PARLEY KWEYOL

In a brief FB comment, Kenny Bakie (former Manager of HOT FM and indeed my good friend) hinted at the consideration of the hosting of “Jounen Ehdianne”. In this “guava season” I’m sure it’s an initiative that the commercial sector would run away with, but what are the implications? Wouldn’t a "Jounen Endyen" lead to a sense of exclusivity and possibly cultural fragmentation? Perhaps, if Kenny listened more closely to Leonette Pierre's Palé Kwéyòl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jid_A0ab7Es), then he might have conceded that “Jounen Ehdianne” [in a strictly St. Lucia(n) context] may be deeply culturally embedded in Jounen Kwéyòl.

Leonette sang: "Madam, si ou sé on Sent Licien, memn si ou sé an Endyen . . . Palé Kwéyòl".  In fact throughout the song, she advocates a cultural integration by encouraging St. Lucian irrespective of identity to Palé Kwéyòl.

There's no doubt that St. Lucia is a nation of “mixed ethnicities” integrated into a whole: Amerindian, African, European, Chinese, Indian, Syrian etc. Our Kweyol may well be the one “cultural” common denominator that identifies and even differentiates us as St. Lucians. It goes far beyond the parochial Afrocentric view which seems to influence our interpretation and orientation. The global view is Kweyol is not just a language; it’s a way of life which captures a conflation of diverse cultures in a unique and dynamic way.

Leonette’s line - "Madam, si ou sé on Sent Licien, memn si ou sé an Endyen . . . Palé Kwéyòl" - dovetails neatly into the popular expression “Kweyol Kouli” (or “Kouli Kweyol”). Indeed some of the signature Indian cultural practices (like roti and dhal) have become irreversibly kweyolised to the point that they are inextricably embedded into the culture of St. Lucia. What more evidence therefore do we need to prove that kweyol runs naturally in the “Endyen blood” or vice versa?

The Endyens in Augier, Balca, Forestierre are as quintessionally Kweyol as the rest of St. Lucia. So are the persons of Amerindian descendants in Choiseul and our Shabins in Saltibus, Martin, Ponyon, Mongouge etc.

The Chappy's from Delcer are pure Caucasian; but who in St. Lucia spoke more or better Kweyol than them?

Country and Western (C&W) has arguably become the biggest “continental” component of our Kweyol to the point where Linus Modeste is referred to as the black George Jones. In fact, C&W has become so Kweyolised that we now affectionately refer to it as "Bwa". It is peripatetic and may have even overshadowed the other dance forms.

Contrary to the elite "city-centric" view that phenomena like "Bwa" are “Kweyol idiosyncrasies”, the reality is they are not.  If they were, then the very “hard core” of our cultural identity could arguably also be classified as idiosyncratic; but we are a proud people with values and customs which are dynamic. The fact that our “unofficial” national dish of green fig and saltfish does not comprise exclusively local foods does not take away anything away from us. The point is while our cultural identity must be exclusive (to an extent), it must never be exclusionary.

Even our national Flower Festivals (La Rose and La Marguerite) - the very essence of our Kwéyòl soul - did not originate here or from the mother country either. Anecdotal data from the Catholic Church archives suggest that the La Rose has Peruvian origin, hence the term “St. Rose de Lima” – Lima being the capital of Peru.

In fact, if we were to remove all the non-St. Lucian components from our Kweyol, then what would we be left with? The core of our identity would probably be seriously exposed to the elements! Just remember, like America, St. Lucia too is a nation of immigrants.

Leonette’s song is indeed a very serious “Kweyol” commentary which gives an apt historical (and telling philosophical) analysis/description of Kwéyòl at “a point in time” (which may have even been extended to the present). 

“Boots” and “Fish” and perhaps many of our Kweyol historiographers (like Dr’s Jn Pierre & Monsignor Patrick Anthony) were probably not “born in Kweyol” yet when she wrote the song . . . even if she may chronologically younger than them.

