Haitian ambassador joins those condemning Munroe’s flogging call

As of Friday, December 11, 2015

Wayne Munroe

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Haitian ambassador to The Bahamas, Jean Victor Geneus, has decried “despicable” statements made by attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, who recently called for illegal immigrants to be flogged.

In a letter sent to the Bahamas Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson, the ambassador said the comments would incite hate and cause violence to Haitians.

He added that he was astonished after he read Mr Munroe’s remarks in a Tribune article.

On Sunday, Mr Munroe told The Tribune that officials in this country should begin “caning” minors and flogging those over 18 who are caught entering the country illegally.

He was contacted after he wrote on Facebook that the “price is too low” for immigration offences in the Bahamas, suggesting that if illegal immigrants believed “we tortured and killed them, they might not come.”

The majority of the country’s illegal immigrants come from Haiti.

Mr Geneus said: “This despicable statement is a clear incitement to hatred and likely to cause violence against our nationals.”

He added: “It must be condemned, Mr Munroe’s words do not do honour to the institution to which he belongs to and whose mission is to defend the fundamental values such as human rights and dignity.”

“I am convinced that the Bar does not share the extremist view of Mr Munroe, capable of poisoning the hearts and minds. This position cannot contribute to the findings of solutions to complex problems of illegal immigration. A lawyer is, above all, a major role player of justice and law. Thus, the xenophobic attitudes are to be considered a violation of human rights and condemned accordingly.”

Mr Geneus’ letter is dated December 7 and was obtained by The Tribune.

This week, Mr Johnson spoke out against Mr Munroe’s comments, insisting that they were “diametrically opposed to the preservation of human dignity”.

Additionally, Mr Johnson said Mr Munroe’s statements showed a lack of regard for “the views or ideas expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

Last year, the Haitian ambassador to the Organisation of American States, Bocchit Edmond raised concerns about xenophobia and mistreatment of Haitians in the Bahamas.

At the time, Mr Edmond urged the Bahamian government to consider launching a public campaign designed to underscore the notion that “verbal abuse” of Haitians is “unfair and unjust”.

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My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

Did the Haitian ambassador make a statement on the Bahamian who died in the Haitian prison? People are making way too much of one dumb comment that they know will never happen. These concerns are not sincere and I'm sure just another attempt to tarnish the Bahamas' reputation. I think the Haitian ambassador's time would be more relevant condemning the violence in Haiti. Is he aware that a man was burned to death by a mob of civilians, just last month for walking after hours, in a neighbourhood he did not belong?

TruePeople 8 years, 11 months ago

And we as Bahamaians don't acknowledge that many Haitians desperately hope to eascape their effed up country?!?!?

Sad for them that people like us think they are less that potcake. I don't see people jumping up and down for harsher penalties for sexual offenders. I don't see people jumping up and down about the blatant government corruption.

Erryone is just want to point out speck in someone else eyes, while ignoring the Log in their own. Maybe it would be best for us to address our own short comings instead of pointing finger here there are every damn where

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

Speak for yourself, please. I see both Haitians and Bahamians as human beings...but the latter seems to be missing from the pro immigration minds as you carry on about the disenfranchised Haitian and all of their rights. I see this faux concern over the flogging comment as hypocritical nonsense. Furthermore, while I am all for Haitians achieving a better quality of life, it cannot be done without dragging the Bahamas to Haiti's level. In ten years, I hope you have as much concern and compassion for the Bahamians fleeing their effed up country...but I seriously doubt you would.

themessenger 8 years, 11 months ago

You don't need to worry about the Haitians dragging us down to their level, we've done a pretty effective job of that all on our own. One of the reasons my kids after graduating from university decided they didn't want to live in their own country any longer. Quality of life for us Bahamians is just peachy right now.

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

I agree; and the mass migration of poor, uneducated Haitians is not helping. Like many Bahamians, their children take their Bahamas sponsored education to the U.S. at the first opportunity. If migration is supposedly the answer because of the young, educated leaving and the poor, undereducated coming, then the Bahamas needs to be more diverse along nationality, racial, education and economic levels with regard to immigration. The Bahamas owes nothing to Haiti, there is no need for exclusivity.

GrassRoot 8 years, 11 months ago

I pray to God that Mr. Munroe has no children. If he has, they should be taken from his custody. I bet he canes them a few times a day to stay in shape.

Cas0072 8 years, 11 months ago

But flogging children at home and in school in The Bahamas is legal. Parents can even take their children to a local police station to be flogged. Where is the outcry on this from the so called humanitarians and opportunistic politicians? How did flogging even make it back on the books, when supposedly we have so many human rights activists and others who are utterly (not to mention, conveniently) aghast at the mere suggestion of flogging.

