI people giving UK ultimate power there, as it has been enjoying for the last two years. An UN inquiry is even more important because the UK refuses to allow a referendum on the new constitution and is relying solely on collecting “suggestions” from the citizens instead of using a democratic method of weighing the will of the people.
The over-reaching political system that the UK has established in Turks and Caicos has many trickle down affects, such as the disappearance of the local treasury, the firing of local citizens from their jobs (replaced by British nationals) and certainly not least the forcible eviction of average citizens from their lands. The British have also allegedly been engaging in special interest contracts in the Turks and Caicos including government health care contracts as well as land development, which is suspected to have contributed to this government takeover zeal.
Every world citizen should uphold the Turks and Caicos citizens’ right to democracy and self determination. We hold the UN to a higher standard and specifically call for it to be incumbent on the UN to investigate the political failings by the UK and taking of rights and freedoms from the Turks and Caicos people.
The United Nations has a long-standing history of advocating to end world colonialism. In so doing, decades ago, the UN general assembly created a special committee for decolonization to work specifically to eradicate colonization in the world. We learn that the UN special committee will meet in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from May 31 to June 2 in its annual convention.
Turks and Caicos Islands is scheduled on the agenda for discussion, along with the other remaining 15 non-self-governing territories.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared all forms of colonialism incompatible with the principles of international law, and as such supports the colonies' ability to preserve the cultural identity and national unity of Territories under their administration, encouraging the full development of indigenous cultures so as to facilitate “the unfettered exercise of the right of self-determination”. The UN has unrelentingly reaffirmed its committment calling for an end to colonialism and calling for the governing powers to grant colonies the right to achieve genuine self-government and economic self-reliance.
The call for self determination is particularly important for one of the last remaining 16 colonies, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in the Caribbean. TCI was a self governing territory of the United Kingdom whose government fell to the UK powers on August 14, 2009 amidst allegations of local government corruption.
Shortly thereafter, the United Nations specifically addressed the matter of Turks and Caicos on September 23, 2009, condemning UK’s actions in Turks and Caicos. In Section X (4) of the UN report, the United Nations addresses Turks and Caicos Islands’ direct rule by Great Britain and specifically calls for, “restoration of constitutional arrangements providing for representative democracy through elected territorial Government as soon as possible.” The UN also declared UK’s actions in Turks and Caicos is a "clear step in the wrong direction."
The UN should know and understand when discussing the UK’s seizing of Turks and Caicos, that the TCI citizens’ have suffered a complete loss of democracy, right to trial by jury and right to vote on any matter or for their own local leader.
Since the UK takeover of Turks and Caicos, the entire populace has been governed under a literal dictatorial political system, ongoing now for two years. In these two years, the special corruption team installed by the UK has discovered no proof of corruption, issued no indictments, scheduled no trials. Yet, the entire populace has been victims of democracy injustice and other abuses by the UK, merely predicated on the alleged wrong doing of just a handful of people. Nonetheless, the UK maintains that the people must wait until after it imposes its own constitution on the islands, a new constitution that will forcefully replace the constitution created by the TCI people in 2006 which demonstrated no constitutional failings of any kind.
It is every democracy-loving citizen’s hope that the UN’s Chairman of the Special Committee, Ambassador Francisco Carrión-Mena of Ecuador, will intervene on behalf of the citizens of TCI who have had their democracy forcibly taken. The UN is urged to make an inquiry and its own findings as to the new UK constitution, findings show that it will permanently take democracy and self determination from the TCI people giving UK ultimate power there, as it has been enjoying for the last two years. An UN inquiry is even more important because the UK refuses to allow a referendum on the new constitution and is relying solely on collecting “suggestions” from the citizens instead of using a democratic method of weighing the will of the people.
The over-reaching political system that the UK has established in Turks and Caicos has many trickle down affects, such as the disappearance of the local treasury, the firing of local citizens from their jobs (replaced by British nationals) and certainly not least the forcible eviction of average citizens from their lands. The British have also allegedly been engaging in special interest contracts in the Turks and Caicos including government health care contracts as well as land development, which is suspected to have contributed to this government takeover zeal.
Every world citizen should uphold the Turks and Caicos citizens’ right to democracy and self determination. We hold the UN to a higher standard and specifically call for it to be incumbent on the UN to investigate the political failings by the UK and taking of rights and freedoms from the Turks and Caicos people.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Local Leader Calls UK's Lack of Financial Assistance to Turks and Caicos, "Disrespectful"
By: The Turks and Caicos Sun News
Local businessman Albray Butterfield Jnr. Is strongly criticising Britain’s involvement in an economic bailout package for Portugal that has been approved by European Union (EU) finance ministers and which includes a £4.2 billion contribution from Britain.
“As a proud Turks and Caicos Islander, I find this latest revelation very offensive, prejudice and disrespectful,” Albray said in a short commentary to the SUN.
“The issue that I have found so offensive... is the outright blatant hypocrisy and prejudice displayed internationally by the UK Government towards the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI),” Albray said. “Since taking control of the TCI by the UK Government in 2009 (which at the time, was a long overdue and necessary intervention that I undeniably supported), the UK Government has allowed the citizens and the economy of the TCI to further suffer and fall deeper into bankruptcy by announcing to the world within days of taking over that: "...the UK Government will not be taking the British Tax Payers Money to bail-out the Turks and Caicos Islands..." -Mr. Colin Roberts of the UK FCO. (Which I might add is a UK Territory and a situation in which the OVERSEER’S /UK Government is part responsible for the social and economic state-of-affair the TCI found itself in 2009).”
Butterfield continued: “Fast forwarding to 2011, to now have exposed to the world that while the UK Government was saying NO to bailing-out the TCI (their own territory) for a measly and up to $400 million (if you include the prevention of TCI Bank Limited from collapsing, and a few much need infrastructure projects such as the construction of new public school buildings, etc), the UK Government was simultaneously negotiating with the IMF a £67.5 billion bail-out package for the country of Portugal (a non UK territory) of which the UK is contributing £4.2 billion towards Portugal's bail-out.”
The £67.75 billion package, subject to strict austerity measures agreed by Lisbon, is the second to commit the UK to financial guarantees which will only be called upon if Portugal defaults on the loans it raises thanks to the EU-IMF combined bailout deal.
Local businessman Albray Butterfield Jnr. Is strongly criticising Britain’s involvement in an economic bailout package for Portugal that has been approved by European Union (EU) finance ministers and which includes a £4.2 billion contribution from Britain.
“As a proud Turks and Caicos Islander, I find this latest revelation very offensive, prejudice and disrespectful,” Albray said in a short commentary to the SUN.
“The issue that I have found so offensive... is the outright blatant hypocrisy and prejudice displayed internationally by the UK Government towards the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI),” Albray said. “Since taking control of the TCI by the UK Government in 2009 (which at the time, was a long overdue and necessary intervention that I undeniably supported), the UK Government has allowed the citizens and the economy of the TCI to further suffer and fall deeper into bankruptcy by announcing to the world within days of taking over that: "...the UK Government will not be taking the British Tax Payers Money to bail-out the Turks and Caicos Islands..." -Mr. Colin Roberts of the UK FCO. (Which I might add is a UK Territory and a situation in which the OVERSEER’S /UK Government is part responsible for the social and economic state-of-affair the TCI found itself in 2009).”
Butterfield continued: “Fast forwarding to 2011, to now have exposed to the world that while the UK Government was saying NO to bailing-out the TCI (their own territory) for a measly and up to $400 million (if you include the prevention of TCI Bank Limited from collapsing, and a few much need infrastructure projects such as the construction of new public school buildings, etc), the UK Government was simultaneously negotiating with the IMF a £67.5 billion bail-out package for the country of Portugal (a non UK territory) of which the UK is contributing £4.2 billion towards Portugal's bail-out.”
The £67.75 billion package, subject to strict austerity measures agreed by Lisbon, is the second to commit the UK to financial guarantees which will only be called upon if Portugal defaults on the loans it raises thanks to the EU-IMF combined bailout deal.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
United Kingdom is Nation Building in the British West Indies - Turks and Caicos, a Cautionary Tale
By: AG Karn
Most of the world is caught in a quagmire of political ignorance when it comes to British dealings in the West Indies [Caribbean]. The lines have been confused with well publicized stories of political corruption in these nation's governments contrasted with a new movement of British saviourship.