There is an “hypothesis” that the Kweyol neo-Cultural Revolution partly began in Choiseul with unsung heroes like Mc Authur Phillip, “Bolo”, Thecla Fontenard, the late Sabinus Thomas, Mr Dodo, Piaye Community Dancers etc. Those guys/ladies proactively marketed Kweyol at a time when there was a looming threat of marginalisation and even obsolescence. I'm aware that Laborie, Veux Fort North, Soufriere, etc were also in the vanguard of the renaissance.

Some Caribbean sociologist/historians contend that the Kweyol language was prevalent in Trinidad & Tobago and Grenada during the days of slavery and beyond but fizzled out with time and was eventually replaced by an English dialect. Fortunately, the St. Lucian’s went the other direction. We survived those threat of extinction - thanks to our resilience; Yes! “Rural St. Lucia” got its fair share of ridicule by the “brighter” city folk calling us “Neg Mawon” for our Kweyol culture; but that didn’t deter us.

It is instructive that the tables have now turned. The “Neg Mawons” have now been “rediscovered” as heroes by the Columbus’s of the city.

Much kudos are in order for the “post-Neg Mawon” heroes and their work. They constitute a diaspora far and wide fitted inside a little speck of dust. In Kweyol’s darkest days, they went on to ensure sustainability which helped shaped the renaissance. It was also during that tail-end of Cultural Renaissance that Leonette wrote and recorded the timeless classic Palé Kwéyòl.

It was no accident that Choiseul was chosen District to host the first historic Jounen Kweyol in 1984. That laid the platform for future successes. The first theme - “Kweyol an san nou” - (which was crafted by Choiseulians) is the mother of all themes.

Perhaps the Ministry of Creative Industries should consider the commissioning of more organised research of the models and modalities of that “epoch” that may have shaped the Kweyol Renaissance. That was the period when St. Lucia was transitioning from “Patois” to English but in the transition we made the Kweyol better and gave it greater legitimacy.

By the way, I have to pay tribute guys like Musa and his group, Lapo Kabwit, Ma Bébé, Mr Wowo, Rameau Poleon, the Soufriere Action Theatre (SAT) and the numerous groups around St. Lucia for their sterling contribution to the preservation of our Kweyol.

I’m so proud of my Kweyol; and I’m so happy that I can speak it. I may never live to see the day when Kweyol literature will be become an integral part of Lucian Literature and as a subject on our school curriculum; but I have faith it will happen one day. 

PIRACY ISN’T KILLING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, SCHOLARS SHOW

The article below is reproduced from Torrent Freak:

The London School of Economics and Political Science has released a new policy brief urging the UK Government to look beyond the lobbying efforts of the entertainment industry when it comes to future copyright policy. According to the report there is ample evidence that file-sharing is helping, rather than hurting the creative industries. The scholars call on the Government to look at more objective data when deciding on future copyright enforcement policies.

Over the past years there have been ample research reports showing that file-sharing can have positive effects on the entertainment industries.

Industry lobbyists are often quick to dismiss these findings as incidents or weak research, and counter them with expensive studies they have commissioned themselves.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) jumps into the discussion this week with a media policy brief urging the UK Government to look beyond the reports lobbyists hand to them. Their report concludes that the entertainment industry isn’t devastated by piracy, and that sharing of culture has several benefits.

“Contrary to the industry claims, the music industry is not in terminal decline, but still holding ground and showing healthy profits. Revenues from digital sales, subscription services, streaming and live performances compensate for the decline in revenues from the sale of CDs or records,” says Bart Cammaerts, LSE Senior Lecturer and one of the report’s authors.

The report shows that the entertainment industries are actually doing quite well. The digital gaming industry is thriving, the publishing sector is stable, and the U.S. film industry is breaking record after record.

“Despite the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) claim that online piracy is devastating the movie industry, Hollywood achieved record-breaking global box office revenues of $35 billion in 2012, a 6% increase over 2011,” the report reads.

Even the music industry is doing relatively well. Revenue from concerts, publishing and digital sales has increased significantly since the early 2000s and while recorded music revenues show a decline, there is little evidence that piracy is the lead cause.

