UN’s decolonisation committee to meet in Cayman
(CNS): (See headline news as meeting will no longer be held in Cayman) — The United Nations General Assembly’s Special Committee on Decolonisation will be holding its Caribbean regional seminar on the eradication of colonialism in the Cayman Islands next month. Making the announcement, the chair, Francisco Carrion-Mena (left) said a number of factors were considered in selecting the venue, including the political situation and logistics of several countries in the Caribbean. As well as special guest speakers from NGOs, elected and appointed officials of the territories will be invited to the seminars, but the meetings are traditionally held behind closed doors. However, a group of local activists are calling on the UN, the UK and the local government to open the meeting to the public.
The UN committee advocates for the rights of the people in all dependent territories to seek self determination and to completely eradicate colonialism.
The People for Referendum said it welcomed the decision to hold the annual seminar here in Cayman, as these meeting have not always taken place in one of the remaining colonies or non self governing territories (NSGT). The local group, which supports the need for the Cayman Islands to move away from its current colonial status, said it believes the meetings should not just be in a NSGT but also be in a public forum.
The matters discussed by this committee directly relate to the governance relationship between the territories and their respective administering power. The group said holding seminars in the territories helps to educate the people about the governance options that the UN resolutions obligate all administering powers make available to the people in the territories.
“For many years our organisation and all other organisations in the constitutional working group requested government to first work towards ensuring that the annual UN Decolonisation Seminars be held only in one of the remaining sixteen listed Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGT’s) and that the Cayman Islands be one of those NSGT’s,” said Dennie Warren Jr, Chairman of People For Referendum. “Governance education in the NSGT’s is generally very poor and holding these meetings in the NSGT’s is one way to educate the public on their governance system thereby enabling the electorate to make informed decisions in elections and referendums.”
Warren noted that the there are alternatives to the relationship that Cayman currently has with the UK, from a free association governance relationship to becoming an independent state. He explained that some UN member states, such as New Zealand, France and Holland, appear to be compliant with their UN obligations by allowing the electorate in their various territories the UN mandated self-determination right of choosing between the three available options.
Warren said that, unfortunately for the UK’s territories, historically that country is non-compliant with its obligations by repeatedly stating that all of their NSGT’s must take the constitutional relationship the UK decrees or go independent. He explained that as the UK retains the power of “Order in Council” it means it has the power of total governance by decree over the colonies and refuses to devolve any real governance powers to its territories.
The meeting will take place 24-26 May on Grand Cayman for more information visit:
www.un.org
Category: Local News
UK PM David Cameron said: “I don’t want to try to insert Britain in some leading role where, as with so many of the world’s problems, we are responsible for the issue in the first place.”
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375341/David-Camerons-F-word-outburst-reporters-British-Empire-gaffe.html
He afraid we say too much.
Given the Committee’s c.1999 web site, one has to wonder if they’re even legit.
The latest Marl Road information is that the FCO and / or the CI government have cancelled the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation Annual Regional Seminar which the UN had previously announced would be held in the Cayman Islands, in May 2011.
In 2003 the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation Annual Regional Seminar was held in Anguilla, this was the first time that the committee held a meeting in a UK Colony. The Cayman Islands Government was represented by the then Leader of Government Business the Hon. McKeeva Bush and non-governmental organizations.
It is sad that the FCO and / or the CI government appear to have cancelled the meeting of this committee in our Islands thereby depriving Caymanians of this valuable educational opportunity on governance.
Whether we like it or not, in 1945 and again in 1960 it was the UK that put the Cayman Islands on the UN Non-Self-Governing Territories list, the UK was one of the UN six (6) Member States that drafted the establishment of the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation and they also drafted the governing rules between the Administering Powersand Non-Self-Governing Territories.
One of these rules requires annual reports on each territory; these annual regional seminars are part of that reporting process when each territory’s government, civil society organizations and individuals have an opportunity to talk with the members of the UN.
It is therefore important that Caymanians understand how our future is being discussed at these multinational meetings and that the public exercise their right of free speech.
People For Referendum
START WITH VOTING RIGHTS
If there is a lack of democracy in Cayman it lies not in the oversight of a foreign government, but in the fact that voting is limited to registered Caymanians – so excludes a huge portion of the resident population that is essential to the operation of the Island. In other countries legal residents have the right to vote after 2 years. A requirement that MLAs be Caymanian is entirely justified in the national interest, having people who have lived here 10 years or more with no right to vote for the prospective Caymanian MLAs is not.
The UK gets nothing from its oversight of Cayman. Cayman benefits from a degree of independent oversight that example has shown near essential to limit corruption, promotion of vested interests, and persecution in any small country; together with international representation, access to unaffordable military and other resources, access for Caymanians to its universities as British nationals as opposed to foreign students. As a result of all these things Cayman has credibility with the international investors necessary to sustain its economy that it could not otherwise achieve.
