Reckless UK Occupation and Policies Cause Crisis

My concerns over the UK occupation of Turks and Caicos dates back many months, even prior to UK's actual invasion in August 2009.

I have recently criticed a national news service called Turks and Caicos Net News for its loose reporting on the UK occupation of Turks and Caicos and its rebuttal to my points against it.

Net News claims that the UK overthrow was not an invasion, yet how does the Net News explain the battle ships circling the islands preceding the take over?

Now the Net News claims that the UK has a right to occupy Turks and Caicos because it is an overseas territory of UK. This is a patently false and a ridiculous statement by Net News. First of all, parliament never voted on this, the people of Turks and Caicos never voted on this. Right there, I point to a violation of democracy.

Furthermore, the UN only acknowledges Turks and Caicos as a territory of the UK as to international defence; as such, the fourth committee for decolonization has condemned UK's move. If that's not enough, the West Indies Act of 1962 sets forth the separation of UK from the territories and is analyzed by a scholar (links are posted).

Months ago, I published an article in response to an editorial in the Turks and Caicos Sun News. My article was called Taxation Without Representation (linked herein).

I called for some important review of the UK's hasty occupation of Turks and Caicos and its actions once installed.

I made the case that the British have failed to make important resort developments whole - the UK failed to make their Crown land purchases bonafide transfers, causing resort developments to collapse. This was done because the UK claimed that campaign contributions by developers were corrupt. And, since the land was built on Crown land, the UK threatens to confiscate the lands from the developers upon findings of corruption. This has crippled the Turks and Caicos economy. Certainly there are no campaign contribution laws or limits in Turks and Caicos which makes this claim utterly a sham.

On top of that, the British announced a 1% tax increase on hospitality, adding burden to the tourism industry.

The UK cut benefits to local islanders, called Belongers.

The British thereafter imposed a mandatory monthly health care tax on all citizens.

The British imposed an amendment to the financial banking sector of Turks and Caicos, thereby damaging that resource of the economy, financial banking.

The British took the autonomous constitution from the people and declared an abolishment of "the citizens' right to a jury trial" for the entire population of the islands.
Not just those accused of corruption, but all people.

The police became angry with UK's failure to give them certainty about their jobs and their duties as law enforcement personnel with the new government.

Important record keepers and island officials were dismissed from their jobs or forced out. New pink faces replaced the distinguished former island leaders.

Secret meetings were being conducted by the British government and UK special prosecutors with political opposition parties.

Turks and Caicos is being run as a dictatorship; HE Gordon Wetherell making all decisions solely.International blocs, The United Nations, Caricom and European Union have all condemned UK's take over of the islands and have called it illegal.

I also reported on an opinion from a now PNP leader hopeful, Carlos Simons, published in the Turks and Caicos Sun News. Mr. Simons has been deeply criticised by his own party, PNP, for welcoming and supporting the UK when the Turks and Caicos leaders should have been propping themselves and their own government. Here is Mr. Simons opinion boiled down after you edit the verbose subtext:

1. UK dissenters are causing further turmoil at a time when islanders need to be moving on in this tough economy.
2. UK dissenters are peddling dangerous myths.
3. There has been no overthrow of the government or recolonisation by UK.
4. There is no difference since the British took over governance.
5. The British are restoring good governance.

These five opinions violate the very core of democratic goals for which Turks and Caicos has strived for many years.

See related stories: http://www.allvoices.com/users/TCIwatch

http://www.psa.ac.uk/2009/pps/Clegg.pdf (review of West Indies Act 1962)

http://www.suntci.com/index.php?p=story&id=542 (Carlos Simons Editorial in Sun News)

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4645007-taxation-without-representation-the-british-are-overlords-of-caribbean-island-turks-and-caicos (Taxation without representation!)