“The music industry may be stagnating, but the drastic decline in revenues warned of by the lobby associations of record labels is not in evidence,” the report concludes.

The authors further argue that file-sharing can actually benefit the creative industries in various ways.

The report mentions the success of the SoundCloud service where artists can share their work for free through Creative Commons licenses, the promotional effect of YouTube where copyrighted songs are shared to promote sales, and the fact that research shows that file-sharers actually spend more money on entertainment than those who don’t share.

“Within the creative industries there is a variety of views on the best way to benefit from online sharing practices, and how to innovate to generate revenue streams in ways that do not fit within the existing copyright enforcement regime,” the authors write.

Finally, the report shows that punitive enforcement strategies such as the three strikes law in France are not as effective as the entertainment industries claim.

The researchers hope that the U.K. Government will review the Digital Economy Act in this light, and make sure that it will take into account the interests of both the public and copyright holders.

This means expanding fair use and private copying exceptions for citizens, while targeting enforcement on businesses rather than individuals.

“We recommend a review of the DEA and related legislation that strikes a healthy balance among the interests of a range of stakeholders including those in the creative industries, Internet Service Providers and internet users.”

“When both [the creative industries and citizens] can exploit the full potential of the internet, this will maximize innovative content creation for the benefit of all stakeholders,” the authors write.

Source: http://torrentfreak.com/piracy-isnt-hurting-the-entertainment-industry-121003/

ST VINCENT TO INTENSIFY REPARATIONS EFFORTS NEXT YEAR

Nelson King

NEW YORK, United States, Monday September 30, 2013, CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he plans to intensify efforts in addressing the issue of Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery when he assumes the chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) early in the new year.

“When I take over the chairmanship of CARICOM in January I hope to get letters to Europe,” Gonsalves, who is here for the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Debate, told a standing-room-only town hall meeting in Brooklyn late Saturday.

“We’re going for reparations because of state-sponsored genocide and state-sponsored slavery”, he added.

“Europe, by engaging us in this matter, can make us more free,” he continued. “We need reparations, but we need available resources.”

The Vincentian leader, who has been taking the lead in CARICOM on the issue, said efforts at seeking reparations from Europe are “not a conversation about protests.

“This is a serious conversation to see what is the legacy,” he said. “I’m not a little boy holding up a placard. I’m the Prime Minister of an independent country.”

Gonsalves warned that, as the reparations issue gains ground, European governments and their “agencies” are already “finding means to divide the Reparations Movement,” adding that “Reparations is for all of us.”

He noted that when former Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide first raised the issue of reparations, in the early 2000s, from France, “the French Government organized for Aristide to – let me put it nicely – to go into voluntary exile.”

Gonsalves said some European governments and diplomats have stated that the reparations matter should not be adopted by governments but by the people.“But I represent the people, I speak for them,” Gonsalves retorted.

“Reparations are to repair the consequences,” he added. “The British carried out and killed 80 percent of the Callinago [St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ indigenous people].

“We’re looking at the legacy – the problems in education, in health,” he continued. “In the Caribbean, people of African descent have higher incident of diabetes and high blood pressure than elsewhere. How come in West Africa you don’t have that?”

Gonsalves said his country’s hosting of the recent, first-ever Regional Conference on Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery was the first step in the Caribbean's quest to “address and redress a psychic, historical, socio-economic, and developmental wound that is, for CARICOM, 14 nations wide and 400 years deep.

“The genocidal oppression and suffering of my country's indigenous Callinago, the Garifuna, and enchained Africans have been rightly adjudged to have been a horrendous crime against humanity,” he told the UN General Assembly last week.

“Accordingly, the collective voice of our Caribbean civilisation ought justly to ring out for reparations for native genocide and African slavery from the successor states of the European countries, which committed organised state-sponsored native genocide and African enslavement. 

The awful legacy of these crimes against humanity – a legacy which exists today in our Caribbean – ought to be repaired for the developmental benefit of our Caribbean societies and all our peoples,” he added.

“The historic wrongs of native genocide and African slavery, and their continuing contemporary consequences, must be righted, must be

repaired, in the interest of our people's humanization,” he continued.

