Posts tagged abuse of power
but seriously...
Irreverent social commentary with a Caribbean bias
5 notes &
Racial biases flagged in the ongoing State of Emergency in Trinidad & Tobago
It’s been a while since I commented on Trinidad & Tobago’s State of Emergency, largely because of how political and controversial the exercise has become.
The Attorney General, who defended the protracted suspension of civil liberties with the rationale that “fundamental civil rights mean precious little if the state cannot ensure your security”, has also made plans to table vague legislation which will regulate and monitor the use of social networks. For some, the rhetoric is too Orwellian.
On top of all this, as columnist Raffique Shah points out, “there is a serious racial undercurrent swirling beneath the relative calm the Emergency has brought, [which] could prove to be explosive.”
Meanwhile, as debate continues in the Trinidadian Parliament on the extension of the State of Emergency, MP Colm Imbert cited fears about security forces’ ability to return to pre-emergency norms of power, and the possibility of a “deeply resentful black community” on cessation of the SoE.
Follow #SoETT on Twitter other updates and reactions to the State of Emergency…
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UN peacekeepers gang rape Haitian boy. What next for MINUSTAH?
A video has emerged that shows four Uruguayan troops from the UN’s mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) drunkenly laughing as they rape an 18 year old Haitian boy.
MINUSTAH, by the way, is in Haiti to “restore a secure and stable environment, as well as to promote and to protect human rights.”
In his excellent commentary, The Guardian’s Mark Weisbrot questioned, “is this MINUSTAH’s Abu Ghraib moment?” It may be, but will anything change?
Already, a Uruguayan navy lieutenant has confirmed the authenticity of the video, but allegedly called the abuse “a game” and said it was not sexual in nature. “It’s a young guy who is normally around here, like these people,” he said, pointing to a Haitian family sitting outside their home twenty yards away. He said the soldiers engaged in “some kind of bullying, but nothing more.”
