Democracy Abolished by the UK in its Overseas Territories

It is more than time for world democracy groups to take action in the Caribbean. It is nice that the UN, EU and Caricom have all made declarations of UK's impropriety and illegal acts in Turks and Caicos. However, it is not enough to just take notice. The citizens of Turks and Caicos are desperate for action.

In August 2009, the UK took the government of Turks and Caicos Islands and is rumored to have designs on Cayman, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda as well. Caribbean foreign investors are reluctant to invest in a country that has no real certainty of its future.

The people of Turks and Caicos are living without certainty of their future and without economic hope. How can the people of the islands make investments and commitments to the islands' success when it is under direct tyranny by a foreign country? Turks and Caicos has no future without autonomy. The people who have no choice but to stay in the islands feel battered and defeated and those who can leave to their home countries are doing so in droves.

The Turks and Caicos Islands, a former island territory of the UK, had enjoyed autonomous self-government since the 1970s with its own constitution. Along with the UK's investigation of allegations of corruption by a political opposition party, also came the destruction of the islands' government and revenue. This opposition party in the islands are viewed as a gang of thugs. However, they somehow had, and still have, the UK's ear.

In August 2009, the UK suspended the constitution of Turks and Caicos for what they told the international community was a period of two years. However, in a press release in November, the UK announced to the world quietly on a Saturday, that the UK presence would be permanent.

Since UK's arrival, one flawed economic decision after another has tainted the island's investment reputation and thus confidence with the international community. Turks and Caicos' largest economic stimulus comes from tourism revenue generated by resorts. This is not ONLY because of jobs for the islanders but also because of the revenue brought in by the tourism draw alluring people from all of the world to spend their dollars in Turks and Caicos.

By the UK alleging that nearly every single resort developer is corrupt, the international community has cowered and fled or has been run out of town by the UK. The jobless rate, in part resulting from the resort closures, has caused an economic and humanitarian crisis for the people. Furthermore, taxes have been imposed, benefits cuts, resources suspended and mandatory health care payments have been imposed. The people are suffering.

No doubt that the UK's affect on the islands has caused a down turn in the tourism industry. In addition, the UK has implemented hospitality tax hikes causing many of the remaining resorts to fear bankruptcy.

It is unlikely that you could scare up a group of more than 10 people who want to give up their right to have a self-governed constitution. In fact, some concerned citizens contend that if UK is sincerely there to bail out Turks and Caicos, why is it failing to bring resources and taking revenue away from the islands. The UK is causing the people to suffer without valid explanation.

The UN has already declared UK's invasion of the islands' autonomous constitution to be illegal and have called for a withdrawal.

Democracy International, please find out the real reason why UK suspended the citizens' constitutional right to trial by jury, for the entire population. The UK states that the people of Turks and Caicos are not fit to serve on a jury panel. Why have the people of Turks and Caicos lost all rights to vote on leadership, judiciary, health care -- all democracy has been lost.

EU, please examine UK's moral authority to act as Turks and Caicos' intellectual and moral superiors resulting in taking governance from the people of Turks and Caicos.

The people of Turks and Caicos are crying out for a review of this situation by the world communities.

http://tciwatch.com
Constitutional right to jury trials suspending in Turks and Caicos http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/uk-takes-turks-and-caicos-citizens/Floyd Hall says taxes would be a burden on TCI at this time
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