Gonsalves urged European nations to “partner in a focused, especial way with” the Caribbean in executing this “repairing.”

“Thus, the demand for reparations is the responsibility not only of the descendants, in today's Caribbean, of the Callinago, the Garifuna, the Amerindian, and the African. It is undoubtedly an agenda for all of us to advance, to promote, to concretise, and to execute,” he said.

The Vincentian leader said the struggle for reparations represents, immediately, a defining issue for the Caribbean in this 21st century, stating that it promises to make both Europe and the Caribbean “more free, more human, more good-neighbourly.”

Recently, CARICOM decided to place the quest for reparations at the centre of its developmental agenda.

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas told the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly that he was joining with CARICOM Member States in supporting the case for reparation associated with the atrocities of slavery.

Douglas said that though the repercussions of slavery “on the lives of those of our ancestors cannot be quantified, we are convinced that the deleterious effects which, even now, are translated into much hardship and poverty for the descendents of our ancestors, must be resolved.”

Nelson A. King

While speaking on the erection of a memorial at the UN in honor of the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller also said she was supportive of the call for an international discussion on the issue but in a “non-confrontational manner.”

“We fully support the initiative for a declaration of a Decade for Persons of African Descent,” she declared.

Jose Francisco Avila, the Honduran-born chairman of the the Bronx, New York-based Garifuna Coalition, USA, Inc., who attended the town hall meeting with Prime Minister Gonsalves, said he looks forward to working with the CARICOM Reparations Commission, along with Garifuna representatives from the Diaspora, “in seeking justice for the crime of genocide committed against our ancestors by the British.

Source: http://www.caribbean360.com/

AFRICAN DUST DUMPED ON THE CARIBBEAN WORRIES SCIENTISTS

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Friday August 30, 2013 – Clouds of African dust have been sprinkling their contents across the Caribbean for as long as there's been sand in the Sahara Desert. The phenomenon is nevertheless attracting increasing attention from regional scientists who believe that the clouds have grown, even if there's no global consensus on the issue.

Recently, an unusually large cloud dusted the Eastern Caribbean, generating hazy skies and vivid sunsets before drifting over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and moving on to be detected as far away as Wyoming in the United States.

Satellite images from NASA show these huge, smoky clouds wafting westward from Africa and blanketing hundreds of square miles.

Although the microscopic dust particles sent aloft by African sandstorms have hitherto been accorded little more than moderate interest, experts are now saying that the particulate matter may be cause for health concerns and merit more study to understand their potential impact.

According to Braulio Jimenez-Velez, a specialist in molecular and environmental toxicology at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, "It is a matter of great magnitude, interest and importance for health." 

So far this year, Sahara dust has prompted two health alerts in Puerto Rico for asthma sufferers and people with allergies. The Dominican Republic also issued a warning.

Many Caribbean territories, including Puerto Rico, have high asthma rates, but no direct link has been established between African dust and higher rates of asthma or lung cancer.

Over time, human activity has changed the composition of the clouds, with scientists saying that they now contain trace amounts of metals, microorganisms, bacteria, spores, pesticides and faecal matter, although no evidence exists that the quantities are sufficient to pose a threat.

African dust sampled in Barbados also had elevated levels of arsenic and cadmium, according to Joseph M. Prospero, professor emeritus of marine and atmospheric chemistry at the University of Miami.

"The specific impact on health is not known here or anywhere else. It has been extremely difficult to link specific particle composition to health effects," said Prospero, who is lead author of a paper on the dust to be published in September by the bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

"So it cannot be said what effect all this dust has, but there is reason for some concern," the expert added.

Eugenio Mojena of Cuba's Institute of Meteorology said the particles are believed to originate in the semi-arid Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, where farmers raise livestock and employ chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Experts also worry that chemicals in the clouds may pose a threat to coral, although the theory is still a subject of debate.

The dust clouds can also complicate air traffic by reducing visibility to less than 3 miles, said Jason Dunion, a researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

On a more positive note, the dust-laden clouds may inhibit the formation of hurricanes and other tropical weather systems in the Caribbean.

