31 May 2009, The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization had a meeting to consider the problem of colonialism in the overseas territories. They met in the Caribbean. The Caribbean territories were the main topic of discussion, especially Turks and Caicos.
The UN noted that the British intrusion in Turks and Caicos was troubling and the Caribbean group CARICOM "has expressed its particular concern with the decisions by the government of the United Kingdom to suspend the constitution, postpone elections, and impose direct rule on the peoples of the Turks and Caicos Islands".
Turks and Caicos Islands has been governed under a dictatorship regime by the British government since 14 August 2009 as the British have taken all democracy from the citizens claiming crimes by a few past government officials. There has been no presented proof of corruption yet, but the people still may not vote on any matters wondering why they are punished for accused past misdeeds of a few people.
The British Government Foreign Commonwealth Office is now hosting Turks and Caicos delegates in London to decide a new constitution drafted by the British. The delegates are unelected British appointed supporters. Today delegate Lillian Misick made a speech before FCO’s Henry Bellingham and claimed that the leaders of Turks and Caicos should step back and allow the British to proceed with their government takeover because the British are the sovereign power over Turks and Caicos.
The UN disagrees with Ms. Lillian Misick. The best example of that disagreement was UN stating that all territories have a right to sovereignty and self determination. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said, “There is no nation so small that its people forfeit the right to make a sovereign determination as to their own destiny and their relationship with colonial Powers”.
Along those lines, FCO’s Ian Hendry made statements about voting rights in Turks and Caicos. The British government is rewriting the Turks and Caicos constitution. The British are not elected leaders by the people, making that move undemocratic. The British have taken leadership away from Turks and Caicos citizens without their approval and that’s undemocratic. The British are appointing unelected locals to approve the constitution instead of a vote and that’s undemocratic. The British have ousted the political leader of their choice without a vote.
The British have also said that the voting franchise needs to be opened to expatriates residents because the local citizen voting population is too small and that’s undemocratic. Ian Hendry from the FCO stated that the it’s not fair for Turks and Caicos belongers to have the only vote that makes decisions for everyone. Mr. Hendry’s is an undemocratic belief because giving voting rights to residents will dilute the citizens’ votes and will give the British government the support that they need to take more powers from the Turks and Caicos people. The UN agrees saying that no nation is too small to make their own decisions.
United States President Barack Obama supported Puerto Rico’s right to self determination when he visited this month. President Obama understands and follows the UN position on self determination where the United Kingdom refuses to adhere to any policy or obligations to their overseas territories.
The Turks and Caicos Islanders are very disappointed in Lillian Misick’s speech against Turks and Caicos self determination. She has sided with the British on their policy of taking democracy and withholding self government. She blames the past administration just like the British do about everything that is going wrong. The past administration has been out of office for a very long time and it’s time to stop using the blame game. Maybe that’s why the British government hand chose Ms. Misick as a delegate to decide the constitution for the citizens of Turks and Caicos because she supports absolute British sovereignty. But she certainly does not speak for anybody in Turks and Caicos and therefore should not be representing them.
The Turks and Caicos delegates are currently in London meeting with Henry Bellingham of the Foreign Commonwealth Office. Both political leaders of both political parties in the Turks and Caicos are also in attendance and have published their opinions that the British constitution is bad for Turks and Caicos and will oppose the new constitution on behalf of the Turks and Caicos people.
Back in Turks and Caicos, the people are doubtful that there will be any use in these discussions or representation by the political leaders because it looks like the British have already made up their mind that they will make every effort to retake sovereignty from Turks and Caicos and will force direct rule however they can.