Those with voting power desperately hold onto it – property owners denying the common man, white men denying black men, men denying women. It is the same here.
While they’re here maybe they will notice that they are irrelevant to Cayman and stop all the bother.
"There will be the rich and the poor, with no middle class." …
Sounds a lot like the new Great Britain of today my friend.
Why at times like these do so many choose to ignore the current ‘failing’ status of the UK today?
Must I provide the links yet again? Must I mention the statistics in regards to youth (18-25) unemployment? Must we discuss the shameful percentage of British children that are DEPENDENT on the government for FOOD and CLOTHING today? Should we examine the number of jobless British households?
As for the economy – a general election has recently come and gone in the UK and to this day the nation and wider world is no wiser as to the true state of affairs of its economy. No – the political class opted to focus on race, immigration and Islamaphobia … an absolute joke.
To be a ‘colony’ of Britain today is NOTHING to be proud of my friends – the only purpose it serves is to appease the fearful and non-progressive mindset that prevails in this ridiculously stagnant western world.
(Mindset = Oh nooo … we see Black and Brown people! This can’t be good! Let’s run away!)
Yet never a dayin the history of my people have we ever genocided’, slaughtered, captured, sold, enslaved, indentured laboured, hung, set alight, lynched, ‘holocausted’, chased through the streets, ganged upon, rioted against, ‘governmentally’ racistly’ lied against and illegally uprooted, anti-politicized, institutionally racisted’, lied against and illegally invaded etc. etc. etc. … another group of people.
Never a day – nothing even close to it, no way no how.
Yet someway, somehow … we are the boogeyman?!
Lol!
I trust the above serves as a quick summary as to how certain groups / nations managed to ‘get to the top’ of this world in which we live.
Quite a shame that after all of that they have self-imploded.
However, not to worry – they still have the option of hanging onto the coat-tail of the imperialistic U.S.A. and its ever expanding global military tentacles.
At the end of the day the UK is swiftly becoming more of a ‘colony’ of the EU itself – again, thanks to its infallible political class. If anything at all, Cayman is now the colony of a colony.
Lol!
(Commence the attack on the messenger in 3 … 2 … 1 …)
As I see it, the UK gives us two options – Independence and Dependence. It is interesting, she speaks nothing about giving us Free Association where we can have our own local Governor and Commissioner of police, and can deal with our own internal affairs. It is also interesting that they have not given us the option of integrating with Great Britian where we would be allowed to participate in voting in the UK’s elections. They have always considered us as natives. Talk about democracy. The UN is right. They have deliberately limited our scope of freedomand has used the consequences of the two options like a coin, one side Independence and the other side, Dependence as a fear factor to keep us under control.
How do those who aver that the Cayman Islands labour under a system of colonialism reconcile that point of view with these facts:
1. Colonialism is predicated on the imposition of a system of government by the colonising power following colonisation, together with an unequal relationship between colonists and the indigineous population. However, in Cayman, you are the colonists. There is no indigineous population.
2. At any point, Cayman can choose self-determination and become independent. I suspect the UK will bend over backwards to help you do that. The reputation of Cayman is nothing but an embarrasment to the UK.
3. The Cayman Islands have, to a very large extent, self-determination. Excluding Orders-in-Council used to implement international obligations (which, incidentally, an independent Cayman would in all likelihood have to implement too), how many laws are enacted here by the UK, without the consent of the LA? What (and I think this is perhaps the more interesting question) can’t you do that you would do if you had “more” self-determination?
Any talk of free association is simply wishing to have your cake and eat it too.
Hey Kiddos,
The unclaimed funds could have been used to pay the UK our Down payment on the Independent tab!
People need to know that Independence cost a lot of money Billions and Trillions. Haiti and Jamaica paid with blood in their noses and still can not recover from the hefty monetary cost of independence! The country will never rise the UK will make sure of that. They sink the territories and take all their money leaving them destroyed are we going to allow this?
Just another corrupt UN bureaucracy makingwork for itself. The UK says you can go on your own anytime you want to vote for it, so it’s hard to see how this means oppression by a colonial power imposing its will on you.
I think the UN and the UK are in it together. People need to see beyond these two entities and the interest groups. When the UK took over Turks and Cacois Islands, they also took over their financial records, and to date, TCI has no elections, is under a dictatorship, and its economy has fallen. The UK government has accused everyone of corruption, resorts have closed down, many businesses failed, and people protesting without jobs. The UN just stood by and did nothing about the invasion against the inhabitants democracy all for one man’s corruption. Yes, they complained and voiced their opinion, but people need to understand that the UN is being controlled by these same powerrful elites over the UK.
