Protect citizens from 'bad boys' stigma

Talking points: Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie and US Deputy Public Affairs Officer Michael Barrera at the launch of a sports caravan hosted by Chaguanas Borough Corporation and the US Embassy in Enterprise yesterday. PHOTO BY LINCOLN HOLDER
Talking points: Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie and US Deputy Public Affairs Officer Michael Barrera at the launch of a sports caravan hosted by Chaguanas Borough Corporation and the US Embassy in Enterprise yesterday. PHOTO BY LINCOLN HOLDER

Government and Opposition have to examine the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2018 clause by clause to ensure citizens are not labelled as international "bad boys" because of their religious affiliation, Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie said today.

The bill has to "be dissected" so parliamentarians could fully understand its implications for citizens, Tewarie told reporters at a sports caravan hosted by the Chaguanas Borough Corporation and the Civil Affairs Unit of the US Embassy at Enterprise Recreation Ground, Enterprise.

Debate on the report of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2018 in the House of Representatives was adjourned last Wednesday to consider amendments to the bill.

“The bill has many good aspects of it because it brought Government and Opposition together to try and thrash out the contentious issues but there are also some remaining things that we need to interrogate, to question, to dissect...in a world that is fast changing and in which terrorism is a big issue,” he said.

“And terrorism has also become an issue in TT because of international links and because of the capacity of some organisations in TT not only to connect with international terrorist organisations but also to prepare in TT by training.”

“So we have to look at all of those things but we also have to protect innocent citizens and you have to make sure that you don’t surrender to international law and thinking in such way that your citizens become the bad boys in the world simply because you have an Islamic community or because you have a Muslim community.”

He said the debate would continue after the bill was examined clause by clause.

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"Protect citizens from 'bad boys' stigma"

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