Zakary 8 years, 11 months ago

I see this faux concern over the flogging comment as hypocritical nonsense.

I’m glad to see someone calling this out. The activists and ambassadors know that what Munroe suggests has almost no chance of happening, yet they can’t help but take the bait because it suits their agenda.

This is precisely why Bahamians will end up resonating with the likes of Munroe and Miller come election time. In making such extreme comments they reveal exactly who the hypocrites are, and those who will make use of anything, provided that it suits their agenda. Of course, they themselves are probably no better.

There are articles comparing Munroe to Trump. Why do you think Trump is leading in the polls with hardly any campaign investment? Take a wild guess. He makes everyone around him look like hypocrites, and that’s just by using simple demagoguery.

Just imagine, we wouldn't even be having this discussion if Munroe had not made those comments.

GrassRoot 8 years, 11 months ago

I am glad we are having that discussion, because it reveals the real face of people running this country. racist, corrupt, greedy and uneducated to the bones.

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

sheeprunner12 8 years, 11 months ago

Someone needs to train these Highshun ambassadors ........... they come here and meddle in our affairs ............... instead of assisting in solving the huge challenge that Bahamians face with the 80,000 illegal Highshuns that are in our country ............ an illegal Highshun is a person whose ancestors came here without legal authorization and bred offspring who have a Bahamian birth certificate but cannot get a Bahamian passport .......... I hope by now the Highshun embassy has already registered all of their illegal residents here and gotten them their Highshun passports .................. that is the job of the Highshun ambassador ...... please don't worry about what a Bahamian lawyer is opining

GrassRoot 8 years, 11 months ago

I bet you have Haitian blood in your veins.

sheeprunner12 8 years, 11 months ago

FYI: Several white Haitian families settled in Long Island after the Haitian Revolution broke out in 1789 ........ did you know that????? Check the surnames in the phonebook ............. there are over 20 common Haitian surnames here for over 200 years ........ so you may be Haitian too!!!!!!!!!

Voltaire 8 years, 11 months ago

My2cents - Boy they will never mistake you for a Haitian. You shoot the messenger and change the narrative like only a true-true Bahamian can.

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

I'm giving my opinion, just as the ambassador did. And like I said in my prior post...I'm simply pointing out the hypocrisy in all this. Everyone's coming out of the woodworks over a comment...but are silent on the real issues that are presently taking human lives. I call BS when I read it, that's it.

Emac 8 years, 11 months ago

TruePeople, I believe that Bahamians are pointing fingers at Haiti only because illegal Haitians are a grave concern in this society, and the Haitian government is doing absolutely nothing to assist in this problem. Bahamians are fed up every time a Haitian official opens his mouth to talk about the abuse of his people but never ever once try to encourage his people to NOT enter our country illegally. These officials never once open their mouths to condemn the captains of these Haitian sloops that bring illegals across these treacherous waters and sometimes dump them into the sea when they become sick or when the boat takes on too much water. Where are these Haitian officials when their people are seen abusing our national symbols, dragging our flag on the ground! We must face the facts: Haitians look at Bahamians as being stupid. When you really think about it, we the Bahamian people are being abused by the Haitian people and their government. I am tired of listing all of the infractions that both legal and illegal Haitian commit on a daily basis from housing, to healthcare, utilities just to name a few. But hear me when I say it. The Haitian diaspora that live here knows exactly how to play the "look at poor me game". They have been playing it for years and the majority of Bahamians eat it up, because deep down Bahamians are really caring people. Nough said!

GrassRoot 8 years, 11 months ago

I believe that Bahamians are pointing fingers at Haiti only because they need a scapegoat for our own inability to pull ourselves out of the ditch we are in. how about we point fingers at our government to create jobs for us and all on the island. The options and possibilities are here. Laundered money is signing up for Government bonds, rather being invested in businesses in this country. Web shops are sucking the marrow out of families bones, alcohol, drugs, guns, lack of education. And all we can do is to blame the Haitians. How about blaming the Chinese for 2000 unemployed persons = 2000 familes without income. So get things into perspective. The Haitians are not a threat. Our own corrupt and greedy elite is the real threat.

sheeprunner12 8 years, 11 months ago

Agreed ............. the human smuggling racket and the shanty towns are not created by Haitians .......... its initiated by some of our own

Cas0072 8 years, 11 months ago

Yet Fred Smith defends shanty towns as established communities and he vehemently objects to them being torn down. Is there something in law that prevents Fred Smith from suing the owners of these properties on behalf of his clients? If he can legitimately sue the government on behalf of a man of unknown identity, I am pretty sure he could if he had the will. Instead, he chooses to incite tensions by threatening to bankrupt the entire country, meaning poor Bahamians, if illegal immigrants don't get their way.