“The UK says you can go on your own anytime you want” The problem is, we need the UK more than they need us. But the statement you made is just their “excuse” to avoid keeping us and giving us the right and full opportunity of guaranteed representation under democratic conditions. With them, it is either we remain as their subjects under colonialism where they can do anything to us for any reason; or, we go independent! They are not looking for no middle ground to at least give the people that full democracy which they so rightfully deserve like the rest of citizens in the United Kingdom.
I wonder how many of the members on the comittee live in a country as democratic as Cayman. If we asked the UK for independence they would reply, do you want it tonight or can you wait till tomorrow. We are just an embaressment to them anyway!
No real self governance powers? Okay Dennie can you remind me who passed the law to cap negligence claims or waived the laws so Mr Ryan could develop or passed the law to allow the collection of a pension while still a sitting member of the assembly or how about changing the immigration rules so deported criminals can return? The reality of the situation is such a far cry from the academic nonsense spouted by those that argue the UK can impose direct rule, maybe it does in very limited circumstances but if it did not we would be right up there with countries such as Iran that persecute minority groups.
The UK and the EU really wants every single dollar I mean the billions and trillions of dollars that exists in the Cayman Islands and other Tax Havens.
The only means by which they can extract our financial industry from us is to force Independence on us! At that point the investors all over the world will WITHDRAW EVERY DOLLAR EVER invested in the cayman Islands,
HOW WICKED !
I say we’ll decide if and when we want to be free. Its democracy to self determine what WE WANT TO DO and not the UK or Mr. Kim Moon!
They are Money HUNGRY!
Independence for the Cayman Islands will funnel every dollar into UK banks.Why else would a mother country force independence on her children knowing full well it will cost them everything! Jamaica was drained completely and left with nothing.
I believe silently this UDP government is advocating independence! Why else would the Premier’s signature be placed on our currency. It should be the governors signature not the Premiere’s the governor is the crown’s representative!
***** Independence is coming! Sorry to scare people! But do you think you’re going to be in the arms of an controlling mother forever! For God sake, your not a child anymore! That is the reason why they wanted us to implement a tax system here, and why the Premier is engaging in as many projects like oil refinery, channel, new cruise berthing facility, et cetera…That is why we were told about getting a new constitution and so much stress on FOI laws and transparency. We are hated by many in the UK now as a tax evasion center. Anthony Travers tried to correct such views, but you have powerful folk, powrful MP’s in Parliament. That is why the Premier could be so bold and say that one day, he will see to it that the press is censored with fines / imprisonment. Do you think he is joking! That is why Governor Jack said before he left these islands after the corruption team from the UK tried to pin corruption on us like it did to Turks and Cacois, that it won’t be too long – we are heading down that road to independence. But in a way, the UN is still right. I am not going to sit here and say that the UN is to blame – INDEED WE NEED MORE DEMOCRACY HERE AND FREEDOM FROM COLONIAL RULE. IT ISIN OUR BEST INTEREST TO AT LEAST BE FREE INDEED! It would be grand if the UK respected our rights and freedoms and yet still be our sovereign mother country, but not a chance! I sincerely believe they will do no such thing! It is all about their interest over the interest of the islanders. They must be able to have the prevelege to declare Full British Rule and disregard the wishes of the inhabitants anytime they feel like. IT IS ALL ABOUT POWER AND BEING ABLE TO BULLY WITH THAT POWER. If they can’t get their way and the UN pressure them too much – they will out of spite, push us toIndependence. And if you look at history, the way they did it, has always caused financial harm to the estrange territory. Anyways, you all can thumbs me down all you want. I have scared enough folk on this site. But you all need to wake up and prepare for what’s coming. *****
libertarian you are so correct,if my computer allowed me to i would give your comment 1,000,000 thumbs up.It’s all about power and being able to bully with that power…………that’s the big bad colonial masters for ya………,i say hell to all of them including their pits and bulls.
"IT IS ALL ABOUT POWER AND BEING ABLE TO BULLY WITH THAT POWER". You have NO idea how true this quoted statement will be until this country goes independant. Look around you. All the former colonies that went independant are rife with corruption and are now blessed with dictatorial "elected" leaders and divisive political parties. There will be the rich and the poor, with no middle class. Mark my word.
lol… I can see nobody like the message 🙂
‘INDEED WE NEED MORE DEMOCRACY HERE AND FREEDOM FROM COLONIAL RULE. IT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO AT LEAST BE FREE INDEED! It would be grand if the UK respected our rights and freedoms and yet still be our sovereign mother country, but not a chance!’
If you need more democracy,sort it out with the people you voted in, not the Government giving you the facility to do that.
Colonial rule? Let’s see how bad it was in five years time.It may be worth holding on to that thought.
As for rights and freedoms, I would keep quiet about the ‘one way street’ of having a UK Passport, entitlement to benefits, visa waiver and schengen treaties, etc.
