Statement Of The Government Of St. Kitts & Nevis
In Response To
The Democrat Newspaper, March 8 – 14, 2008
Watch Dog/Social Commentary
~~Adz:Right~~ The world community of nations long ago established a code of behavior to govern relations between sovereign states, in general, and to guide the treatment of foreign diplomats by host governments and peoples in particular. This code of behavior guarantees the extension of certain courtesies; makes standard the provision of general immunities; and in general provides for highly developed forms of consideration and accommodation on the part of host governments and peoples toward the diplomatic representatives based on their shores.
The Government of St. Kitts & Nevis, therefore, is deeply concerned by the vulgar and baseless attacks recently unleashed by the Watch Dog/Social Commentary of The Democrat newspaper upon a member of the diplomatic community based in the federation. In its March 8 – 14 edition, The Democrat newspaper prints a range of shocking charges against the Republic of China on Taiwan, ridiculing and describing, in the most brutish manner, a range of projects in St. Kitts & Nevis that have been the direct outgrowth of the 24-year history of bilateral relations between that country and ours, and which has redounded to the incalculable benefit of the people of this federation.
This attack is of great concern to the government for a number of reasons. First, it suggests to other members of the diplomatic community based in St. Kitts & Nevis that they cannot take for granted the level of decorum and respect from the People’s Action Movement that diplomats around the world need - and expect - in order to fulfill their respective responsibilities on behalf of their various governments.
This attack demonstrates an appalling ignorance on the part of both the paper and the People’s Action Movement regarding the requisite standards of decorum and, indeed, basic protocol, in dealing with diplomatic representatives of sovereign states based in our federation. And if the vitriol leveled against Taiwan was not based on ignorance, then there is even greater cause for concern in that this reflects a willful and ugly boorishness that is an awful reflection on both the Democrat and the Peoples Action Movement – and, indirectly, on our country.
From the provision of scholarships to the upgrading of our agricultural capabilities; from expanding our health care infrastructure to modernizing the equipment available to our police; from the provision of sports facilities and community centers to the establishment on an ICT Center, the Republic of China on Taiwan has been responsive partner in the pursuit of this government’s development priorities. The government and people of St. Kitts & Nevis thank the Republic of China on Taiwan for the role they have played in the advancement of our federation over the past 24 years, and we extend to the diplomatic community, in general, our determination to discourage, in the strongest possible terms, similar attacks from either The Democrat or the Peoples Action Movement against them.
Office of the Prime Minister
Government Headquarters
