By William Doyle-Marshall
Senator Fazal Karim, Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education appealed on Independence Day for ideas that have worked in Canada for presentation and possible inclusion in his government's forthcoming national budget.
The Senator was speaking to participants by way of a rather amateur connection (a cellular telephone conversation piped through a microphone) during Independence Day celebrations at the Markham Town Hall, organized by the newly formed Trinidad and Tobago Business Council of Canada under the leadership of Dr. Tim Singh.
A small gathering of nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, their Canadian colleagues and politicians attended the flag raising ceremony at the Markham City Hall in commemoration of the 49th anniversary of independence of the land of their birth. Town Crier John Webster read a proclamation while the country's flag was raised about the same time the national independence day celebrations were about to begin in Port of Spain on August 31, 2011.
They listened to the minister's update on developments surrounding the current state of emergency. He reported that 800 persons had been arrested so far. Senator Karim said some of those persons included gang leaders and others who had broken the law. He promised government would put an end to lawlessness in the country, once and for all.
Vanessa Ramhit-Ramroop in her greetings on behalf of the Government and People of Trinidad and Tobago, emphasized that the Celebration of Independence symbolizes "our strong democratic values, stability and strength as a nation."
"As a young nation having emerged from the confines of colonialism only 49 years ago we continue to strive towards peace, prosperity and security. The resilience and determination of our people, our respect for diversity and our commitment to nation building will remain the main pillars of the sovereign country that we are so proud of," Ramhit-Ramroop concluded.
Carol Mohammed, in her prayers for the occasion gave thanks for the country of her birth as well as country of adoption – Canada. "May we prove ourselves a people mindful of all the generosities and opportunities we have come to enjoy. Bless our countries with honest industry, truthful education and an honourable way of life; protect us from violence, discord and confusion; from pride and arrogance and from every evil course of action; make us who came from many nations with many different languages a united people; defend our liberties and give those whom we have entrusted with authority of government the spirit of wisdom that there may be justice and peace in our lands. We, especially at this time, keep the people of Trinidad and Tobago in our prayers in this period of this state of emergency. In troubled times let us have peace and in prosperous times let our hearts be forever thankful."
Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak-Ridges-Markham extended Premier Dalton McGuinty's warm greetings to celebrants as he noted Ontario is a proud collection of different ancestries, histories, languages and beliefs.
"Together we draw strength from our diversity, the rich heritage, honoured traditions of Ontario's Trinidadian and Tobagonian communities enrich our lives and make our province an even better place to live," the Premier said.
Dr. Helena Jaczek recalled her first visit to Trinidad shortly after independence and numerous visits to Tobago afterwards.
Deputy Mayor Jack Heath who was introduced to cricket during a visit to the twin island republic noted the integration of T&T nationals into Markham culture and their style of civic engagement has been incorporated into the Canadian city's way of life. He wondered what took them so long to begin Independence celebration here.
Heath is still enthusiastic by the attitude he encountered from his first visit to the country up to the present. "The first impressions you would get: small business. Everybody, absolutely everybody is thinking about a new opportunity for business. How do you do more exports? What can you bring in that will sell well? Where are the new opportunities to service the community there and to bring Trinidad and Tobago to the world?" the Deputy Mayor recounted.
By Sandra Chouthi
Special to Indo Caribbean World
Port-of-Spain - The State of Emergency now underway in Trinidad and Tobago was on Sunday extended by three months, taking it to the first week of December. However, curfew hours have been changed and became effective Monday. New curfew hours are from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
In announcing the new hours, which coincide with the start of the school term, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said: "I have been advised that this would assist us with children going to school, and others who have raised concerns in the business community, to give a little extra time in the evening."
She noted that the government would revise the curfew time if it is so advised by the security forces.
Since August 22, a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew had been imposed in two cities and four municipal corporations along with a State of Emergency which applied throughout the country from August 21.
Persad-Bissessar acknowledged that the curfew had brought some inconvenience, but asked the population not to lose sight of the bigger potential gain. She said no one could say that they didn't feel safer today than in the last ten years.
The PM made the statement during winding up of an historic debate that saw the House of Representatives approving a motion to extend the State of Emergency.
At 2.45 p.m. on Sunday, some nine hours before the State of Emergency was due to expire, House Speaker Wade Mark recorded that there were 29 votes for and ten against the motion. All government MPs were present. Absent from the Parliament were PNM MPs, former prime minister Patrick Manning and Patricia McIntosh, who is on vacation overseas.
The State of Emergency took the country by surprise. The government said the decision to go ahead with it had everything to do with planned violent reprisals for police seizure of more than (TT) $20 million worth of marijuana at the Pt Lisas port on August 16.
It was the third such find in as many months. On March 12, a container bound for Jamaica was found with $30 million worth of high grade marijuana parked on the port. Just days before that, another $18 million worth of Arizona marijuana was also found on the port. No one was arrested for any of the busts.
Police, working together with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, have seized more than $180 million worth of marijuana.
