Colonialism in Alive and Well and it’s Happening in Turks and Caicos

Turks and Caicos citizens Alpha Gibbs and Ben Roberts rightly testified to the United Nations calling the British interim government the "interim dictatorship."   Dr. Conrad Howell, Alpha Biggs and Ben Roberts are of three people brave enough to step out of the dark and use their names to tell the truth about the British intimidation pushing and quietly taking rights and freedoms from Turks and Caicos citizens and perpetrating human rights abuses against the people.  

A Turks and Caicos citizens said, “Should anyone deny that racial segregation is occurring, they are either too scared to tell the truth or are hopelessly not with reality. Along with racial segregation is human rights abuses against us.  The human rights abuses are part of what Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Roberts reported at the latest United Nations special meeting.  We have been stripped of every right, we may not hire nor appoint our own government representatives, we are not entrusted with the autonomy of electing our own leaders.”  

There have been varying opinions about the British removing the Turks and Caicos democratically elected government, replacing it with a British governor to control all bodies of government and now manipulating the voting system.   The facts are that citizens are not allowed elections, voting, and a new constitution is being passed where belongers have no democratic representation.  All government bodies are being replaced by British appointees.  On one website TCIpost, one comment reads, “Our government looks nothing like it did before.  There is an extinction of our government representing our values.  We are forced to look on as our country slips into apartheid.”

There is an undeniable truth that the British have been causing instability in Turks and Caicos politics for some time.  The opinions that we hear about the British political manipulation in Turks and Caicos and elsewhere in the Caribbean looks to be absolutely true.   
If you trace back the complaints about former premier Michael Misick, who was the catalyst for the British takeover, you will read that he was a thug, that he intimidated constituents for votes, that he bribed and accepted bribes.  He was painted as a man who people were afraid to speak out again.  These were opinions posted in a Turks and Caicos political website said to be the “mouthpiece of the British.”  It could be said that Michael Misick also intimidated the British governors as well, as they never spoke of Michael Misick intimidating anyone during their installment in Turks and Caicos overseeing Misick.  If you read more independent opinions, you will learn a different side; Michael Misick was a visionary with an entrepreneurial spirit that catapulted Turks and Caicos into a wildly successful business venture.   Many point out that accepting campaign contributions does not amount to bribes and there were no campaign contribution laws in Turks and Caicos.  Could both opinions have truth? It is still baffling why an installed British governor in the past never spoke of intimidation or crimes.  You will also read every sort of allegation against Misick, but without a trial who can say for certain if it is true; and if so, to what degree.  

A very flourishing island economy was interrupted in 2008 when residents and belongers wrote letters to the British government against Michael Misick accusing him of corruption, accusing him of intimidating citizens, taking bribes and cronyism.  The British Foreign Commonwealth Office requested the letters; and they were plentiful.  There is suspicion as to what caused this sudden interest in “ambushing” Michael Misick.  The UK said it was necessary to call for this campaign against Misick because the islanders were too afraid to speak out.  But judging by the numbers of the letters, it does not appear anyone was intimidated.  There are plenty of individuals who formerly signed their names to these letters, who now say they regret it.

A forum called Turks and Caicos Informers made an interesting observation on their forum.  They made mention that very few people are “speaking out” against the British interim government.  We have noted only three citizens who went to the United Nations and only a handful of people daring to blog about the human rights abuses by the British but under aliases.  Is it fear or disinterest that causes the people of Turks and Caicos to remain restrained in their protest? Turks and Caicos Informers said,  

At a time when the British parliament members were proven to be embezzling money from the British tax payers (expense scandal), why has the British the moral authority to adjudge or punish what amounts to lobbyist campaign contributions in Turks and Caicos, common in America and many other countries and most importantly legal in Turks and Caicos?   As the British members of parliament have been given a fair trial for their alleged crimes, where is the legal justice of proving the bribe allegations?

There has been growing speculation in Turks and Caicos that a group of foreign expatriates, working with key belongers and the British government have been plotting to take control of Turks and Caicos since the beginning of 2000.  One of the said key belongers, former opposition party leader Shaun Malcolm, is known to have written in his political manifesto years ago that the voting franchise should be opened to represent the foreign resident stakeholders that have a right to vote in Turks and Caicos to safeguard their investments.  

The belongers say that the foreigners and investors have no entitlement to infiltrate their political will.   The foreigners either came as guests or came to roll the dice in business ventures, nothing more and nothing less.

As the belongers have learned, the new constitution that the UK is imposing in Turks and Caicos allows only the British governor to appoint voting rights to residents to accommodate the growing foreign population.  This cannot be a mere coincidence that the vision in the manifesto is coming true and forced on the people with the new constitution.  Was the entire British direct rule a means to an end to give foreign stakeholders a vote in the Turks and Caicos government?  Whatever the reason for the British plan, it is disenfranchising the belongers and harming their rights and freedoms.  Ben Roberts asks a great question to the United Nations, “who is overseeing the overseers?”  While the British carry out their illicit deeds, we should all ask, "who is watching out for the Turks and Caicos people?"