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.
Showing posts with label jury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jury. Show all posts
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
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.
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