In the case of Turks and Caicos, we have such a case of confusion. Bridging the gap of national solidarity between the local people is a difficult task when there remains a disconnect concerning national solidarity and the British governance system. The British passport system for example catches one off guard, and travel is not the problem. Atop the passport of British Nationals are the words inscribed, "Nationals of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the purposes of Community Law". This inscription is unique to British National's passports, it distinguishes rights and benefits from the passports belonging to those of the British Overseas Territories. Though both passports are issued by the British government, there are clear distinctions of partiality and lack of rights to those with British Overseas Territory passports. Citizenship, rights and benefits are clearly not awarded by a passport issued by the British government.
The long-lived historic intention of the colonial relationship between the British and the West Indies was trade and nothing more. Under British colonial economic policies after 1870 the British government did not extend any imperial credit or loans to their colonies. Very little credit was extended at all barring exceptional circumstances such as hurricanes. This policy was enacted by the British to distance their duties and obligations to their overseas territories and has only changed in very recent history.
In the past, the economics of the overseas territories was left to the ambition of the local governments whose success was defined by the movers and shakers in a sink or swim contest. The territories were largely abandoned by Westminster who scolded the territories to "figure it out" with requests of financial needs or services. These days, there is no real trade relationship with the British. Many overseas territories rely very little on trade and much on creating foreign business relationships for tourism to generate revenue. Since the territories were on their own financially, the mentality “if you got, use it” worked. The Turks and Caicos Islands was quite successful with that plan, they had tourism potential and they used it to earn an almost unheard of revenue that eventually caught the eye of the British government. The movers and shakers making these deals were exposed to unknown pitfalls of inherent grey areas as prescribed but not defined by the British government. Ultimately, Westminster at its whim accused Turks and Caicos government of corruption involving business deals with foreign resort developers.
Because of the blurry boundaries and evolving relationships between Westminster and the British Overseas Territories, the risk of political turmoil in these regions became great as nations in the region were unaware of Westminster's new "devotion" to them.
Since 2006, nation building has become the new political charge of the British in the Overseas Territories. What was once a trade exploitation relationship with the colonies has recently evolved into true imperialism with empire ambition to take back its territories as the British see advantageous. At the nucleus of this ambition is British desire for wealth and world power.
Such political instability and uncertainty in the West Indies caused by the British is no accident. Keeping the British Overseas Territories in a state of uncertainty as to their citizenship, allegiance and financial security has assisted the new British empire ambition. This confusion caused British Overseas Territories to fail to bond as nations and has left the door wide open for the British to interfere and create political rivalries as needed for political goals.
We now find that the British are nation building in Turks and Caicos Islands after they seized the islands back in 2009. The British excuse their encroachment on the Turks and Caicos islands as correcting poor governance and punishing local corruption. Turning a blind eye to true government abuse is wrong when there is a dire necessity to intervene when cruelty or brutality is involved. The Turks and Caicos government had no such circumstance when the British unilaterally decided to burden their will there. The British will have a difficult time overcoming their legacy of colonialism.
One might say that the movers and shakers of the Turks and Caicos government were mistaken in their assumption that they had authority to make business deals even when Westminster was half-heartedly supervising. The British established no policies to keep British overseas governments from crossing British policies, as artificial as they might have been. In fact, local laws supporting Turks and Caicos government actions that the British now call corrupt were in place.
The fact that Westminster had the authority to warn, counsel or enact a “no confidence ruling” against the Turks and Caicos government has no bearing on its explanation to bypass all remedies and forge head-on in appropriating the Turks and Caicos government. In fact, there was little need for any kind of impedance by the British at all, yet they took the dramatic and unnecessary leap of seizing and misappropriating government powers from the people of the islands.
I earlier expressed my views that the British re-presence in the West Indies and Turks and Caicos is based on greed, power and empire building. Now that the British are less concerned with trade in the West Indies they have shifted their focus to benefiting from foreign developers with enormous wealth. In this way the British have in a sense created an extortion relationship with the foreign investors of Turks and Caicos by forcing them to be shackled in punitive financial and legal obligations to the British government. In turn, this has opened the door for British developers who share a close political relationship with the British government. British developers are almost an extension of the British government enjoying multitudes of shared foreign contracts, subsidies and tax breaks; the British government can now profit from development in their own territories instead of handing over the spoils to foreign developers.
The final nail in the coffin is the new constitution in Turks and Caicos which will solidify Westminster's motives. I suspect that other British Overseas Territories are next on the list. Entities such as CARICOM were created to act as a proxy representative of the nations in the region. British Overseas Territories would be well advised to form a coalition either separately or with CARICOM to assist one another in these modern colonial times.
Most of the world is caught in a quagmire of political ignorance when it comes to British dealings in the West Indies [Caribbean]. The lines have been confused with well publicized stories of political corruption in these nation's governments contrasted with a new movement of British saviourship.
In the case of Turks and Caicos, we have such a case of confusion. Bridging the gap of national solidarity between the local people is a difficult task when there remains a disconnect concerning national solidarity and the British governance system. The British passport system for example catches one off guard, and travel is not the problem. Atop the passport of British Nationals are the words inscribed, "Nationals of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the purposes of Community Law". This inscription is unique to British National's passports, it distinguishes rights and benefits from the passports belonging to those of the British Overseas Territories. Though both passports are issued by the British government, there are clear distinctions of partiality and lack of rights to those with British Overseas Territory passports. Citizenship, rights and benefits are clearly not awarded by a passport issued by the British government.
The long-lived historic intention of the colonial relationship between the British and the West Indies was trade and nothing more. Under British colonial economic policies after 1870 the British government did not extend any imperial credit or loans to their colonies. Very little credit was extended at all barring exceptional circumstances such as hurricanes. This policy was enacted by the British to distance their duties and obligations to their overseas territories and has only changed in very recent history.
In the past, the economics of the overseas territories was left to the ambition of the local governments whose success was defined by the movers and shakers in a sink or swim contest. The territories were largely abandoned by Westminster who scolded the territories to "figure it out" with requests of financial needs or services. These days, there is no real trade relationship with the British. Many overseas territories rely very little on trade and much on creating foreign business relationships for tourism to generate revenue. Since the territories were on their own financially, the mentality “if you got, use it” worked. The Turks and Caicos Islands was quite successful with that plan, they had tourism potential and they used it to earn an almost unheard of revenue that eventually caught the eye of the British government. The movers and shakers making these deals were exposed to unknown pitfalls of inherent grey areas as prescribed but not defined by the British government. Ultimately, Westminster at its whim accused Turks and Caicos government of corruption involving business deals with foreign resort developers.
Because of the blurry boundaries and evolving relationships between Westminster and the British Overseas Territories, the risk of political turmoil in these regions became great as nations in the region were unaware of Westminster's new "devotion" to them.
Since 2006, nation building has become the new political charge of the British in the Overseas Territories. What was once a trade exploitation relationship with the colonies has recently evolved into true imperialism with empire ambition to take back its territories as the British see advantageous. At the nucleus of this ambition is British desire for wealth and world power.
Such political instability and uncertainty in the West Indies caused by the British is no accident. Keeping the British Overseas Territories in a state of uncertainty as to their citizenship, allegiance and financial security has assisted the new British empire ambition. This confusion caused British Overseas Territories to fail to bond as nations and has left the door wide open for the British to interfere and create political rivalries as needed for political goals.
We now find that the British are nation building in Turks and Caicos Islands after they seized the islands back in 2009. The British excuse their encroachment on the Turks and Caicos islands as correcting poor governance and punishing local corruption. Turning a blind eye to true government abuse is wrong when there is a dire necessity to intervene when cruelty or brutality is involved. The Turks and Caicos government had no such circumstance when the British unilaterally decided to burden their will there. The British will have a difficult time overcoming their legacy of colonialism.