Should people in the UK find out, it may become an issue.
Yet again, the entitled are asking for a ‘have cake and eat it scenario’.
Don’t get worked up by the conspiracy theories. If we wanted to we could close down the BOT offshore centres overnight with one simple order in council. The way world opinion is at the moment, that might be what is for the greatest good of the nation as a whole.
Who is “we”. I have no doubt that it would be nothing to do with you?
MONTHLY STATEMENT FOR CAYMAN ISLANDS INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN!
TOTAL COST $100 Trillion Trillion
annual Installments $ 1 Trillion Dollars
Hidden costs: Turn over your Financial Industry Accounts and all your assets completely to the UK including our the citizens personal bank accounts.
Result and Ledger Balance = ANOTHER JAMAICA IN THE CARIBBEAN!
POVERTY! POVERTY! POVERTY!
Fine Print:-
Start getting your canoes ready to go to the US by the boat loads when the DICKTATOR TAKES OFFICE!
What happened to the first guy Vunibobo from Fiji who came here in the 70’s to tell us we had to go independent?
I hear he was involved in the last coup in Fiji. I think we need advice from him again now that he has gained some experience.
Who invited these bozos? Was it Steve McField on his last jolly?
At least they will get to see a place that is doing very well while sitting between the two extremes they would like us to chose between.
According to the website Colonization is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and cooperation.
Its true, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad have certainly undergone a period of peace and prosperity since obtaining independence. NOT
sir, this is not a matter to joke around with phrases and words. the fact of the matter is colonialism is wrong, and the people have no true representation and democracy under such a system
It will be interesting to see if you still hold that view in about five years.
I prefer peace and civility to representation and democracy. Have you ever lived in a third world country that has independence?
I went to the website. It read Special Committee on Decolonization decides to hold Caribbean Regional Seminar in Cape Town, Cayman Islands, 24-26 May 2011
Now, am I supposed to take this group seriously when they don’t even know the name of the place they are holding the event? This is the problem with theorists. The cause is more important than fact.
seriously??? it is sad that many don’t understand the un intentions here and assume that this is all about independence. it is sad that many in cayman will not take colonialism and imperialism seriously until they feel its bite like how the people of TCI is feeling now, being under a dictator
Makes one wonder if they are indeed coming here.
***** There can be many description of colonialism. I choose to describe colonialism like a step-mother that treats and governs her step children way differently than her biological ones. Colonialism is defined as the acquisition and rule over colonies by people from another territory of a sovereign government. One may therefore ask the question – what is so wrong with colonialism? What is so wrong with the uk government having that special rule over us as a colony? The wrong is not found in the vast authority or power of the sovereign uk state. Rather colonialism entails a SET OF UNEQUAL FACTORS between the colony and the sovereign territory. "The UN committee advocates for the rights of the people in all dependent territories to seek self determination and to completely eradicate colonialism [in other words, unequal treatment]." As a human being, whether you are black, white, latin, asian, et cetera… you are entitle to the same basic human rights like everybody else. Colonialism disregards equality in all governance! Hence, the people are considered as subject, natives, inferior citizens, and such like titles. In a colony you are not allowed to have a government or constitution that is not able to be override by the soveriegn government. The uk government must always have the power to dissolve your constitution and elected cabinet! In colony like Turks and Cacois, you are not allowed to have any of the options to choose your self-determination as a nation like to become a free associate state, go independence, remain under uk rule, or become integrated and be regarded as "one voice" with the uk government. As a colony, you have none of these options. Your voice is regard nil by the people of the soveriegn state. Most soveriegn governments would play on the minds of the colonists by threatening independence and instilling the fear of independence. Or, the fear that without them, they will fail. If the Soveriegn state sees that the colonies are of great value, they may even use force to maintain rule and prevent the people from going Independent like they tried to do to India. The United Nations is trying to ensure that the people of the Cayman Islands are free indeed. I would prefer we remain under the uk’s government, but we become FREE indeed. A respect should be there and colonialism should forever be destroyed because we are all EQUAL. Peace and Love ***** Libertarian
I do hope these meeting will be open to the public. I don’t know much about the whole going independent scheme or how it would work for Cayman or even why I should want it. Would be nice to get some information. My questions include: 1. what would happen to our CI dollar (Queen on it and value wise), 2. would we have to have our own military service? 3. would we be prevented from borrowing from the UK/EU? 4. would we lose out tax haven status? 5. Would I have to give up my UK passport?
subway cookie, this has nothing to do with independence! self- determination is not narrowed down to independence!
this has to do with fully representing the cayman islands, and defending our rights and freedom of governance! I suggest you read the un articles against colonialism and how it undermines democracy. the un is not suggesting that we have to go independent. read the article again