Trinidad’s Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday declared war on the criminal element in the country.
“I want to say to the bandits that the war is on,” Ramlogan said in response to questions from the media at the state of emergency briefing at the Ministry of National Security on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, yesterday.
Ramlogan said in the last nine years the country was in an “undeclared state of emergency” and people have used self-imposed curfews to stay safe. He said this curfew system and joint army/police patrols was the same template initiated during the coup in 1990.
DNO I do not want to go ahead of you and post this but the following is what I read on MSN.ca:
PROVIDED BY: REUTERS
TOP STORY
Trinidad declares state of emergency to fight crime
PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) – The government has clamped a limited form of emergency rule on Trinidad and Tobago in a bid to halt a surge in violent crime linked to the drug trade in the oil-rich Caribbean country.
“The nation will not be held to ransom by marauding groups of thugs bent on creating havoc on our society,” said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who announced a “limited” state of emergency on Sunday night.
She said emergency rule, which includes a dusk-to-dawn curfew and broader powers for authorities to conduct search and seizure operations and make arrests in the twin-island nation, had been provoked by “gang activity” and “wanton acts of violence and lawlessness.”
Persad-Bissessar linked the crime spree in the southern Caribbean nation to recent drug seizures and to violent reprisals against a crackdown by police on the use of Trinidad as a transshipment point for South American cocaine headed to Europe and the United States.
“These large sums of money do not just disappear from the drug trade without consequences,” she said.
She did not elaborate but Trinidad and Tobago, which is a leading supplier of liquefied natural gas to the United States, has long been considered a hotspot for drug and arms smuggling through the Caribbean.
The bloodletting included the killing of 11 people over the weekend, Persad-Bissessar added, saying that helped trigger her decision to give the police and military emergency powers.
“I do not believe that any one of us can continue to wake up every morning to see the blood of our children on the soil of our land, and so there comes a time I believe in the history of a nation where we have to take very strong action,” the prime minister said in her nationally televised announcement.
Authorities last imposed a state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago in July 1990 when members of a local extremist Muslim group, Jamaat al Muslimeen, staged a coup attempt.
“Our objective primarily is to eliminate crime,” National Security Minister John Sandy told a news conference on Monday, as he spoke about emergency measures that include the suspension of some constitutional guarantees.
“We are going after gang members who have been using firearms to murder our citizens at will. We are going after the drug traffickers, we are looking to get these weapons off the streets,” he said.
“These are desperate times,” added Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, countering criticism from some analysts who said the government may be going too far in its response to crime.
“This is not about the deprivation of human rights. It is, in fact, about the restoration of human rights for all our citizens in the country,” Ramlogan said.
(Editing by Jackie Frank)
Cdn government advises caution in Trinidad
23/08/2011 1:09:00 PM
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA – The Foreign Affairs Department is advising Canadians to “exercise a high degree of caution” in Trinidad and Tobago, where a limited state of emergency has been declared to deal with a spike in violent crime.
Police have been given increased powers to carry out searches and make arrests. As well, an overnight curfew is in effect in the capital Port-of-Spain, the city of San Fernando and other communities.
“Canadians are advised to be extremely vigilant in these areas and follow the instructions of local authorities,” the department said in an updated travel report on the Caribbean island nation.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has blamed drug gangs for a spate of recent murders.
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I DO NOT SEE WHY THE T&T AG SHOULD DECLARE WAR ON THE GOVERNMENT OF DOMINICA.
@ Yep
Did I miss something? Where in this article it stated that T & T AG will declare war on the Government of Dominica?
OMG! YOU GUYS NEED TO LIGHTEN UP!
SACARSM PEOPLE, SACARSM!
thats a sad situation in T&T and dominican’s are talking about crimes in dominica. hmmmmmmmmmm lets not cry wolf people, please pray for a blessed and tranquil dominica. god protect T&T IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.to all my trini friends may god take controll of your situation right now
Not all of them come from overseas, some of them are homegrown. When last did you hear a surmon on the ten commandments?
@ Neon Light
I smiled at this.
It warmed my heart. Excellent question, also in all churches?