One might say that the movers and shakers of the Turks and Caicos government were mistaken in their assumption that they had authority to make business deals even when Westminster was half-heartedly supervising. The British established no policies to keep British overseas governments from crossing British policies, as artificial as they might have been. In fact, local laws supporting Turks and Caicos government actions that the British now call corrupt were in place.
The fact that Westminster had the authority to warn, counsel or enact a “no confidence ruling” against the Turks and Caicos government has no bearing on its explanation to bypass all remedies and forge head-on in appropriating the Turks and Caicos government. In fact, there was little need for any kind of impedance by the British at all, yet they took the dramatic and unnecessary leap of seizing and misappropriating government powers from the people of the islands.
I earlier expressed my views that the British re-presence in the West Indies and Turks and Caicos is based on greed, power and empire building. Now that the British are less concerned with trade in the West Indies they have shifted their focus to benefiting from foreign developers with enormous wealth. In this way the British have in a sense created an extortion relationship with the foreign investors of Turks and Caicos by forcing them to be shackled in punitive financial and legal obligations to the British government. In turn, this has opened the door for British developers who share a close political relationship with the British government. British developers are almost an extension of the British government enjoying multitudes of shared foreign contracts, subsidies and tax breaks; the British government can now profit from development in their own territories instead of handing over the spoils to foreign developers.
The final nail in the coffin is the new constitution in Turks and Caicos which will solidify Westminster's motives. I suspect that other British Overseas Territories are next on the list. Entities such as CARICOM were created to act as a proxy representative of the nations in the region. British Overseas Territories would be well advised to form a coalition either separately or with CARICOM to assist one another in these modern colonial times.
Past Supporters of British Intervention in Turks and Caicos now have deep "regrets" and Want British to Leave
Published By The Turks and Caicos Sun News
Some Turks and Caicos Islanders who confessed to have agitated for the British to temporarily take over the running of the country, but now are sorrowful that they did, are calling for the UK-administration to have a change of heart also and pull-up stumps.
A number of persons at different levels of the social strata had advocated for the United Kingdom Government to step in and take over the reins of the country, if only temporarily, after coming to the conclusion that the Michael Misick administration was not acting it their interest.
They believed it was a good thing for the British to step in and regulate the governance of the country so as to plug the holes of corruption for future administrations. They however said they were saddened at the way things were going, and believe it was high time that the UK direct rule curtains be drawn.
At least one of those confessions came out during the Providenciales leg of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform town hall meeting at the Community Fellowship Centre Assemblies of God Church located along the Leeward Highway, on Monday (May 17).
One of the speakers - noted attorney-at-law Beryn Duncanson - admitted to being one of those supporting UK intervention, being convinced that the country was headed down the wrong path.
Duncanson, a member of the All Party Commission, which drafted an alternative Constitution, noted that the time had elapsed for direct rule to end since it has so far been a dismal failure and proved counterproductive to the forward movement of the country.
“Those of us, sober-minded Belongers, who were in favour of British intervention and the suspension of the Constitution – I am one of those – and I regret it. I regret supporting the British suspension of the Constitution, because of what we have been experiencing and have been seeing happening,” Duncanson revealed.
Similar utterances of initial support for British intervention into Turks and the Caicos Islands affairs by successful businessman Albray Butterfield Jr., caused him to resign from his deputy leader posts, after movers and shakers within the party pressured leader Clayton Greene to have him axed.
Butterfield, during a news conference, said he advocated for the British to intervene in the operations of the country but said that he felt they had used up their goodwill capital and it was time for them go. Nonetheless, party rank and file members mounted a relentless campaign to push him from the position.
Meanwhile, Duncanson stressed that whatever goodwill that was drummed up for the suspension of the Constitution has been squandered by the British Government. Duncanson declared that the British Government was barking up the wrong tree, when it moved to overhaul the Constitution, saying that the problem was with certain areas of legislation which needed to be tweaked.
“There was no constitutional crisis that brought us to the mess that we are in,” Duncanson pointed out. He bemoaned the fact that Governor Wetherell now wields absolute power where he does not have to listen to anyone to make decisions, which the attorney said was not a good thing.
When it was announced sometime ago that it was recommended by Commissioner Sir Robin Auld that the TCI Constitution be suspended and the UK institute direct rule, PNP high ranking member Don-Hue Gardiner publicly declared that he would take a PDM government any day over British rule.
Some Turks and Caicos Islanders who confessed to have agitated for the British to temporarily take over the running of the country, but now are sorrowful that they did, are calling for the UK-administration to have a change of heart also and pull-up stumps.
A number of persons at different levels of the social strata had advocated for the United Kingdom Government to step in and take over the reins of the country, if only temporarily, after coming to the conclusion that the Michael Misick administration was not acting it their interest.
They believed it was a good thing for the British to step in and regulate the governance of the country so as to plug the holes of corruption for future administrations. They however said they were saddened at the way things were going, and believe it was high time that the UK direct rule curtains be drawn.
At least one of those confessions came out during the Providenciales leg of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform town hall meeting at the Community Fellowship Centre Assemblies of God Church located along the Leeward Highway, on Monday (May 17).
One of the speakers - noted attorney-at-law Beryn Duncanson - admitted to being one of those supporting UK intervention, being convinced that the country was headed down the wrong path.
Duncanson, a member of the All Party Commission, which drafted an alternative Constitution, noted that the time had elapsed for direct rule to end since it has so far been a dismal failure and proved counterproductive to the forward movement of the country.
“Those of us, sober-minded Belongers, who were in favour of British intervention and the suspension of the Constitution – I am one of those – and I regret it. I regret supporting the British suspension of the Constitution, because of what we have been experiencing and have been seeing happening,” Duncanson revealed.
Similar utterances of initial support for British intervention into Turks and the Caicos Islands affairs by successful businessman Albray Butterfield Jr., caused him to resign from his deputy leader posts, after movers and shakers within the party pressured leader Clayton Greene to have him axed.
Butterfield, during a news conference, said he advocated for the British to intervene in the operations of the country but said that he felt they had used up their goodwill capital and it was time for them go. Nonetheless, party rank and file members mounted a relentless campaign to push him from the position.
Meanwhile, Duncanson stressed that whatever goodwill that was drummed up for the suspension of the Constitution has been squandered by the British Government. Duncanson declared that the British Government was barking up the wrong tree, when it moved to overhaul the Constitution, saying that the problem was with certain areas of legislation which needed to be tweaked.
“There was no constitutional crisis that brought us to the mess that we are in,” Duncanson pointed out. He bemoaned the fact that Governor Wetherell now wields absolute power where he does not have to listen to anyone to make decisions, which the attorney said was not a good thing.
When it was announced sometime ago that it was recommended by Commissioner Sir Robin Auld that the TCI Constitution be suspended and the UK institute direct rule, PNP high ranking member Don-Hue Gardiner publicly declared that he would take a PDM government any day over British rule.
Friday, May 20, 2011
"We are hurting" Citizen of Turks and Caicos Explains Conditions Under UK Occupation
Everybody talking about the new British constitution we all reject. We talk about the corruption investigation that has kept us locked up in British occupation for two years [no arrests have been made after 2 years]. We talk about referendum is needed to pass British constitution and all we get are town hall meetings. We talk about our loss of democracy and intimidation against anyone who speak against the British.
I want to talk about a different problem. What about our financial hurting? We are locked in our country and forced the pay the high price of living that we are all familiar with because it is a tourist destination. No lie, a gallon of milk costs $10.00. How much does it cost in the US about $4.00? Everything is like that our gas, our food, housing. It is out of control. The high cost of living is hurting us. I know people in my own family who had to have utilities cut off to pay for food.
The British are doing nothing to help us. If we were UK citizens so many of us would have welfare by now, food stamps or any assistance. But the British ignoring us in our own country that they took from us. Where are we going to go? Nowhere. We are stuck.
Why they need to give us our country back because when we were running our own affairs we had a great economy. Our local business was doing good. The UK is now laying off our civil service, closing out business and it's hurting our economy. My family run a store and nobody has money to buy. This has been hurting us. Who can afford to spend when everyone job is on notice and they want to buy things that help them survive.
The British have locked is in our country without any aid, took our government and programmes, force us to buy the items we need at three times the inflated costs and top of it giving us the ax at our jobs. They are raising taxes and fees, health costs. Then we see that they bringing in their own people from the United Kingdom to take our jobs.