Five days after the $20 million marijuana bust, the government declared a state of emergency.
President Maxwell Richards signed off on the government's request.
On August 26, Richards released a statement telling Trinidad and Tobago what were the factors he considered before making his decision.
"The government has said that the initiative averted an impending 'crisis' and had cited the drug bust and possible reprisals and gang warfare that could have flowed from this." Richards' statement was presented to House Speaker Wade Mark on August 25, according to constitutional requirement Section 9(1).
It was subsequently circulated to members of Parliament. The statement was debated in the House of Representatives on September 2 as is constitutionally required.
In his statement, Richards said:
"The country has been witnessing within recent times the tragedy of multiple murders and an upsurge in gang-related violence. During the period 19-21 August 2011, there were 11 murders for this year. Our criminal intelligence gathered by national security agencies shows that the escalation in violent criminal activity is linked to recent successes of the police in certain drug trafficking and interdiction exercises which led to the seizure of large quantities of drugs with a street value of several millions of dollars.
"Drugs with a street value in excess of $20 million were seized in just one raid on August 16, 2011. There is the real risk of reprisal and retaliation by gangs that will compromise and endanger public safety, law and order. Innocent citizens going about their daily business have lost their lives as a result of the actions of these gangs merely being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"The present unprecedented escalation in murders and other serious acts of violence and lawlessness warrants the adoption of more decisive and stronger action to ensure the safety of the public. There is urgent need to address this threat to public safety and the upsurge in violent crime in the shortest possible time.
"The majority of these murders are occurring in specified geographical areas across Trinidad and Tobago, often committed by members of criminal gangs or persons involved in the drug and arms trade. The statistics from the Police Service reveal that the murders are disproportionately occurring in certain geographical areas where these gangs are based. As a consequence of these events and facts, I am satisfied that the nature and extent of these events endangers public safety to an extent that warrants the declaration of a state of emergency."
Most big businesses, especially the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Energy Chamber, and many private citizens have been in support of the state of emergency. The emergency period has not been sitting well with some restaurants, nightclubs and bars. The curfew has limited their opening times, their revenue and employees' working hours, thus reducing their income. Many of these employees are single mothers and heads of households.
Hi-Lo Food Stores, which also owns FoodMasters and LB's Supermarkets, closed at 6 p.m.
Dane Darbaise, managing director of Wendy's on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, said the curfew had an "adverse impact on revenue stream."
Said Darbaise: "The dinner crowd is a major part of any restaurant."
He noted the re-adjusted hours of 7 a.m.-7:30 p.m. could see him losing a quarter of his business. Despite this, he said businesses were prepared to make the sacrifice, with the assurance that in the long run the benefit will be a safer country.
Movietowne owner Derek Chin said the curfew could cost his enterprise hundreds of thousands of dollars in business. Despite the fact that Movietowne's bottom line will take a hit, Chin was fully supportive of the government's decision to call a state of emergency.
However, it is sacrifice that is essential to ensure the safety of Trinidad and Tobago's citizens.
Chin said the cinemas and suite of restaurants at Invader's Bay, whilst not a designated hot spot, had staff and patrons who live in areas where the curfew was in effect. All restaurants were closed early and the last movie, which would normally be at 9.45 p.m., started at 5 p.m.
Chin said the curfew came at the end of the school vacation season, when business was normally at a high and Movietowne was looking to enhance its matinee movie showings.
The spiralling murder rate, much of it either drug or gang-related, was of concern even before the multi-million dollar drug hauls. Trinidad and Tobago's murder rate went from 143 in 1994 to 506 in 2010. As of September 2, 2011, the murder rate stood at 234.
Persad-Bissessar initially said the state of emergency was limited to crime hot spots in Trinidad and Tobago: Arima, Arouca, Beetham, Carenage, Cunupia, Diego Martin, Enterprise, Felicity, Gasparillo, Gran Couva, Hermitage, Icacos, Laventille, Maloney, Morvant, Sea Lots, Trincity and Pigeon Point and Crown Point in Tobago.
Twelve days after the declaration of the State of Emergency, the government reported that 1,143 people had been arrested. In that total were 366 gang members, who were arrested under the Anti-Gang Act 2011. It was also reported that 216 people arrested were in relation to drug offences, 228 related to outstanding warrants, 181 related to other serious offences, 82 related to breach of curfew and 30 related to homicide.
For the 24-hour period from 8 a.m. on August 31 to 8 a.m. September 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications said 167 people were arrested. The arrests included 27 related to gangs; one homicide; 35 drug-related; two held on firearms-related offences; 59 for outstanding warrants; five for breach of curfew; 22 for traffic offences and 96 tickets were issued; 13 for other serious offences; three for other offences and one firearm and 15 rounds of ammunition were seized
The release also said the Coast Guard, acting on information, seized a vessel with four persons onboard, including two Trinidadians and confiscated cocaine with a street value of $3.2 million on board.