By Stephen Kangal
March 30, 2020
The PNM Government in categorically refusing to arrange entry/arrival home of 35 of our elderly nationals and having forced Barbados to quarantine them somewhere at their own expense when they arrived at Grantley Adams Airport from South Africa via the UK is in flagrant violation of customary law on the treatment of nationals, consular duty and indeed plain humanitarianism.
One must recall that the Sabbath was made to facilitate man and not man for the Sabbath. The “closure” of Piarco Airport effective Sunday 29 March while both CAL and BA are permitted to make flights, the latter having come in again on Thursday last, is a lame unconvincing excuse for this cruelty being visited out on our own.
Trinidad and Tobago cannot prevent its own citizens from re- entering its country especially in the face of the unprecedented threat to life and limb that they now face on the outside world except on the very limited grounds of national security concerns.
We had Carnival in late February and the Prime Minister and party left for Ghana on 1 March and returned around 9 March.
We have the model of the 68 who came from Guadeloupe and were quarantined in Balandra. Use this model again to bring back our very own home from Barbados where they are quarantined in a hotel experiencing growing difficulties by sending a CAL ATR aircraft.
Please you cannot debar our nationals from their fundamental humanitarian entitlements to come home where they belong to be with their loved ones to face the current health crisis together.
What we have done to our complete embarrassment is to decant our own human problem into the hands of the Bajans while Young has washed his hands and disowned our elderly 35 people.
Government must act more humanely in immediately air-lifting our nationals stranded in both Curacao and Barbados. They must be allowed to satisfy their innate compelling homing instinct in the face of such frightening health adversity that they face on the outside and their natural and instinctive human drive and desire to rejoin their loved ones at home.
They cannot be made to suffer from this galloping doomsday COVID-19 scenario come what may in a foreign country that is only 500 miles away from home.
Heard they bringing in nurses from Cuba, opening the border. From January 27, 2020 to March 17, 2020 the Opposition (UNC) raised the Coronavirus outbreak as a matter of “Urgent Public Importance” on Five (5) occasions and was turned down. They were told by lower and upper house speaks to go home and sleep, this is not urgent or important. Brigette and Kangaloo must answer to a higher power.
That is the “modus operandi” of this Rowley led administration. They brought in people from a cruise ship and huddle them in Balandra. Why? The organizer of this trip is a PNM aristocrat. They also let thousands in with no proper screening. This government is only for some people, back to pulling a string days. The Constitution has been flushed down the balisier toilet.
No country abandons its citizens in desperate need in the face of a crisis like this.
No one is objecting to the closure of the borders by land, sea and air. It is a wise move; however,when there are extenuating circumstances exemptions must be made .This is one of those situations. Also, repatriation of these citizens would be relatively simple considering the proximity of Barbados and the availability of Caribbean airlines.
Canada also closed its borders some time ago ,but is presently engaged in sending commercial aircrafts to evacuate some 15,000 Canadians from India.
This is how responsible countries behave.
The title of your article suggests that Barbados is treating T&T citizens inhumanely.Nothing is further from the truth.
Read the article since headlines have to be short to get the gist of what I am saying.
You won’t let Trini nationals abroad return to Trinidad but you’re letting Cuban nurses in.
Are you also going to let Brits be airlifted out while leaving Trinis abroad stranded?
Aye Stephen, when yuh have time, look up what Rhode Island.. Forget it.. let me help you..
“Rhode Island begins door to door checks for New Yorkers fleeing coronavirus” Google Dat!
And Stephen, I wonder how many of these ‘Trinis’ just happen to be in Guyana for their election?
RamK ….you seem very uninformed. Rhode Island has had to back off after the Governor of New York pointed out the illegality of this move and threatened legal action.
Your unfounded assumption about Trinis voting in Guyana without evidence is the stuff that ignorance is made of.
TMan can you post references to your ‘informed’ claim.. I am seeing where NYers are still being targeted in RI.
Where did I say they were voting? But it would be interesting to see theit passport stamps..