According to Prospero, lower rainfall in West Africa presumably causes more dust, which reduces sunlight, lowers water temperatures and cuts evaporation, all factors in cyclonic formation

SOURCE: http://www.caribbean360.com/

UWI PROFESSOR WARNS OF SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS IF US ATTACKS SYRIA

PROFESSOR BRIAN MEEKS

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday September 3, 2013 – Professor of Social and Political Change at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Brian Meeks, has warned that if the United States takes military action against Syria, Jamaica’s fragile economy could be in serious trouble.

Over the weekend, Professor Meeks said a more dangerous Middle East is a more dangerous world and inevitably this would lead to even more instability in Jamaica.

“One thing that we are already feeling is oil prices. Once there is instability in the Middle East, and there is a lot of it now, oil prices will go up and have continued to go up . A more dangerous Middle East is a more dangerous world, the world will become more unstable and that can have tremendous impact on our economy if war spreads and more particularly on the price of oil.”

He believes that a decision to take military action is not the best one for the United States.

“The United States should wait to hear what the United Nations has found and should operate clearly in the bounds of the United Nations and multilateralism. I frankly think that the United States went the unilateral route in Iraq and paid the price for it. I think they should wait until the international community clearly identifies what happened in Syria” he said.

On Sunday, the Obama Administration in the United States called on Congress to support a move to take military action against Syria.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said evidence collected independently of a United Nations probe shows that Syria used sarin gas in an attack on its people.

According to Kerry, the United States has to act. "If you don't do it, you send a message of impunity,” he said.

The United Nations has argued that world leaders should wait until UN investigators determine whether chemical weapons were used.(CMC)

SOURCE: http://www.caribbean360.com/

CARIBBEAN ACADEMIC PRESENTS COMPELLING CASE WHY BRITAIN SHOULD PAY REPARATIONS

By Kenton Chance

Pro-Vice Chancellor Hilary Beckles

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, August 21, 2013 - A leading Caribbean intellectual has presented a compelling argument of why Britain should pay to former colonies in the region reparations for slavery and native genocide.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders at their summit in Trinidad and Tobago in July agreed to the formation of the Commission that will be chaired by Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and include St Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

The regional countries have also engaged the services of a prominent British human rights law firm to assist in the matter.

“We are focusing on Britain because Britain was the largest owners of slaves at Emancipation in the 1830s. The British made the most money out of slavery and the slave trade -- they got the lion share. And, importantly, they knew how to convert slave profits into industrial profits,” said Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Speaking at a lecture Tuesday night on the title of his latest book, “Britain’s Black Debt: Reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide”, the academic detailed how the British government and British citizens used slavery to enrich themselves.

He further noted that while at Emancipation, reparations were paid to former slave owners, the slaves got nothing.

Professor Beckles argued that the reparation monies stimulated the British economy for half a century after Emancipation, but “here in the Caribbean, the islands were descended into poverty after Emancipation.

“And in Britain, 50 years of growth because the compensation money was reinvested in the British economy and stimulated the economic development of the company,” he said, adding “the British government built this system (slavery), they created fiscal policies to manage it, they created financial systems, they legislated slavery, they administrated slavery, the government owned the slaves, and, importantly, the British government is the custodian of the wealth of the nation.

“We believe that we now have to repair the damage and this is the final point. This is why now repartitions is important,” Professor Beckles said, noting that Caribbean governments were now spending up to 80 per cent of their expenditure on education and health.

“After 300 hundred years of taking their labour, exploiting their labour and enriching themselves to build themselves into the most powerful nation on earth, they have left Caribbean peoples illiterate and unhealthy, which means that the governments today have to clean up illiteracy and clean up the ill-health do not have the resources to do it.”

Professor Beckles said that the British were good at keeping records and hence the wealth derived from slavery is traceable. He rebutted some of the arguments likely to be advanced by Britain as it resists paying reparations to the region.

He said that the British have launched a campaign to discredit the reparations movement, but stated that British citizens are increasingly seeing the need for -- and are calling on their government to make -- amends.

