RIGHTS Bahamas has criticised recent comments Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis made about eradicating shanty towns, saying “the level of hypocrisy” involved in Dr Minnis’ remarks regarding Haitian ethnic communities is “simply staggering”.
On Sunday, Dr Minnis said it would be “unjust and unfair” to allow shanty towns to remain and recommitted his government to the task of clearing those communities.
Dr Minnis referred to a national commitment to social justice, adding there is also a moral imperative for the removal of shanty towns as the government is simultaneously engaged in immigration reform. A court injunction is currently in place blocking the evictions pending a court hearing.
“Because we are one Bahamas,” Dr Minnis said, “and because we are committed to social justice, we are removing shanty towns, a long-standing problem successive governments failed to address in a comprehensive manner.
“Last year, my administration set up a large task force carefully planned for the removal of shanty towns so that we can better assimilate the residents of these areas, and help to improve the quality of life of residents.
“We have been careful to address this issue in a comprehensive, careful, and compassionate manner. When (I) spoke to the league of Haitian pastors some months ago, I told them that our aim is to improve the lives of all those affected by what we are doing.”
However, Rights Bahamas (RB) said “there is no such thing as a ‘comprehensive, careful and compassionate’ way to forcibly evict someone from their home and relocate them against their will. This is brute force and coercion, pure and simple.”
The advocacy group added: “The government can try to sugarcoat this matter all it likes; it will not change the fact that what they are seeking to do constitutes a gross violation of people’s fundamental human rights under the constitution.
“These people do not want to be forced to live somewhere else, they do not want the authorities to break up their close knit communities, built over generations through mutual help and support. They do not want to be forced to live among strangers. And no one, the government included, has the right to arbitrarily force them to do so.
“Dr Minnis’ claim that the conditions in Haitian ethnic communities necessitate their destruction is the epitome of duplicitousness. The government’s own white paper on Over-the-Hill reform acknowledges that the same sanitary, infrastructure, construction and land title issues exist in traditional Bahamian communities, but these are not slated for demolition. Instead, they are to be improved and rehabilitated. Why the double standard? Why only those of Haitian ethnicity have their homes destroyed? It can only be a case of discrimination based on ethnicity. That is a grave violation of the most fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution and no amount of false rhetoric or fake compassion can justify or excuse it.”
On August 5, the Supreme Court ordered the government and utility providers to halt any planned service disconnections or evictions in shanty towns pending a judicial review of the Minnis administration’s policy to eradicate those communities.
Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson granted the interlocutory injunction just days ahead of the government’s August 10 deadline during a telephone conference with human rights attorney Fred Smith, QC, and Attorney General Carl Bethel.
Mr Bethel later told the Senate the government has hired a team of high-powered lawyers headed by Harvey Tynes, QC, to take on Mr Smith and his team in the matter.
The government has maintained that the majority of shanty town dwellers in New Providence are residing on Crown land designated for farming and therefore they have no legal right to be there.
Comments
BahamasForBahamians 5 years, 8 months ago
Dr. Minnis is giving Perry Christie a serious run for his money for the position of worst PM ever.
joeblow 5 years, 8 months ago
“These people do not want to be forced to live somewhere else, they do not want the authorities to break up their close knit communities, built over generations through mutual help and support. They do not want to be forced to live among strangers. And no one, the government included, has the right to arbitrarily force them to do so."
Are we in Haiti or some other lawless country? These serial lawbreakers and social parasites want to dictate to the government of a sovereign country what they will and will not do, are these people serious?
Alex_Charles 5 years, 8 months ago
Didn't Fred Smith help the FNM win by donating money and campaigning for them by making videos slandering the PLP.
Cool Story, don't care what Rights Bahamas has to say.
Sickened 5 years, 8 months ago
“These people do not want to be forced to live somewhere else, they do not want the authorities to break up their close knit communities, built over generations through mutual help and support. They do not want to be forced to live among strangers. And no one, the government included, has the right to arbitrarily force them to do so. Of course governments all over the world have the right to move people. What are you talking about? If people started living in our drainage and empty sewerage pipes Government has the right to remove them both for health and safety issues. Our shanty towns are fairly similar to living in an open cesspit with power cords running hither and thither. In Italy just last week people were forcibly removed from under that bridge that partly collapsed for safety issues. If some disease broke out in these shanty towns because of the poor conditions people would be FREAKING OUT screaming about why the government let these places exist because 'it was just a matter of time before something like this happened'.
geostorm 5 years, 8 months ago
The government just needs to get in there and bulldoze those places down. No questions asked. They are really playing with these people. I have no sympathy for this nonsense. We are a developing nation with standards. We should not allow them to continue to live under those s$%thole conditions!
