Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, according to the guardian.co.uk “delivered a speech describing last week’s rioting a ‘wake-up call’ for the country and says ministers will ensure policies address the causes of ‘broken Britain’”. Cameron made the pledge as he reasserted his analysis that Britain is broken, but he joined Ed Miliband in drawing a link between the riots, and recent scandals in banking, parliament and journalism, his words almost precisely mirroring those of the Labour leader.
We did not hear all of that speech ,but sadly nowhere in what we heard, or read was anything mentioned about the problem that began with a peaceful protest that eventually turned into breaking Britain. See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/15/uk-riots-david-cameron-speech.
Days into those riots the Governor and the Chief Minister at a press conference were drawn into comments on the riots. The Governor’s read excerpts from the PM’s first major speech on the riots, while the Chief Minister initially saying, “…am assured that the British government will in fact do what ever is in its power to do, somewhat under pressure said: “what I can say to the people living in the Uk, Montserratians living in the UK take charge of your children and the teenagers and ensure treat they stay indoors and stay away from those areas where there are such elicit activities…” See story on Riots.
But here in Montserrat where the last riot took place over 40 years ago, sparked from police action, circumstances are more easily controlled while the volcanic crisis drove most away. Today we hope that very few if any of our youngsters who share circumstances like other youths do in Britain, were not actually involved. Now we learn that at least one Montserratian lost a home, but still no details any direct involvement. What we do hear that Caribbean nationals were acused of being ring leaders.
Still today, it is difficult to understand the fear of victimisation that exists among the powerfully and the less powerfully employed to speak on anything. That fear is dangerous especially if it is borne out of any real problems. Back in 1998-9 it was anticipated that the population of Montserrat would have increased to 6,000 by 2006. We wait to hear what it is in 2011, estimated currently to be about 5,000 with half of that also estimated to be those who have come to carve out a better life in a place that was supposed to grow.
Two weeks ago the Lyme management staged another of its ‘Meeting of the Minds’ forums where sand mining was the topic for discussion. Some including the moderator and members of government had come to the meeting expecting ‘fireworks’ as the moderator hinted throughout the meeting as questioning time came and went almost into an anticlimax. All because the CM had earlier that day made out that there was a ‘them and us’ taking it down the racial divides. It might be the anticlimax came because he toned way down at the meeting being teased over it later.
But, the truth of the matter is, that Montserrat seems to be heading towards death from an already very ‘broken state of economy and well being’. The danger ahead is, as Montserrat is lead under the pretense for as some believe that there is a gold mine in sand mining, especially if facilitated at the loss of tourism revenue, the economy will not be dying, but dead in less than two years. The problem it will be gradual, while all the good words of invitation to investors to come to Montserrat, will be scorned by the very action that will most certainly further exacerbate the decline.
The Chief Minister unconvincingly repeated at a joint press conference with the Governor, that there will be no decision as to where the facility must be for the export of the sand. Meanwhile, the current Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) is designed only to be conducted with regards to the Belham and Isle’s Bay only, on the erroneous information that the residents in and around the area are opposed to sand mining. Is that because there is no need for such an assessment in Foxes Bay where all commissioned reports and everyone else but the Government (two members anyway) say must be the preferred site?