Professor Beckles spoke of a case in which a slave trader, faced with decreasing ration aboard a slave ship and no tail winds, decided to throw his slave “cargo” overboard and return to Britain to claim insurance.

The British judiciary ruled that it was a simple case of property insurance rather than murder --since slaves were not considered human beings.

“Therein lies the British court … the judiciary of great Britain, ruling in its own legal structure that black people are not human beings.

“Therein lies the charge of reparations, because to deny a people their human identity is a crime against humanity and that is the case that the British judiciary, on behalf of the British state, established the principle that once and for all, that African peoples are not human.”

Professor Beckles spoke of how the exploitation of the region under slavery resulted in the underdevelopment of the region’s human resource, infrastructure, and economy.

He noted that after 300 years of colonisation, when in 1962 the British left Jamaica at Independence, 80 per cent of the Caribbean nation’s people were functionally illiterate

Professor Beckles also spoke of the impact on the family, and mentioned the high rates of diabetes and hypertension in the region and the ways in which black people in the Caribbean and Africa respond to medicine for these conditions.

“These are the kinds of things we speak about when we speak about reparations,” Professor Beckles said in reference to the vestiges of slavery and colonisation.

“The British government has to come to the Caribbean and sit with us and help us deal with all of these. We have a legal and moral right,” Professor Beckles said, lauding the efforts of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who has convinced his CARICOM colleagues to support the reparations movement.

“We need to take them forward. All of us need to take them forward,” Professor Beckles said of the issues relating to reparations.

“And if we do not, this region is going to regress and regress very rapidly. And it is not about confrontation, it is not about conflict, it is about a 21st century state of sophisticated diplomacy. 21st century diplomacy is required, a 21st century international relations is required. The time has come now in this second phase of nation building for us to go forward. I feel this is where we are at,” he said.

He noted, however, that reparation is not about handing over money to either individuals or governments.

“Under international law, reparations are paid into a fund, which is administered under international law. … In every society, a reparations committee is established, a fund is established, and under law, those funds are placed under trustees and trustees are held responsible for the use of those funds for community development,” Professor Beckles said. (CMC)

Source: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/st_vincent_news/902856.html#ixzz2czypOaiu

AN UNHAPPY EPISODE

A STATEMENT BY HON. DR. KENNY D. ANTHONY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR FINANCE, ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, PLANNING & SOCIAL SECURITY

August 20, 2013

A PROMISE FULFILLED

A few days ago, I promised that I would issue a statement to address “the issues of concern and in particular, the reasons for the actions of the United States to disallow the officers of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force from participating in training programmes arranged or financed by the United States.”

I address you tonight, in fulfilment of that promise.

I have heard those who have argued that a statement should have been made earlier by the Government and more particularly, by myself. As I have explained, this matter is exceedingly delicate and complex. It involves several parties. The officers of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the United States Government, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and most importantly, the citizens of our country.

It is of little value to make a statement to confirm what is already in the public domain, without providing some indication of how the Government plans to resolve the issues which confront us. A solution has to involve all of the parties just mentioned.

I shall, therefore, try to be as simple and as clear as possible so that all can understand the issues.

THE BACKROUND

The current events have their origin in the twelve individuals who were shot and killed by police officers between 2010 and 2011, during the tenure of the Government of the United Workers Party. Those killings occurred after the former Government launched what was then described in the media and elsewhere as “Operation Restore Confidence.”

This operation commenced with a dramatic speech to the nation by the former Prime Minister, Hon. Stephenson King, on May 30, 2010. The former Prime Minister warned criminals that “There will be no refuge, no stone will be left unturned and there will be no hiding place for anyone.”

In a further address to the nation on February 13, 2011, the former Prime Minister issued another warning to the criminals. He told them that, “They will be hunted down, they will be found, they will be prosecuted, they will be judged and will be made to pay the consequences for the crimes committed against our peace loving and law abiding people.”

Many would recall that there was, in circulation, a “hit list” of targeted persons deemed to be criminals. I recall that in opposition, I had seen such a list.

