BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE National NGO Coalition has strongly condemned the “senseless and unacceptable” actions of security personnel, days after its Chairman was visited at his workplace by customs officials.
Seven armed members of Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Department met with Bishop Ron Dublin-Collins on February 2 at the Basseterre High School, where he is employed as a Guidance Counsellor. The NGO Chairman said their purpose was to collect funds owed to the department by his organisation, the St. Kitts Evangelical Association (EA).
But according to the Bishop, Customs officials had agreed to postpone payment of the duties until after the January 25 election, as he and the Coalition were busy monitoring the polling. Although the group’s report is still to be published, Dublin-Collins has been publicly critical of several aspects of the election process.
The Coalition, which includes the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Christian Council, released a communiqué on Friday (Feb. 12) denouncing the matter. It called on the department’s management to openly assure citizens that the “abusive and unnecessary” display of force towards Dublin-Collins was an isolated incident, and not a regular feature of its public interaction.
“This apparently senseless and certainly unacceptable use of security personnel to intimidate, embarrass and literally terrorise schoolchildren and an outstanding leader of civil society threatens the fundamental rights of all citizens to decent treatment. It creates much ambiguity with respect to the role and function of security forces generally throughout the federation.”
It continued, “We consider it imperative for all individuals and sectors of our federation to express disgust with and heap scorn on those who used security personnel not to protect law-abiding citizens against the rising crime and violence that is plaguing our federation, but to seek to intimidate, embarrass and ultimately muzzle a man who is not only a law-abiding citizen but also an active pastor and outstanding leader of the local ecumenical movement.”
The release stressed that such “wanton deployment” of these personnel would generate distrust between the security forces and the general public, which would compromise the security and quality of life of the populace.
It also noted that the civic organisation had nothing but full support for Dublin-Collins’ “fearless” leadership, and asked persons to assist the Coalition in its quest to monitor the operations and behaviour of public institutions and officials.
After joining forces in 2009 to produce a Code of Conduct for the Political Process, the NGO Coalition was invited by the Electoral Office to participate as observers in the recent general election. The group originally set a mid-February date for production of its report, but, at time press time, had not circulated it to the general public.
