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Last Updated: Aug 21, 2018 - 1:03:56 AM |
 The level of hypocrisy and disingenuousness involved in the Prime Minister’s recent comments regarding Haitian ethnic communities is simply staggering.
First of all, there is no such thing as a “comprehensive, careful and compassionate” way to forcibly evict someone from their home and relocate them against their will. This is brute force and coercion, pure and simple.
The government can try to sugarcoat this matter all likes; it will not change the fact that what they are seeking to do constitutes a gross violation of people’s fundamental human rights under the constitution. These people do not want to be forced to live somewhere else, they do not want the authorities to break up their close knit communities, built over generations through mutual help and support. They do not want to be forced to live among strangers. And no one, the government included, has the right to arbitrarily force them to do so.
Dr. Minnis’ claim that the conditions in Haitian ethnic communities necessitate their destruction is the epitome of duplicitousness. The government’s own White Paper on Over The Hill Reform acknowledges that the same sanitary, infrastructure, construction and land title issues exist in traditional Bahamian communities, but these are not slated for demolition. Instead, they are to be improved and rehabilitated. Why the double standard? Why only those of Haitian ethnicity have their homes destroyed? It can only be a case of discrimination based on ethnicity. That is a grave violation of the most fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution and no amount of false rhetoric or fake compassion can justify or excuse it.
Once again, we remind the government that the international community is watching and that our reputation as a decent, humane, law abiding nation is on the line. We also remind them that the Supreme Court of The Bahamas has placed an injunction on all efforts to evict persons in these communities or demolish their homes. This prohibition remains in place until the conclusion of a full constitutional challenge and any moves to violate it will constitute a serious infringement of the rule of law in The Bahamas.
© Copyright 2018 by thebahamasweekly.com
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