They will be some big political blow up coming soon. We are disrespected by the British treated so much lesser than there real citizens in the UK. We are hurting here and they killing us. Why do we have no help after they ransacked our country?
(lightly edited for fluency)
I want to talk about a different problem. What about our financial hurting? We are locked in our country and forced the pay the high price of living that we are all familiar with because it is a tourist destination. No lie, a gallon of milk costs $10.00. How much does it cost in the US about $4.00? Everything is like that our gas, our food, housing. It is out of control. The high cost of living is hurting us. I know people in my own family who had to have utilities cut off to pay for food.
The British are doing nothing to help us. If we were UK citizens so many of us would have welfare by now, food stamps or any assistance. But the British ignoring us in our own country that they took from us. Where are we going to go? Nowhere. We are stuck.
Why they need to give us our country back because when we were running our own affairs we had a great economy. Our local business was doing good. The UK is now laying off our civil service, closing out business and it's hurting our economy. My family run a store and nobody has money to buy. This has been hurting us. Who can afford to spend when everyone job is on notice and they want to buy things that help them survive.
The British have locked is in our country without any aid, took our government and programmes, force us to buy the items we need at three times the inflated costs and top of it giving us the ax at our jobs. They are raising taxes and fees, health costs. Then we see that they bringing in their own people from the United Kingdom to take our jobs.
They will be some big political blow up coming soon. We are disrespected by the British treated so much lesser than there real citizens in the UK. We are hurting here and they killing us. Why do we have no help after they ransacked our country?
(lightly edited for fluency)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Turks and Caicos Watch: John Glasgow, Editor of TCIPost, Explains Why His ...
Turks and Caicos Watch: John Glasgow, Editor of TCIPost, Explains Why His ...: "To all readers and followers of the TCI POST, the site has been under constant attacks since yesterday and it continues today. There are des..."
John Glasgow, Editor of TCIPost, Explains Why His Site is Under Attack
To all readers and followers of the TCI POST, the site has been under constant attacks since yesterday and it continues today. There are desperate bold attempts being made to hack the site. Recently this site has touched a nerve within the interim regime as it exposed corruption, conflicts of interest and other underhanded dealings and there are more to come. It is time for the Brits to understand that this editor and this site are not going anywhere so they would have to live with it and I dare say there is space for all of us.
I am just informing those who may have encountered difficulties accessing the site, that I am aware of what is going on. Just as the people of the TCI overwhelmingly rejected the draft constitution so too must we reject and condemn this latest attack on the TCI POST. An attack on this site is an attempt to deny the people of the TCI access to a valuable source of information, opinion and commentary on current issues in the TCI.
If this is an attempt by the Brits or their supporters to show this editor that the 'UK call the shots', it is an inept way to go about it. I have reached out to the interim regime on several occasions informing them that if they have a problem with the site or anything I post, to contact me, instead the site was hacked twice. It appears that they are at it again. But it would take more than a bunch of corrupt out of touch despots to make me go away.
No matter what the Brits or their amateurish hackers do to the TCI POST in the coming days or months the site will continue. This editor's ideas and dreams for a free, democratic self governing and future independent TCI will live on. The dream will never die. This editor will never run, hide or cower, colonialism and imperialism will never prevail and Britain will not call the shots forever. I have committed the rest of my life to serve the people of the Turks and Caicos through this medium and will not back down. The inimical behaviour of the Brits and their amateurs only serves to strengthen my resolve.
My intention when I started this site was to be a watch dog for the people of the TCI. The hypocritical behaviour exhibited by the interim regime forced me to become a bloodhound and I have not only found bones but raw meat too, as the interim regime has been constantly exposed for the unethical and corrupt bunch of misfits they are. And trust me there are many more misdeeds of the interim regime to be exposed right here on the TCI POST. The Regime is getting jumpy/panicky as it becomes more desperate to hide its callous cold hearted hypocritical actions from the people of the Turks and Caicos.
The interim regime have just pissed me off for allowing their amateurish hackers to mess with this site. Just as a Meerkat I will forage deep into the boroughs of the British corrupt and deceptive agenda to expose what they don't want the people of the TCI to know. Whatever I find I will share it with the people of the Turks and Caicos forthwith. So I urge all to remain focused and strong as our first order of business is to prevent the recolonization of our homeland by rejecting in no uncertain terms the proposed draft constitution. I ask for nothing less, you the people of the Turks and Caicos are simply the best, the most talented, tolerant and hospitable people I have ever met. It is in our blood streams but when we are rubbed the wrong way, we can be the Devil and an Angel in the same robe.
I call on the Brits to let the Angel continue to reign because if they force the genie out of the bottle they would never be able to put it back in. Even those who call the shots can sometimes bite off more than they can chew. John Glasgow
I am just informing those who may have encountered difficulties accessing the site, that I am aware of what is going on. Just as the people of the TCI overwhelmingly rejected the draft constitution so too must we reject and condemn this latest attack on the TCI POST. An attack on this site is an attempt to deny the people of the TCI access to a valuable source of information, opinion and commentary on current issues in the TCI.
If this is an attempt by the Brits or their supporters to show this editor that the 'UK call the shots', it is an inept way to go about it. I have reached out to the interim regime on several occasions informing them that if they have a problem with the site or anything I post, to contact me, instead the site was hacked twice. It appears that they are at it again. But it would take more than a bunch of corrupt out of touch despots to make me go away.
No matter what the Brits or their amateurish hackers do to the TCI POST in the coming days or months the site will continue. This editor's ideas and dreams for a free, democratic self governing and future independent TCI will live on. The dream will never die. This editor will never run, hide or cower, colonialism and imperialism will never prevail and Britain will not call the shots forever. I have committed the rest of my life to serve the people of the Turks and Caicos through this medium and will not back down. The inimical behaviour of the Brits and their amateurs only serves to strengthen my resolve.
My intention when I started this site was to be a watch dog for the people of the TCI. The hypocritical behaviour exhibited by the interim regime forced me to become a bloodhound and I have not only found bones but raw meat too, as the interim regime has been constantly exposed for the unethical and corrupt bunch of misfits they are. And trust me there are many more misdeeds of the interim regime to be exposed right here on the TCI POST. The Regime is getting jumpy/panicky as it becomes more desperate to hide its callous cold hearted hypocritical actions from the people of the Turks and Caicos.
The interim regime have just pissed me off for allowing their amateurish hackers to mess with this site. Just as a Meerkat I will forage deep into the boroughs of the British corrupt and deceptive agenda to expose what they don't want the people of the TCI to know. Whatever I find I will share it with the people of the Turks and Caicos forthwith. So I urge all to remain focused and strong as our first order of business is to prevent the recolonization of our homeland by rejecting in no uncertain terms the proposed draft constitution. I ask for nothing less, you the people of the Turks and Caicos are simply the best, the most talented, tolerant and hospitable people I have ever met. It is in our blood streams but when we are rubbed the wrong way, we can be the Devil and an Angel in the same robe.
I call on the Brits to let the Angel continue to reign because if they force the genie out of the bottle they would never be able to put it back in. Even those who call the shots can sometimes bite off more than they can chew. John Glasgow
British Government Sending Turks and Caicos Mixed Messages on Plans to Recolonize
Comment by: Anonymous
The British are saying two different things to us. They say they want us to be independent but aim to dash that dream by the new constitution that will give them more power than they have seen in 40 years in Turks and Caicos. They want to hold onto us and abuse us at the same time. Then you hear how much they would like to "unload" us but their actions say that they don't want to lose us. It is quite frightening to consider what they really want with us.
What the British have done to Turks and Caicos are the words and actions of brutal colonial masters. Yes, in 2011 it's time to open the debate again on the morality of colonialism. It is barbaric. Then again it is completely frustrating to have to reclose the door on colonialism in this day and age. It is the most basic right for a country of separate culture and people to have self determination, yet Turks and Caicos has regressed back to colonial days, nay ... back to slavery. We have lost our freedom, our treasury is now controlled by the UK and we are governed by (literally) a colonial dictator by the name of Gordon Wetherell. We will have to resign ourselves to the unfortunate reality that we will not get a straight answer and will need to forge ahead in the dark and hope for a light at the end of the tunnel.