EasternGate 8 years, 11 months ago

It appears that "hatred" for Haitians" by Bahamians is institutionalized. How sad. It is hot shots like Munroe who has the court system F#cked up on purpose. They are the facilitators of these thugs who murder for hire

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

I guess you're pro human rights too? In the Bahamas that's the institutionalized phrase for being full of BS and loathing for the country you call home. By the way, Fred Smith does an equally fine job tying up the court system with his nonsense cases that ensure the human traffickers keep the immigrants flowing and his law practice supplied.

GrassRoot 8 years, 11 months ago

so seems you are not pro human rights. how sad. move to North Korea..

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

Do you understand sarcasm? I'll explain, I am pro human rights and that's why I'm disgusted by Fred Smith and others misuse of "human rights" title. It's no different than Dana Owens can call herself Queen Latifah...we know she's not royalty.

DonAnthony 8 years, 11 months ago

How about flogging Mr. Munroe for being so asinine. Seriously, we need to do away with these honors when we have a person of his supposed standing in society making such ridiculous suggestions. It is clear now with such leaders why we have so many seemingly intractable problems and are so backwards in our thinking in this country. If the educated can be so asinine what about the views of the Bahamian ( most of our population ) with a D average or worse.

My2cents 8 years, 11 months ago

It is too bad that the QC title does not consider dumb @ss comments as qualification. If that were the case Fred Smith's bloody revolution comment from 20+ years ago would have disqualified him from ever having that distinction.

SP 8 years, 11 months ago

....... THE Haitian ambassador, Jean Victor Da' Geneus is full of Caca-Foutèz .........

The ambassador failed to comment that illegal Haitians invading Bahamas would naturally incite hate and cause violence to Haitians the same as anyone else invading any other country would likewise be hated!

Wayne Monroe is not only absolutely correct that the “price is too low” for immigration offenses in the Bahamas. Successive jackass governments encouraged deportees to return by rewarding them with hundreds of dollars being the equivalent of a years salary in Haiti for breaking our immigration laws.

Which jackass politicians will accept accountability for that one?

Ambassador Jean Victor Da' Geneus conveniently declined to defend Bahamian fundamental values, human rights and dignity for wanting to protect our country from illegal parasitic Haitians overwhelming our health, education, social service systems quickly dragging Bahamas down to the economic and environmental degradation of Haiti!

Victor Da' Geneus imagined "xenophobic attitudes" is a total misinterpreted sympathy buzz word. As Bahamians actually do have reasonable fear and justified hatred of illegal Haitians that are destroying our country, way of life, and threatening our children's future!

We consider this a violation of our human rights, and condemn every Goddamn illegal Haitian to deepest, darkest, hell in the strongest possible terms and prayers imaginable!

Bahamians are intransigent to the preservation of human dignity for our people in our country, and frankly don't give a damn or less than a rats ass about Organization of American States and their Bocchit Edmond.

They have absolutely no stake in Bahamas, or regard for Bahamian sovereignty, wishes of RIGHTFUL CITIZENS and purposefully ignore mistreatment and abuse of Bahamas and Bahamians by these illegal Haitian parasites.

As average Bahamians struggle harder with each passing day to feed, educate and support families, the Bahamian government would do well to immediately launch serious immigration laws and agendas fashioned after those of U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina, before what is now only “verbal abuse” of Haitians translates into physical abuse as Dominicans were forced to do!

Economist 8 years, 11 months ago

We are responsible for this mess. We did not stop the vessels and turn them back before they reached our waters.

We have the largest navy in the Commonwealth Caribbean and one of the largest defence forces.

The waters necessary to patrol are approximately 100 miles in width and 60 miles in depth. This can easily be done with the 5 or six patrol boats and the Defence Force aircraft.

Why are we not getting on our government to make sure that no illegals get her by boat.

Fitmiss 8 years, 11 months ago

Whether we disagree or agree, well written SP. You summed it up quite neatly.

birdiestrachan 8 years, 11 months ago

The Ambassador will do well to discourage Illegals from coming to the Bahamas. Perhaps if they were treated better in their own home land they will not come to the Bahamas. Note how the Bahamians are always wrong and the Haitians are always right. But it is his job to defend the people of his country. Not to mention the US dollars going back to Haiti.

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