RamK…You should be more concerned about the questionable attempt by the government of Guyana to steal the election. First, it was an illegal delay in attempting to defy a court order to call the election. Now it’s a conspiracy to cheat in the face of condemnation by Caricom, International observers, the OAS, the US State department etc.
The most interesting observation in this illegality is the deafening silence by Rowley, the Media and other Caricom leaders.
Kudos to Reginal Dumas, the only journalist to speak up ,that I am aware of.
Give us a break, TMan.
We need to know how many ‘Trinis’ were in Guyana during that elections… That should not be too difficult to know.. The State recorded 19,000+ people entered TT during the past 2-3 weeks prior.. is that a normal travel stats for this time of the year, where did they go? So many questions?
I won’t call Reggie a Dumbass.. just uninformed.. These goody-two-shoes Kneegroes..
It is often said that Trinidad and Tobago is a difficult to govern. The reason for that statement is not because we are a difficult people to understand but rather because there are too many ‘agendas’ based on race, color, creed and religion. The Headline of this cover story suggests that Trinidadians are ‘inhumanely treated in Barbados’ but the narrative to support that supposition is political rather than a humane concern for those ‘elderly’ in Barbados.
Reading through our local media is full of politics statements that takes the form of ‘humane’ concerns. There is Kamla using her position as Opposition Leader to tell us who the first Ovid19 victim was, Fuad Khan using his position as a member of the task force to question how the government is handling the virus. Our local reporters are no less political in their quests to question why the government is not allowing Trinidad citizens in Barbados, Guyana and Suriname to come home at this time.
For those who are rational in their thinking, it is not difficult to understand why the government is taking precautions to limit infections in those who are presently in the country – there is need to know ‘who is sick’ and ‘who is well’. We also need to know the location and statistical data surrounding those who are infected. How else can that be accomplished with ‘uncontrolled movements’?. Almost all governments around the world are asking citizens to ‘remain where they are’. THIS IS NOT A CALL TO NATIONALITY. IT IS A CALL TO CONTAIN THIS VIRUS.
It is vexing to me when I read those stupid questions being posed by our local media personnel to the administration asking silly questions like the one headlined in this thread. In the United States local governments are enforcing movements not just between states but also communities and areas of residence as well.
I am aware that a general election is due later this year and there are those in the media and elsewhere who are using this pandemic to push subtlety questions that are politically based to shame the government BUT THIS IS NO TIME FOR THAT. Take for example the case of Ian Alleyne, using his privilege as a journalist he was allowed to endanger the lives of not just his family but also those who are close to him and by extension the lives of r the families of his allies.
The time will come when those who want to push a political agenda can do so without using this pandemic as an excuse BUT for now, let us all hope that we, in or desire to politicize the issue allow hate and ‘agendas’ to push foolish concerns.
RamK, my friend, now let’s re-focus.
A full judicial recount which is being demanded by every organization from the Opposition to Caricom to International Observers would verify the authenticity of every ballot.
The Guyana Election commission wants to announce the results, pick up their marbles, claim victory and run home to hide out.
This is not how democracy works.
Personally, I have no vested interest in who wins or loses. But I do have an interest in democratic fairness and integrity.
I would hate to see Guyana become another Venezuela,isolated by the International community, with Trump establishing sanctions and removing Exxon from Guyana anticipated riches.
TMan, what the hell Trump and Dem really care about ‘shithole’ Guyana? They need to tell the world what really happened in Iowa before they can play some paragon of virtue for we… “They’re doing it to you again Bernie!” please..
Anyway, got to run,, let’s see how these issues develop, so much happening..
Stay safe.. and drink Mauby.
Kangal wrote, “They cannot be made to suffer from this galloping doomsday COVID-19 scenario come what may in a foreign country that is only 500 miles away from home”.
Leave them to Ph**k where they are, likewise those in Venezuela and Suriname. The rights of a minuscule and probably infected minority to return home cannot trump the right of the many to not be infected.
Let them don on life jackets, jump in a ph**king pirogue or swim to ph**ck home if they want, BUT STAY TO PH**K OUTTA HERE