(For information about the British presence in Turks and Caicos and constitution debate: http://www.fptci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2527:public-rejects-reforms-proposed-by-advisors&catid=18:local&Itemid=26 )
The British are saying two different things to us. They say they want us to be independent but aim to dash that dream by the new constitution that will give them more power than they have seen in 40 years in Turks and Caicos. They want to hold onto us and abuse us at the same time. Then you hear how much they would like to "unload" us but their actions say that they don't want to lose us. It is quite frightening to consider what they really want with us.
What the British have done to Turks and Caicos are the words and actions of brutal colonial masters. Yes, in 2011 it's time to open the debate again on the morality of colonialism. It is barbaric. Then again it is completely frustrating to have to reclose the door on colonialism in this day and age. It is the most basic right for a country of separate culture and people to have self determination, yet Turks and Caicos has regressed back to colonial days, nay ... back to slavery. We have lost our freedom, our treasury is now controlled by the UK and we are governed by (literally) a colonial dictator by the name of Gordon Wetherell. We will have to resign ourselves to the unfortunate reality that we will not get a straight answer and will need to forge ahead in the dark and hope for a light at the end of the tunnel.
(For information about the British presence in Turks and Caicos and constitution debate: http://www.fptci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2527:public-rejects-reforms-proposed-by-advisors&catid=18:local&Itemid=26 )
Turks and Caicos PDM Leader Doug Parnell Rejects New UK Constitution - Position Points
Doug Parnell, leader of the PDM political party in Turks and Caicos, rejects the UK constitution draft which the British plan to impose on the citizens without a vote. In addition, Clayton Greene, leader of the PNP political party in Turks and Caicos, also rejects the draft UK constitution. Mr. Greene has been vocal in his opposition to the new constitution being passed without a referendum, having written the FCO director Henry Bellingham stating as much. Both political parties representing the local government and citizens of Turks and Caicos have rejected the new UK constitution and its enactment.
Mr. Parnell sets out his unequivocal rejection of the new constitution and states point-by-point the reason for his rejection.
By Douglas Parnell
Leader, Peoples Democratic Movement
The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) rejects the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) draft constitution. Offered below are a number of reasons taken from our party’s position paper on the issue why it is unacceptable for our people and country at this stage of our development.
The 2010 review of the constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands comes from an unfortunate period of maladministration and corruption exposed by a far reaching Commission of Inquiry requested by our party for the good of the country.
Peoples Democratic Movement leader Douglas Parnell
The findings of the Commission were shocking, and exposed numerous failings on the part of individuals in the last government, including individuals in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Governor. Ironically, while the Commission was in oral hearings, the Turks and Caicos Governor was still busy signing off on transactions where there was alleged corruption. The final report does not cite one constitutional failure as a cause for these alarming acts on the part of ministers.
It must be pointed out that this was not the first Commission of Inquiry to be requested. If former Governor Richard Tauwhare is to be believed, he declared at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in May 2008 that he had requested the FCO to call a commission of inquiry as far back as 2005. This was during a period before the 2006 constitution was enacted and in reality the Governor had greater authority and responsibility to act and correct failures of the local government at that time.
The FCO did not listen. What remains to be seen is whether the FCO will listen to the voice and wishes of the people to return our 2006 constitution or whether the FCO and its ministers will turn a deaf ear towards our concerns on OUR constitution.
As for the information in the Commission of Inquiry, the PDM stands resolute in our stance that “we told you so” and can safely say that we did what was right during this period of maladministration, unlike Governors Poston and Tauwhare, Meg Munn and Leigh Turner, who did what was wrong and ignored our concerns of corruption, and gross maladministration when they were brought forward and were summarily dismissed as lacking sufficient evidence.
The greatest obstacle to good governance and deterrent to sound financial management is a lack of hearing and adherence to the already existing laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands on the part of persons in authority. When this happens with locally elected officials, we have a remedy at the polls through a General Election, but when this happens with UK officials at the FCO the people of the territory have no recourse and we suffer for years, sometimes even decades.
Even today the FCO is not listening to their own MPs such as Andrew Rosindell and Lord Nigel Jones, who have both warned that a constitution cannot and should not be forced on the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Even to this day the FCO has neglected to pave a path for direct negotiations with the political parties on any change to the constitution as called for by our party and the British Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Turks and Caicos Islands, despite the precedent set during the 1986 suspension.
The FCO must remember that it has appointed over the years governors and attorneys general who have not served the interest of the people, but who served their own interest and broke the law.
The FCO cannot simply look at the last eight years and try to impose a constitution on the people based upon this period but it must look back and honestly assess its own failings, gross neglect and incompetence in administering its constitutional obligations to the Turks and Caicos people and our territory, obligations that is has agreed with the world to uphold and move towards. Yet, in this FCO draft constitution, the UK’s United Nations obligations are being disregarded. It is clear that the FCO is attempting to move the country backwards to an era of colonialism. It is seeking to extend temporary direct rule into permanent authority over the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands through its proposed draft constitution. This is unacceptable and we utterly reject it.
One of the measures being used to extend permanent authority over the Turks and Caicos people and their government is by granting greater authority to the governor under the pretext of correcting failures of the past. The governor would be granted the authority to:
a) reject the decision of cabinet,
b) make decisions contrary to cabinet; and
c) solely make appointments to public bodies.
Two cases come to mind that discredit this theory that granting greater constitutional power to governors will avoid corruption or conflicts of interest. Specific examples arise, namely, Attorney General Terrence Donnegan and Governor Christopher Turner. These two cases involved abuses of constitutional power. One was convicted and deported after the 1986 inquiry and the other left the territory in disgrace after granting special concessions to close relatives, which ended up costing the Turks and Caicos Islands people millions of dollars to correct. The FCO and the British Government did nothing to pay for their mistakes.
The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands cannot trust their constitutional destiny to a governor with unchecked power and authority over the three branches of government, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Our history has proven that governors can and will fail to act with integrity and honesty in their decision making powers. This draft FCO constitution also grants the governor unchecked power and authority over the institutions protecting the three branches of government making him a complete and total constitutional dictator.
We have been down this road before where the level of incompetence and corruption in government by locally elected officials, coupled with the incompetence and neglect at the FCO, has caused our country’s constitution to be temporarily suspended. We have equally been down the road where the imposed solutions to fix the equal failings of the locally elected government and the FCO robs the people of their democratic, constitutional and fundamental human rights. We wish not to go down that road again as proposed in this draft constitution.
In introducing the draft 2006 constitution for public consultation and debate, Lord Triesman remarked, “The UK has only retained those powers, including for the Governor, which are – and will remain -- necessary in TCI to ensure the implementation of international obligations; to protect itself against contingent liabilities; and to ensure good governance.” So what happened to the governor and his constitutional ability to ensure good governance? Again, it was not the people or the constitution that failed. It was the individuals the FCO appointed who failed in giving the necessary attention to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The FCO now seeks to cover up its failings and problems by imposing an untenable constitution on an unwilling people.
The fact is the FCO failed to uphold their responsibility for good governance, yet the people are being punished for it through a draft constitution that is regressive. This draft represents a major backward step for the people and the protection of their fundamental rights. Specifically, it has components that ignore the will of the people as expressed through their representatives in our Parliamentary system of democracy. This document would eliminate Parliament’s authority on specific matters. The message communicated is one of distrust and suspicion.
We can only conclude from the constitutional proposals that the FCO does not trust the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands to make sound decisions through their representatives and the mechanisms to make law because decisions can be overridden, limited and removed from Parliament’s ability to handle the country’s business. This is dangerous.
In exercising its remit in the Turks and Caicos Islands the FCO should be concentrating on fulfilling its commitment made to the rest of the world in the United Nations charter.
The UK will argue, wrongly, that it is not bound by International obligation, as former FCO minister under the Labour government, Lord Triesman, claimed in his speech to the Turks and Caicos Islands on April 24, 2006.