In the aftermath of the launch of “Operation Restore Confidence,” some twelve persons met their deaths. When the killings occurred, a few in our midst protested; some, on the other hand, applauded and welcomed the seeming reduction in homicides; others largely remained silent.

These killings, already described by some as “extra-judicial killings,” attracted the attention of the United States, in particular, that country’s State Department. In its Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Saint Lucia for 2011, the State Department noted that “there were twelve (12) potentially unlawful fatal police shootings during the year, some reportedly committed by officers associated with an ad hoc task force within the police department.”

It is this issue which has pre-occupied the United States and which has led to the actions taken against the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force.

JUSTIFICATION BY THE UNITED STATES

Officials of the United States say that they have taken action against police officers because they are bound by a law enacted by the United States Congress. This law, popularly known as the “Leahy Law” is named after the law’s principal sponsor, Senator Patrick Leahy of the state of Vermont. Essentially, this law says that the United States shall not furnish any assistance “to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.” The law further states that the prohibition just mentioned “shall not apply” if the Secretary determines and reports…….that the government of such country is taking effective steps to bring the responsible members of the security unit to justice.” The law adds that: “in the event that funds are withheld from any unit…the Secretary of State shall promptly inform the foreign government of the basis for such action and shall, to the maximum extent practicable, assist the foreign government in taking effective measures to bring the responsible members of the security forces to justice.”

There is much more to this law but for our purposes these provisions would suffice.

When these provisions are scrutinized against the actions of the United States, it becomes clear that the United States believes it has “credible evidence” that the officers of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force committed gross violations of human rights.”

WHAT OUR LAWS SAY

From the foregoing, the question which should be asked is whether the Government of Saint Lucia has taken or is taking measures “to bring the responsible members” of the Police Force “to justice?” Of course, those so-called responsible members would first have to be identified.

More pointedly, what do our laws say when unexplained deaths occur?

Where unexplained killings occur, our law provides for coroners inquests to be conducted by a magistrate to determine, if possible, the cause of the death of the subject of the inquest. In the case of the twelve killings mentioned earlier, I am advised that six inquests have been held. The inquest into the five individuals who were killed in the police operation in Vieux Fort is underway but remains incomplete.

Of the six inquests which have been completed, the coroners returned verdicts of “death by lawful act.” One inquest, I have been advised, has been remitted for a new inquest.

Since the United States has decided to impose sanctions on members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force , then it is reasonably clear that it does not have confidence in the outcome of the inquests to bring those responsible for the killings to justice; that is, if there is a basis to do so. Clearly, too, the presumption seems to be that the killings were unlawful.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

As the Government said in a recent statement, “It is undeniable that it is in our vital interest to maintain close ties of co-operation with the United States in security matters.”

From its first few months in office, the Government has always understood the seriousness of this matter and its implications for the Police Force and indeed, the former UWP Political Directorate.

The Government of Saint Lucia moved quickly on two fronts. Firstly, recognizing that inquests take an inordinate amount of time to arrive at verdicts, the Attorney General took steps to expedite inquests by appointing additional coroners. This was done by the issuance and publication of Statutory Instruments No 58 of 2012 and No. 126 of 2012. Secondly, the Government of Saint Lucia requested the United States to conduct polygraphs or what is often described as “lie detector tests” for senior officers of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force.

I am advised that over forty Gazetted officers and inspectors have undergone these tests but only one, so far, has failed. In every case, these officers were asked about their involvement and or knowledge of the alleged “extra- judicial killings”. They were also questioned about possible involvement in drugs and corrupt practices and behaviour.

The tests are not over. The Government will also permit the polygraph tests to extend to other ranks, the Special Services Unit as well as other officers assigned to other units of the force.

It is now the policy of this Government that no officer would be promoted to the rank of a Gazetted Officer unless that officer submits to a polygraph test.

