Disappointing response to Coast Guard action

THE EDITOR: I feel terribly disappointed to read in the newspapers that:

(a) The Caribbean Centre for Human Rights was among several groups which continued to criticise the actions of the Coast Guard in the shooting of a migrant woman and the death of her infant son aboard a Venezuelan vessel.

(b) The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called for a “prompt and thorough investigation” and that the agency said it expected that “those responsible will be punished and to make full reparations to the family members.”

© Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressed her horror over the Coast Guard opening fire on a migrant vessel, “murdering” a baby.

It seems that within days of the incident the Coast Guard was being judged and condemned by people who were nowhere near to the scene of the incident, but who chose to paint not only our Coast Guard but also our country in a terrible light.

The Minister of National Security has stated that the Coast Guard and the Police Service “have embarked upon investigations arising out of this unfortunate incident.” The Opposition Leader, who is a Senior Counsel, should know that it is wrong to jump to conclusions before such investigations are complete.

Surely she is aware, as a past prime minister and head of our Security Council, that the protocols followed by most (if not all) coast guards, including the USA’s, is to verbally warn the people aboard a suspect vessel, fire warning shots if they fail to comply with orders, and finally fire at the boat’s engines to disable the vessel. Our Coast Guard claims to have followed these protocols.

A further mitigating factor is that the incident took place “…shortly before midnight Saturday (February 5) in the waters off Trinidad’s south-east coast.” This was five days after the new moon, which means it would have been dark (probably one of the reasons why the smugglers chose that night). Isn’t it also possible that the migrants would have been ordered to lie low to prevent them being seen and to also facilitate a faster escape?

So far I have heard little condemnation of the father of the child, who admitted that he arranged (illegally) for his wife and two children to join him in Trinidad and his wife herself, who put these children in danger by making this illegal crossing.

I look forward to the joint efforts of the governments of TT and Venezuela to not just investigate this incident, but to deal diplomatically and militarily (through both Coast Guards) with the issues of human trafficking, the drug trade and arms smuggling between the two countries.

Finally, I’ve been told that vessels involved in illegal activities that are captured by the US Coast Guard can be used by that Coast Guard or sold. Can’t we adapt our Proceeds of Crimes Act to do the same in TT? And also Venezuela? Surely if smugglers know that their vessels will be confiscated and they will be immediately jailed or repatriated they will be less inclined to take the risk.

But the question remains: Will an Opposition that brands our coast guardsmen as murderers support such legislation?

STANLEY LEE POW

via e-mail