He said, “In this context, it might be helpful if I set out the UK position on alternative forms of relationship, some of which I know have been discussed here in TCI in recent weeks. UN General Assembly Resolution 1541 set out some options for the relationship between Administering Powers and Territories, including independence, integration and free association. The UK did not vote in favour of that resolution, and does not regard itself as bound by it”.
However, we are eager to point out to the FCO that not being bound to 1541 does not mean there isn’t still an obligation to Turks and Caicos Islands under the United Nations Charter. The text of Chapter XI of Article 73 paragraph A and B of the United Nations Charter, Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories, reads, “Members of the United Nations which have or assume responsibilities for the administration of territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the obligation to promote to the utmost, within the system of international peace and security established by the present Charter, the well-being of the inhabitants of these territories, and, to this end:
a. to ensure, with due respect for the culture of the peoples concerned, their political, economic, social, and educational advancement, their just treatment, and their protection against abuses;
b. to develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each territory and its peoples and their varying stages of advancement;
Clearly, if we are to hold the British Government to account for their role in helping the Turks and Caicos Islands and our people achieve any measure of advancement, the grade would be low. The fact is this exercise of constitutional change is counter and opposite to the obligations that the UK government has agreed to the world to uphold with regard to Turks and Caicos Islands. We reject it and will continue the work on drafting a constitution for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Mr. Parnell sets out his unequivocal rejection of the new constitution and states point-by-point the reason for his rejection.
By Douglas Parnell
Leader, Peoples Democratic Movement
The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) rejects the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) draft constitution. Offered below are a number of reasons taken from our party’s position paper on the issue why it is unacceptable for our people and country at this stage of our development.
The 2010 review of the constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands comes from an unfortunate period of maladministration and corruption exposed by a far reaching Commission of Inquiry requested by our party for the good of the country.
Peoples Democratic Movement leader Douglas Parnell
The findings of the Commission were shocking, and exposed numerous failings on the part of individuals in the last government, including individuals in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Governor. Ironically, while the Commission was in oral hearings, the Turks and Caicos Governor was still busy signing off on transactions where there was alleged corruption. The final report does not cite one constitutional failure as a cause for these alarming acts on the part of ministers.
It must be pointed out that this was not the first Commission of Inquiry to be requested. If former Governor Richard Tauwhare is to be believed, he declared at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in May 2008 that he had requested the FCO to call a commission of inquiry as far back as 2005. This was during a period before the 2006 constitution was enacted and in reality the Governor had greater authority and responsibility to act and correct failures of the local government at that time.
The FCO did not listen. What remains to be seen is whether the FCO will listen to the voice and wishes of the people to return our 2006 constitution or whether the FCO and its ministers will turn a deaf ear towards our concerns on OUR constitution.
As for the information in the Commission of Inquiry, the PDM stands resolute in our stance that “we told you so” and can safely say that we did what was right during this period of maladministration, unlike Governors Poston and Tauwhare, Meg Munn and Leigh Turner, who did what was wrong and ignored our concerns of corruption, and gross maladministration when they were brought forward and were summarily dismissed as lacking sufficient evidence.
The greatest obstacle to good governance and deterrent to sound financial management is a lack of hearing and adherence to the already existing laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands on the part of persons in authority. When this happens with locally elected officials, we have a remedy at the polls through a General Election, but when this happens with UK officials at the FCO the people of the territory have no recourse and we suffer for years, sometimes even decades.
Even today the FCO is not listening to their own MPs such as Andrew Rosindell and Lord Nigel Jones, who have both warned that a constitution cannot and should not be forced on the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Even to this day the FCO has neglected to pave a path for direct negotiations with the political parties on any change to the constitution as called for by our party and the British Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Turks and Caicos Islands, despite the precedent set during the 1986 suspension.
The FCO must remember that it has appointed over the years governors and attorneys general who have not served the interest of the people, but who served their own interest and broke the law.
The FCO cannot simply look at the last eight years and try to impose a constitution on the people based upon this period but it must look back and honestly assess its own failings, gross neglect and incompetence in administering its constitutional obligations to the Turks and Caicos people and our territory, obligations that is has agreed with the world to uphold and move towards. Yet, in this FCO draft constitution, the UK’s United Nations obligations are being disregarded. It is clear that the FCO is attempting to move the country backwards to an era of colonialism. It is seeking to extend temporary direct rule into permanent authority over the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands through its proposed draft constitution. This is unacceptable and we utterly reject it.
One of the measures being used to extend permanent authority over the Turks and Caicos people and their government is by granting greater authority to the governor under the pretext of correcting failures of the past. The governor would be granted the authority to:
a) reject the decision of cabinet,
b) make decisions contrary to cabinet; and
c) solely make appointments to public bodies.
Two cases come to mind that discredit this theory that granting greater constitutional power to governors will avoid corruption or conflicts of interest. Specific examples arise, namely, Attorney General Terrence Donnegan and Governor Christopher Turner. These two cases involved abuses of constitutional power. One was convicted and deported after the 1986 inquiry and the other left the territory in disgrace after granting special concessions to close relatives, which ended up costing the Turks and Caicos Islands people millions of dollars to correct. The FCO and the British Government did nothing to pay for their mistakes.
The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands cannot trust their constitutional destiny to a governor with unchecked power and authority over the three branches of government, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Our history has proven that governors can and will fail to act with integrity and honesty in their decision making powers. This draft FCO constitution also grants the governor unchecked power and authority over the institutions protecting the three branches of government making him a complete and total constitutional dictator.
We have been down this road before where the level of incompetence and corruption in government by locally elected officials, coupled with the incompetence and neglect at the FCO, has caused our country’s constitution to be temporarily suspended. We have equally been down the road where the imposed solutions to fix the equal failings of the locally elected government and the FCO robs the people of their democratic, constitutional and fundamental human rights. We wish not to go down that road again as proposed in this draft constitution.
In introducing the draft 2006 constitution for public consultation and debate, Lord Triesman remarked, “The UK has only retained those powers, including for the Governor, which are – and will remain -- necessary in TCI to ensure the implementation of international obligations; to protect itself against contingent liabilities; and to ensure good governance.” So what happened to the governor and his constitutional ability to ensure good governance? Again, it was not the people or the constitution that failed. It was the individuals the FCO appointed who failed in giving the necessary attention to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The FCO now seeks to cover up its failings and problems by imposing an untenable constitution on an unwilling people.
The fact is the FCO failed to uphold their responsibility for good governance, yet the people are being punished for it through a draft constitution that is regressive. This draft represents a major backward step for the people and the protection of their fundamental rights. Specifically, it has components that ignore the will of the people as expressed through their representatives in our Parliamentary system of democracy. This document would eliminate Parliament’s authority on specific matters. The message communicated is one of distrust and suspicion.
We can only conclude from the constitutional proposals that the FCO does not trust the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands to make sound decisions through their representatives and the mechanisms to make law because decisions can be overridden, limited and removed from Parliament’s ability to handle the country’s business. This is dangerous.
In exercising its remit in the Turks and Caicos Islands the FCO should be concentrating on fulfilling its commitment made to the rest of the world in the United Nations charter.
The UK will argue, wrongly, that it is not bound by International obligation, as former FCO minister under the Labour government, Lord Triesman, claimed in his speech to the Turks and Caicos Islands on April 24, 2006.
He said, “In this context, it might be helpful if I set out the UK position on alternative forms of relationship, some of which I know have been discussed here in TCI in recent weeks. UN General Assembly Resolution 1541 set out some options for the relationship between Administering Powers and Territories, including independence, integration and free association. The UK did not vote in favour of that resolution, and does not regard itself as bound by it”.
However, we are eager to point out to the FCO that not being bound to 1541 does not mean there isn’t still an obligation to Turks and Caicos Islands under the United Nations Charter. The text of Chapter XI of Article 73 paragraph A and B of the United Nations Charter, Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories, reads, “Members of the United Nations which have or assume responsibilities for the administration of territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the obligation to promote to the utmost, within the system of international peace and security established by the present Charter, the well-being of the inhabitants of these territories, and, to this end:
a. to ensure, with due respect for the culture of the peoples concerned, their political, economic, social, and educational advancement, their just treatment, and their protection against abuses;
b. to develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each territory and its peoples and their varying stages of advancement;
Clearly, if we are to hold the British Government to account for their role in helping the Turks and Caicos Islands and our people achieve any measure of advancement, the grade would be low. The fact is this exercise of constitutional change is counter and opposite to the obligations that the UK government has agreed to the world to uphold with regard to Turks and Caicos Islands. We reject it and will continue the work on drafting a constitution for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Some Highlights of Turks and Caicos Town Hall Meeting for UK Draft Constitution
By: CC
Last night's town hall meeting for the new constitution had some defining moments. We should be proud of everyone who showed up even if they were there for support and not to speak.