In passing, I should emphasize that while these tests are very helpful in arriving at decisions regarding promotions and appointments, they are of no value in our courts of law. Indeed, even in the United States, their admissibility is not automatic and is decided on a case by case basis subject to the discretion of the presiding judge who is bound by strict legal guidelines. In Saint Lucia, they may provide evidence of one kind or other but the evidence has no probative value. In other words, the Director of Public Prosecution cannot rely on any evidence obtained as a result of the polygraphing of police officers. So, merely polygraphing police officers is not a solution to the issues which we face.

IMPACT ON THE FORCE

So far, the United States has disallowed several officers from proceeding on further training or participating in programmes organised or funded by the United States. This action, as you know, included the Commissioner of Police, who was recently prevented from travelling to the United States to represent regional police commanders at a Conference of Black Police Officers in the United States. Contrary to speculation by some, I wish to make it clear that the US Visa of the Commissioner has not been revoked. This has been confirmed by the United States Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean, Mr. Larry Palmer in a telephone conversation with me.

Yesterday, I was also advised that the United States has gone one step further and suspended all assistance to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force.

I have to admit that the conduct of this exercise has not been easy for the members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. It has pitted officer against officer, led to “finger-pointing,” accusations and counter accusations. The decision has undoubtedly undermined the morale of the Police Force and tarnished its reputation.

Our Police Officers cannot, for example, participate in any programme of training in the Regional Security Services (the RSS) once it is funded or organized by the United States. This has led to considerable speculation among members of the units from other member states.

Clearly, this is not a happy situation.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Where then do we go from here?

The Government of Saint Lucia is clear that the speculation about these so called “extra-judicial killings” must be brought to an end. It is in the interest of all concerned that the full facts of what occurred be disclosed, not only to satisfy the United States but, importantly, to clear those officers whose reputations are at risk. In the final analysis, the citizens of Saint Lucia must have confidence in those who are charged with law enforcement. In all of this, no matter how we may feel about those who met their deaths, we cannot ignore the pain and anguish of the families of the victims. They too need closure.

The fundamental issue is whether these killings were pre-meditated or occurred in the lawful execution of the duties of the officers involved?

To help to bring resolution to this unhappy episode, the Government has taken two further steps.

Firstly, the Government has invited the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, IMPACS, to identify three senior investigators from the region to investigate the so called “extra-judicial” killings.

The investigators will be asked to evaluate all available evidence and determine whether or not these matters warrant further action.

The findings, if adverse, will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions who has ultimate jurisdiction in criminal matters.

Secondly, Government will enact new legislation to conduct investigations of the type just proposed so as to ensure that such investigations enjoy the full protection of the law and that the findings of any investigation are lawfully transmitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions. This measure is needed to ensure that a mechanism exists to deal with such situations in the future, should such unexplained or suspicious deaths occur.

A MESSAGE TO THE FORCE

As I said earlier, I am fully aware that this is an exceedingly anxious period for the men and women of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. Some criminals may well feel that this is a moment to strike to undermine the excellent work that has been done over the past few months. I urge the police to remain calm but firm, vigilant, steadfast and uncompromising in the fight against crime in our country. The criminals in our midst must not be given any solace or sympathy.

Meanwhile, I wish to reassure our citizens that the Government will continue to work closely with the United States to resolve this issue and on security matters generally, in much the same way that we have done over the past few years. Saint Lucia values its close co-operation with the United States in security matters because without this understanding and co-operation our, borders can never be secure.

DUE PROCESS

When this is over, there can be little doubt that a monumental task will confront us to restore confidence and cohesiveness to the Force. At times like these, speculation will be rife but we must follow the rule of law as enshrined in our Constitution. There can be no other way. We now reap the harvest of rash decisions, particularly by policy makers anxious to gain quick resolutions. Sadly, the reality is that we must tread cautiously in these times, but resolutely and boldly as well. And so, while we still have a cloud of uncertainty above the officers and members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, we must not pander to populist views, but rather, we must follow due process as the rule of law commands us. We must do this not for the Americans but for ourselves.

My Government will remain fully committed to the maintenance of the law and order, by all citizens, irrespective of their position or status, civilian or otherwise.

I thank you and good night.

May God bless each and every one of you.