Posts tagged free speech

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…