I find it interesting that it was held in a church of worship and many believe that it was a strategy to keep us "God fearing" Belongers from fully stating our minds. Even Ian Hendry the UK moderator from the FCO made a remark about it being in a house of God so as to tell the truth. It was remarkable. Nobody is quite certain what the two ladies that flanked Mr. Hendry were there to do, they seemed to have no function.
The energy was palpable and the attendance was plentiful. Despite grumblings and gestures from those in the audience toward misstatements by Mr. Hendry, all attendees were polite and well behaved under the circumstances. There were also cheers and claps from attendees when several in the audience took to the mic to voice their concerns about the new constitution, although the mic had intermittent failures as well as poor audio and annoying feedback. We hope that this was coincidental.
Mr. Hendry looked annoyed at certain comments or corrections made by audience members as he tried to speak. It looked out of character for such a smooth operator whose technique with words was his strong asset. Mr. Hendry made several attempts to get the audience to work with the new constitution instead of rejecting it entirely. Although a couple of attendees vaguely agreed that some of the changes in the constitution looked okay, the majority in attendance rejected the new constitution in its entirety which was punctuate with a show of hands by a couple of the speakers. In fact Mr. Hendry tried to point out that the new provisions for nature conservancy is something we could agree on, to which someone in the audience called to his attention that it was used to cause the Chalk Sound Homeowners to lose their homes.
There were some other highlights from the audience speakers. There were some interesting points by our speakers:
1. That the FCO has a history of failing to work together with the citizens
2. The general feeling of pushed aside and disenfranchised
3. That Falkland is being given expensive border defence unlike Turks and Caicos, the only difference in the two OT's is skin colour
4. That the new constitution makes the assumption that the governor is alway superior over the citizens that are corruptible
5. That the new meeting was another way to waste Belongers' time because the FCO will not implement the changes
6. There was talk of intimidation, the special prosecutor passing around Michael Misick's wedding album identifying who was in attendance
7. There was a show of hands for the audience on who was in fear attending the meeting (most everyone's hands went up).
A crowd pleaser was Floyd Seymour's comment that he was in favour of the enquiry but he didn't realise that when the British were given the car to clean that they returned it with the transmission torn apart.
I think we got the better of them. Mr. Hendry looked frazzled as did Doreen Quelch Missick. All of the speakers were passionate and honest, but also polite I thought.
The most surprising speech was by Doug Parnell. We all know he has been working with the Interim government closely and flying to London to meet with Henry Bellingham. I almost fell out of my seat when he said that this document (the new constitution) would force us to sever our relationship with the UK and move toward independence. He said it was a deal breaker and he would take it as a sign to drive us away.
Last night's town hall meeting for the new constitution had some defining moments. We should be proud of everyone who showed up even if they were there for support and not to speak.
I find it interesting that it was held in a church of worship and many believe that it was a strategy to keep us "God fearing" Belongers from fully stating our minds. Even Ian Hendry the UK moderator from the FCO made a remark about it being in a house of God so as to tell the truth. It was remarkable. Nobody is quite certain what the two ladies that flanked Mr. Hendry were there to do, they seemed to have no function.
The energy was palpable and the attendance was plentiful. Despite grumblings and gestures from those in the audience toward misstatements by Mr. Hendry, all attendees were polite and well behaved under the circumstances. There were also cheers and claps from attendees when several in the audience took to the mic to voice their concerns about the new constitution, although the mic had intermittent failures as well as poor audio and annoying feedback. We hope that this was coincidental.
Mr. Hendry looked annoyed at certain comments or corrections made by audience members as he tried to speak. It looked out of character for such a smooth operator whose technique with words was his strong asset. Mr. Hendry made several attempts to get the audience to work with the new constitution instead of rejecting it entirely. Although a couple of attendees vaguely agreed that some of the changes in the constitution looked okay, the majority in attendance rejected the new constitution in its entirety which was punctuate with a show of hands by a couple of the speakers. In fact Mr. Hendry tried to point out that the new provisions for nature conservancy is something we could agree on, to which someone in the audience called to his attention that it was used to cause the Chalk Sound Homeowners to lose their homes.
There were some other highlights from the audience speakers. There were some interesting points by our speakers:
1. That the FCO has a history of failing to work together with the citizens
2. The general feeling of pushed aside and disenfranchised
3. That Falkland is being given expensive border defence unlike Turks and Caicos, the only difference in the two OT's is skin colour
4. That the new constitution makes the assumption that the governor is alway superior over the citizens that are corruptible
5. That the new meeting was another way to waste Belongers' time because the FCO will not implement the changes
6. There was talk of intimidation, the special prosecutor passing around Michael Misick's wedding album identifying who was in attendance
7. There was a show of hands for the audience on who was in fear attending the meeting (most everyone's hands went up).
A crowd pleaser was Floyd Seymour's comment that he was in favour of the enquiry but he didn't realise that when the British were given the car to clean that they returned it with the transmission torn apart.
I think we got the better of them. Mr. Hendry looked frazzled as did Doreen Quelch Missick. All of the speakers were passionate and honest, but also polite I thought.
The most surprising speech was by Doug Parnell. We all know he has been working with the Interim government closely and flying to London to meet with Henry Bellingham. I almost fell out of my seat when he said that this document (the new constitution) would force us to sever our relationship with the UK and move toward independence. He said it was a deal breaker and he would take it as a sign to drive us away.
We All Reject the New UK Constitution in Turks and Caicos
By: Proud Islander
The headline that I wrote sums it up. We sat there in the house of God as beckoned by the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office. They called us to a holy sanctuary thinking they would deter us from speaking our minds. But God intervened and allowed us to speak our hearts. The British thought that they could play on our fears by bringing us to the church when we could have assembled at a public auditorium.
The pride from my heart turned to overwhelming joy when I witnessed each of our speakers bare his and her souls. We cried out to be heard of the wrongs that we endure with high taxes, high cost of living, no jobs, the heartache of the jeopardy that we face with the new British rule and now a constitution to solidify their occupation. We cried out for us. Not for them. We know that our cries were falling on deaf ears but we did it any way for us to have our say out loud in front of God and our country.
We said no to the bigoted Ian Hendry another white man from England sent to school us and put us in our place. He said that the British call all the shots. You could hear a gasp from all of us at once.
The British try to get us to agree to this or that thing in their constitution draft but we said no, we won't be agreeing to nothing in that document because we reject it. Minor issues are not the debate because we disagree with the draft constitution entirely. The British had trouble understanding, we won't focus on small points in it. Who drafted the constitution? Not us.
Our men dressed real nice and spoke well. We showed the FCO representatives that we have many educated, smart and capable leaders in Turks and Caicos. The church was filled with capable leaders and Ian Hendry can take that back to England because that's a fact. We don't need the likes of the British white men thinking they are superior to us just because of the colour of their skin. Their skin colour does not make them more qualified to run our country when we have good, educated individuals that care about our futures and our country.
We will not play games with their constitution changes anymore. They want us to work with it and we say no. If it were a real constitution it would be made by the people, for the people and voted on by the people. They cannot swoop in to draft a new constitution of their own liking and give their own governor authority over our government at his will and trick us into agreeing to it without a vote setting us back 30 years and taking away our self determination. Ian Hendry can take that back to England too.
There is not a chance that these constitutional lawyers believe in their honest moments that what they are doing is legally or ethically right. They know they are doing dirty work. I call upon Mr. Hendry and his side kicks to withdraw from their duties of wrong doing. No constitutional lawyer with any scruples would advise a people to accept any constitution without a vote and certainly not this one. I can't get over how they are trying to trick us. The FCO are slippery serpents, as is Ian Hendry. Take that back to England now sir.
