Slap in the face? UK supports Governor’s stance on slavery reparations – Premier
The Governor has been under fire following an interview with 284 Media, where he said that paying reparations to the Virgin Islands (VI) for acts of slavery and the slave trade is not the position of the United Kingdom at the moment, while calling for relics of slavery to be preserved in the Territory.
The Premier, speaking in the House of Assembly on September 29, 2020, said on September 14, 2020, he wrote to Baroness Elizabeth G. Sugg, the United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, over whether the position expressed by the Governor was that of the UK.
The Premier said the Baroness replied in a letter on September 18, 2020, indicating that the UK supports the position of the Governor.
Slavery an error on UK part – Baroness Sugg
“In his interview with 284 media, the Governor made clear his belief that slavery is abhorrent, and the error of slavery was a horrific period in the world history and the British history that should never be forgotten.’
Sugg continued, “This was a part of a broader discussion on racism where the governor emphasised the need to continue tackling and challenging injustice, a position that I fully support.”
She said the British Government expressed deep regret for its role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
UK believes just a statement is sufficient – Premier Fahie
The Premier said it is clear the UK government believes a statement is sufficient for slavery and that reparations do not form part of the UK Government’s official policy.
“To say that this is disappointing is an understatement, and I have since so advised the Honourable UK Minister. Your Government fully supports the position of our brothers and sisters of Caricom whose respective populations are made up largely of the descendants of slaves,” he said.
While the UK has not paid reparation to the descendants and victims of slaves, up until 2015 the UK paid reparations to the owners of slaves after the abolition of slavery, the Premier reminded.
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59 Responses to “Slap in the face? UK supports Governor’s stance on slavery reparations – Premier”
UK Paid reparations to slave owners, who benefited greatly from the enslavement of the African race, but do not want to pay reparations to the descendants of the slaves?
No surprise!
The premier said it best: " To say that this is disappointing is an understatement"
In any case, the land was given by way of reparation to our ancestors. There's not a white man alive who was involved in the slavery of our ancestors, why should they have to pay us reparations just because some of our race are lazy enough to blame history for their problems rather than accepting that they are perfectly capable of living a decent life if they would only motivate themselves.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/30/jamaica-should-move-on-from-painful-legacy-of-slavery-says-cameron
1. Proof of slavery/slave contract.(no. of years of servitude)
2. (CSS) Certificate of Slave service
3. 1 valid ID and 1 passport size photo
4. Proof of residency.
Please send to payupcoziamstillaslave@heart.com
Let me tell you all something...You all engage in segregated practices throughout our nation and the world. It’s like something is missing inside your DNA that makes you humans. ‘But I must say... you all love your pets’.
Have we ever seen you participate in any events that we locals host? No! Do your children go to our schools? No! Do you wish to live next to us? NO! Yet you and your pets come to our islands to enjoy your wick lives.
Do you all come to church with us? ‘Maybe one or two’. The majority would rather not go to church at all! You promote the Antichrist agenda because you cannot grasp the fact that if you do not repent and live right with your fellow human beings on earth, you will go to hell. You all truly believe ‘like your ancestors’, that you will never be judged by a greater being that hates the evil inside of you.
Many of you Europeans care nothing for Africans or any other race, ‘but tolerate the Asians because you found that many of them can be ruled by money’. Maybe a handful of you may have a humane heart for another race; but the majority are shameful as you mostly care more for your Pets and Properties.
You have a superiority complex and feel that you are entitled to the world, as did their ancestors. Yet the earth and universe itself rejects your bodies for lack of melanin ‘which would give you dark features’.
Your legacy has remained the same throughout the centuries, as you continually shame and disgrace the future generations of your people.
You seek for riches throughout the world with cold hearts ‘as did your ancestors’ yet your children remain poor with generational curses on their lives... and why would your child be anything of greatness throughout history? Who were their Martin Luther King‘s, Noel Lloyds and Mohammad Gandhi’s to show them love for humanity? No, your children are left with the ‘Christopher Columbuses, Hitlers and Bate Hills’ genocidal conquerors and rulers, and selfish intellectual industrial minded con-artist as role models.