In the days of capital punishment being imposed this was never the case.However we are following the united nations with their human rights laws which is in direct opposition to Biblical principles (If a man takes takes another mans life premeditatively that man should die)and give the criminal rights over the victim.If we do not enforce capital punishment things will continue getting worst for the Caribbean where crime is concerned.
Oh yea, this ought to be good, Imagine how well the war on drugs has worked, especially in Mexico……
Lots of dead Trini’s on the way…..
Gr8 job MIS-leader!
You recently visited Dominica??? Stay in your crime/gun country!!!
Well crime is up in most of the Caribbean Islands and that is due to America deporting many criminal’s back to the Caribbean. Those criminals learned their criminal ways in America and I find it very difficult to understand why the Caribbean Countries are accepting such criminals from America. As I said in a prior comment. The Government know who are being deported from America because of their criminal pass so why can’t those governments kept a list of such people. They should be fingerprinted, photograph and a file should be kept on them. They should also be required to report to the Police once a month. I recently visited Dominica and there’s no locally produce cultural programs on television. All I saw was American and British programs and they are crime/gun related.
“Those criminals learned their criminal ways in America and I find it very difficult to understand why the Caribbean Countries are accepting such criminals from America.” I hope you know that the criminals that are being deported are originally from the caribbean. Why is it that America or any other country for that matter should house people who refuse to behave themselves?
@ Tony
I do agree with you that crimes have increased in the West Indies. As for me I am unable to comprehend what has happened to cause this which we did not experience in bygone years. It already has gotten out of hand. We must not make excuses for those radicals.
You cannot always blame deportation and that they learn their bad habits in the U.S. and other progressive countries.
I would also blame it on godlessness, those who turn their backs on God, do not worship Him and do not pray of all. This gives the devil an open door to enter and lodge himself in their hearts and minds and make them create havoc in different ways in the country.
It also includes associating with bad company.
Some of them refuse to live a law-abiding life. They also refuse to look for meaningful work. They love the idle and easy-going life, doing as they please. They want what which does not belong to them without working for it. All these lead to crimes of every sort including murders. Have you ever thought of that? It is high time that all the islands deal with them appropriately.
Their well-paid lawyers are also instrumental in getting them out on bail, having them acquitted and also a reduced sentence with early parole.
Governments and the Justice System seem to have something on their hands which they are not able to handle. They have allowed this type of evil element to go on for too long. In the interim many people have lost their lives and property as they live in fear.
The Justice System needs to take note, once and for all and in collaboration with the government and Police authorities, get together at a meeting and decide what can be done about eradicating crimes/murders. Many times they only talk and nothing is done about it.
Everyone needs to live in dignity, harmony and peace and they should accord same. They also want to live long lives. So do those who commit crimes/murders who do not deserve this for denying others their lives and stealing their property. They also lack respect and consideration for the lives of others and their properties.
It is high time for more action!
@ Tony
Some of you have some very good ideas. You should write your government and the Police authorities. If enough of you write them they will take this matter seriously and may do something about it.
Dominica or other West Indian island governments cannot refuse them entry to their land of birth. You are correct that when they arrive the government should ensure that they are held in custody and counseled.
Those governments appear to have done nothing but allow them to roam in mainstream society. This is what they get for not ensuring that they are held when they are deported to Dominica.
Consider that they were criminals in those other countries, whether it is a smaller country which deported them. The governments of those countries escorted them out of the country to their land of birth and handed them over to their government. Therefore the government of their country should ensure that steps are taken to incarcerate them, who are criminals and try to assist them in any way possible so that they do not resort to committing crimes/murders.
I have previously stated on this Website and hope that the government/police authorities read all the comments and concerns of resident Dominicans of all that “they will return with bitterness”. They will surely unleash their bitterness on residents in the form of robbery and murder.
Ask yourself where did all those guns come from as AK-47 and hand-cuffs, etc., and how could they evade the Immigration, security authorities at the airport and on the Jetty in Roseau when they arrived by sea? Someone or some people allowed them to pass through without searching them and their luggage.
This is a serious matter. If Dominicans want some concrete actions, they should get together and organize a rally but a peaceful one and take their valid concerns to the government/police authorities. They may just be successful and some action taken once and for all. Even one person can change the world and their environment for good which will benefit every one in the world/country.