The headline that I wrote sums it up. We sat there in the house of God as beckoned by the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office. They called us to a holy sanctuary thinking they would deter us from speaking our minds. But God intervened and allowed us to speak our hearts. The British thought that they could play on our fears by bringing us to the church when we could have assembled at a public auditorium.
The pride from my heart turned to overwhelming joy when I witnessed each of our speakers bare his and her souls. We cried out to be heard of the wrongs that we endure with high taxes, high cost of living, no jobs, the heartache of the jeopardy that we face with the new British rule and now a constitution to solidify their occupation. We cried out for us. Not for them. We know that our cries were falling on deaf ears but we did it any way for us to have our say out loud in front of God and our country.
We said no to the bigoted Ian Hendry another white man from England sent to school us and put us in our place. He said that the British call all the shots. You could hear a gasp from all of us at once.
The British try to get us to agree to this or that thing in their constitution draft but we said no, we won't be agreeing to nothing in that document because we reject it. Minor issues are not the debate because we disagree with the draft constitution entirely. The British had trouble understanding, we won't focus on small points in it. Who drafted the constitution? Not us.
Our men dressed real nice and spoke well. We showed the FCO representatives that we have many educated, smart and capable leaders in Turks and Caicos. The church was filled with capable leaders and Ian Hendry can take that back to England because that's a fact. We don't need the likes of the British white men thinking they are superior to us just because of the colour of their skin. Their skin colour does not make them more qualified to run our country when we have good, educated individuals that care about our futures and our country.
We will not play games with their constitution changes anymore. They want us to work with it and we say no. If it were a real constitution it would be made by the people, for the people and voted on by the people. They cannot swoop in to draft a new constitution of their own liking and give their own governor authority over our government at his will and trick us into agreeing to it without a vote setting us back 30 years and taking away our self determination. Ian Hendry can take that back to England too.
There is not a chance that these constitutional lawyers believe in their honest moments that what they are doing is legally or ethically right. They know they are doing dirty work. I call upon Mr. Hendry and his side kicks to withdraw from their duties of wrong doing. No constitutional lawyer with any scruples would advise a people to accept any constitution without a vote and certainly not this one. I can't get over how they are trying to trick us. The FCO are slippery serpents, as is Ian Hendry. Take that back to England now sir.
Turks and Caicos United Again, We are a Nation
By: BF
Turks and Caicos is small, hearsay travels fast. That boded well for the British when they tried to divide us in their recolonization aggression over the last 2 years. But now it is working in our favour. If it hadn't been for the draft constitution meetings we would not have been able to compare notes together to see how united we have become. I see hope that we have overcome the British brainwashing. The meetings this week are precisely what we needed. I thank Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson for encouraging us to unite as a nation to speak for our convictions at the town hall meetings. I also thank the FCO's Mr. Ian Hendry for inadvertently uniting us by trying to force sell the British draft constitution on TCI. Look at what we discovered about us. Our values are similar. Our ideas are just. Our principles are sound. We uniformly oppose the overreaching policies set in motion by the British. We discovered that we have many educated leaders that care about the future of Turks and Caicos. The intellect exhibited by many of our speakers in the meeting venues exemplified what we have been doing right as a nation all of these years with empowerment programs and education scholarships. We are not ignorant natives, as the British hoped.
It is impossible for the British to dispute that we are a separate nation when they witnessed that our values and ideas as a nation clearly do not align with the policies that the British seek to impose on us as a populace. We, the people, reject the British draft constitution. Both the PDM and the PNP political parties reject the British draft constitution. The draft constitution meetings clearly demonstrated how passionately different we feel from the British on the whole. We are Turks and Caicos "the nation" not the colony. It is as plain as the nose on their face and ours. The British are trying to force a square peg into a round hole. They have gone to great cost to recolonize us. They want it badly. They have stopped at nothing to humiliate us, threaten us, keep information from us and democratically oppress us. But again, look at what we discovered about us, we are the same people at the end of the day. When push came to shove we all united for the good of our nation and we reaffirmed our congruent values. We care about the future of our nation.
When confronted with a political tragedy like ours, nobody knows how a person will respond. We were confronted with losing our jobs and businesses by the British, and some of us did. We were confronted with losing our freedoms, literally with threats of crimes over all of us. We were confronted with losing our homes, and some of us did. I will not pretend that we all did the right thing along the way while we were plagued in an emergency situation. Somebody artificially activated the malicious finger pointing campaign around these parts, it worked yesterday but not today and not tomorrow. Look at what we discovered about us, we are the same people at the end of the day.
This has been a gratifying week. Clayton Greene and Doug Parnell came through for us and showed us that we (as people and as a nation) were more important to them than party politics. We were present for each other from every island and every political affiliation to help for a common cause. Do you know what that means? It means that we are "we" and not "them" and it means that we are not and cannot be a part of the British. We do not share any similarities to them; their policies are opposite of our values. When people don't see eye to eye it's time to go their separate ways, not join as the British are forcing.
We discovered that we are a nation of strong convictions and values and nobody can take that from us at the end of the day and nobody can take "us" from us. We can stick together and unite. I am proud of our leaders once again and am proud to be a Turks and Caicos Islander.
(originally published at http://tcipost.com/wordpress)
Turks and Caicos is small, hearsay travels fast. That boded well for the British when they tried to divide us in their recolonization aggression over the last 2 years. But now it is working in our favour. If it hadn't been for the draft constitution meetings we would not have been able to compare notes together to see how united we have become. I see hope that we have overcome the British brainwashing. The meetings this week are precisely what we needed. I thank Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson for encouraging us to unite as a nation to speak for our convictions at the town hall meetings. I also thank the FCO's Mr. Ian Hendry for inadvertently uniting us by trying to force sell the British draft constitution on TCI. Look at what we discovered about us. Our values are similar. Our ideas are just. Our principles are sound. We uniformly oppose the overreaching policies set in motion by the British. We discovered that we have many educated leaders that care about the future of Turks and Caicos. The intellect exhibited by many of our speakers in the meeting venues exemplified what we have been doing right as a nation all of these years with empowerment programs and education scholarships. We are not ignorant natives, as the British hoped.
It is impossible for the British to dispute that we are a separate nation when they witnessed that our values and ideas as a nation clearly do not align with the policies that the British seek to impose on us as a populace. We, the people, reject the British draft constitution. Both the PDM and the PNP political parties reject the British draft constitution. The draft constitution meetings clearly demonstrated how passionately different we feel from the British on the whole. We are Turks and Caicos "the nation" not the colony. It is as plain as the nose on their face and ours. The British are trying to force a square peg into a round hole. They have gone to great cost to recolonize us. They want it badly. They have stopped at nothing to humiliate us, threaten us, keep information from us and democratically oppress us. But again, look at what we discovered about us, we are the same people at the end of the day. When push came to shove we all united for the good of our nation and we reaffirmed our congruent values. We care about the future of our nation.
When confronted with a political tragedy like ours, nobody knows how a person will respond. We were confronted with losing our jobs and businesses by the British, and some of us did. We were confronted with losing our freedoms, literally with threats of crimes over all of us. We were confronted with losing our homes, and some of us did. I will not pretend that we all did the right thing along the way while we were plagued in an emergency situation. Somebody artificially activated the malicious finger pointing campaign around these parts, it worked yesterday but not today and not tomorrow. Look at what we discovered about us, we are the same people at the end of the day.
This has been a gratifying week. Clayton Greene and Doug Parnell came through for us and showed us that we (as people and as a nation) were more important to them than party politics. We were present for each other from every island and every political affiliation to help for a common cause. Do you know what that means? It means that we are "we" and not "them" and it means that we are not and cannot be a part of the British. We do not share any similarities to them; their policies are opposite of our values. When people don't see eye to eye it's time to go their separate ways, not join as the British are forcing.
We discovered that we are a nation of strong convictions and values and nobody can take that from us at the end of the day and nobody can take "us" from us. We can stick together and unite. I am proud of our leaders once again and am proud to be a Turks and Caicos Islander.
(originally published at http://tcipost.com/wordpress)
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