bogart 5 years, 8 months ago
Muddoes dred....erry ting crafted to suit their plans....one minute they is Haitian ...bold face accusing Bahamian of removing their illegal shamtytowns as "ETHNIC CLENSING" ...NEXT THESE SHANTY TOWN INHABITANTS ARE BAHAMIAMS....NOW SEEMS THE LATEST THING IS THEY ARE BAHAMIANS WHO DONT WANT TO LEAVE SHANTYTOWMS AND "FORCED TO LIVE AMONG STRANGERS"....IN REGULAR BAHAMIAN COMMUNITIES......how in the world they get free schooling right among classes filled with their Bahamian schoolmates, friends, ..... Bahamian marry shantyyown residents, vice versa, works in all govt jobs, ..........an then being Bahamian .....calling plenty other their own relatives friends former Shantytown residents now Bahamians living all over regular Nassau .....strangers.......errywhere is people speaking creole....even have Govt Minister can speak creole an he live in proper community...
bogart 5 years, 8 months ago
DIS RIGHTS BAHAMAS GROUP should not be usung such nasty language on the PRIME MINISTER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS as it relates to doing his job. NO GROUP ADVOCATING RIGHTS FOR A foreign "Haitian ethnic communities" see first paragraph. ........AS A BAHAMIAN DEM NASTY WORDS YINNA USING TO CALL MY PRIME MINISTER OF MY COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS IS INSULTING AND YALL GONE TOO FAR NOW...,!!...YALL NEEDS TO SAY SORRY...,!!!
DDK 5 years, 8 months ago
“Dr Minnis’ claim that the conditions in Haitian ethnic communities necessitate their destruction is the epitome of duplicitousness. The government’s own white paper on Over-the-Hill reform acknowledges that the same sanitary, infrastructure, construction and land title issues exist in traditional Bahamian communities, but these are not slated for demolition. Instead, they are to be improved and rehabilitated. Why the double standard? Why only those of Haitian ethnicity have their homes destroyed? It can only be a case of discrimination based on ethnicity. That is a grave violation of the most fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution and no amount of false rhetoric or fake compassion can justify or excuse it.”
Does this Fred Smith realize which country he is in and which people it belongs to? I think in his zeal to transform The Bahamas into his version of Haiti, he forgets. There is no double standard. The standard is for Bahamians in their Bahamaland. If Mr.Smith does not like it he should board his sloop, fill it with his countrymen, women and children and head south-east, post-haste.
yari 5 years, 8 months ago
The Tribune obviously is on their anti-Minnis agenda. This article is utter nonsense and not attributed to any journalist. We don't have to cater to illegal aliens and other law-breakers. Just enforce the law - including building codes and stop making it about anything else. Those who don't wish to live among ordinary Bahamians feel free to return to your community/communities of origin. No one wants you to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. Go home.
BahamasForBahamians 5 years, 8 months ago
May I ask why you continue you to read then?
yari 5 years, 8 months ago
Just to see how ridiculous they can be. You like to know the noise in the market.
BahamaPundit 5 years, 8 months ago
The shantytown is a red herring. The FNM never intended to close them down. They just wanted to distract the Bahamian people from the selling of BEC and the cruise ship port. Just like the 50% tax of the numbers men was a distraction from the 60% increase of VAT on the Bahamian people. It will never happen, nor was it ever meant to happen!!! This FNM government is using the favorite method of black politicians the world over: distract distract distract and steal steal steal!
licks2 5 years, 8 months ago
This article is of no profit and really don't make sense. . .I WILL NOT WASTE TIME RESPONDING EXCEPT TO SAY. . .rights Bahamas people need to go and learn about them same rights they are talking about. . .from a UN documentation standpoint and not a bunch of trash talking persons calling themselves advocates!! Doc minnis is very clear, lucid and in accordance with all international accords we are signatory to. Rights Bahamas are carrying on like the Nazi and the Nuremberg Law again the Jews. . . the same Law that put to death all German officers who were on trial for putting to death Jew and Polish persons without the benefit of lawful redress!! That statement shows how lost cause held by RB. . .their rants are making the case that doc is putting forth. . .IF THAT'S NOT DUMB THEN GIVE US STUPID. . .
birdiestrachan 5 years, 8 months ago
The DRAMA KING is at it again. There will be no surprise if the Bahamas Government will build four bed room houses, two bath and a sauna for all the families' in the shanty Towns. Stone buildings for sure. The man who gave the FNM an undisclosed donation * will demand no less.
birdiestrachan 5 years, 8 months ago
WE MARCH and STB Are they Connected? and what about toggie and boggie? Build some shanty Towns on the Eastern road and right next door to the outspoken QC.
mandela 5 years, 8 months ago
These people need to straighten up and fly right or fly OUT
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