Generation after generation your poor child continually suffer the shame and disgrace of their parents’ legacy of racism and Godless inhumanity in their heartless inclusive apartheid culture; and to justify your evils you label this all ‘self preservation’. What a truly ‘enslaved’ bunch of individuals you are!
What it is the premier cannot understand ENGLAND is not going to pay no money what the hell he is not getting. The sLave owners who owned slaves did their share bt giving the slaves some land and other assett, Decisions wer made by some slave owners and was given to England as to how thwy repaid their slaves hence the portions of land ESTATES. Premier you need to leave that thing alone and get on with the business of the territory, People here need help and I mean indegenious BVI lsalnders and all this government is doing is fussing over what cannot be had.WE had good slave ownrs such as william Thornton, Georhe Hannah and others who gave their slaves land religious pratices , livestock and other things, The slaves were given sunday to work their lands . Have you check the history of John Pickering to name one Premier stop getting up in t un logical sh*the House of Assembly and talking a set of uun logical sh*t, The BVI IS NOT GETTING NO MONEY AND THAT IS FINAL, YOU NEED TO AND CHEACK THE HISTORIANS LIKE HARRIGAN< VARLACK< NIBBS< TURNBULL< PICJEARING< DOOKAN, hatJENKINS and the others on the deep history of the BVI. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS HELP TO RESTORE THE QUAKRS BURIAL GROUNDS IN THE BVIE. THERE ARE PERSOND WJO HAVE PERSONAL AND MEDICAL ISSUES AND YOU ARE NOT DOING A SURVEY TO FIND OUT WHO REALLY NEED HELP MONEY WISE TO PAY THEIR BILLS BECAUSE SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT HELPING TELLING YOU THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE MONEY BUT THEY COULD FIND MONEY TO PAY FOR THEIR FRIEND AND CLOSE ASSOCIATES, PREMIER A LOT OF SH** IS GOING ON IN THE BVI BUT YOU SPENDING TIME WITH SOMETHING WHICH CANNOT GIVE YOU A VOTE, STOP BLAMING THE GOVERNOR AS MUCH HE CAN TALK AND BEG IF THE BOSSES ABOVE HIM SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT PAYING WHAT DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO DO, PREMIER YOU NEED TO DROP THAT SHIT AND LOOK AT THE REAL ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING PEOPLE MORE THAN MONEY FROM ENGLAND, YOU MAKING NISE DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE ESTATE AND WHO WAS THE OWNERS IN THE BVI, TELL THOSE WHO LIVE ON ESTATE LAMD DP NOT SELL ITLEAVE IT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. PREMIER GO FIND OUT ABOUT SUMMEGERS ESTATE WHAT YOUR PEOPLE IN THE FIRST DISTRICT SELL LIKE RAIN FALLING pREMIER I AM SORRY THINGS DID NOT WORK OUT AS PLANNED BUT I THINK THAT YOU GOT A DIFFRENT ANGLE LOOK AFTER THE PEOPLE OF THE BVI.the slave has passed this way MOVE ON
Moreover, some decisions don’t have any clear cut right or wrong. Some skirmishes or battles may not be won but needs fighting. Any VI to the bone politician had a duty and responsibility to respond forcefully to such nonchalant, flippant and tone deaf comment on reparation that wantonly disrespected the dehumanizing, brutalizing and terrorizing treatment of their ancestors and foreparents. The West Minister styled political system in the VI is adversarial and many only see self interest, playing short-term, not deep and long-term ball.
Furthermore, the VI cannot and should not let reparation issue rest. It must work cooperatively and collaboratively with the Caricom, UN and other world bodies to the end of the earth until slave descendants are made whole.
The ancestors of the bvi are all the expat born under british rule between 1900-1970 in other british caribbean countries,and migrated to bvi to work and live. after their countries gain independence from great britiain some of them who were already in bvi became bvi-citizens,but we called them islandman islandwoman.
who will pay all the expat for all the discrimination levied at them,for all the racial names of go back where you come from, take out ssb money from their pay chk but never pay ssb,under pay for hard work..
slavery is history of the forgotten past,No one alive today,experienced slavery,we only read about it,and we believe what we read.our present situation is known to us,but no one in bvi is leading the offensive charge to ask reparation for island people,some of them paid ssb and left.they died,and their families did not collect.
today,you want a governor of the uk to compensate slaves for oppression against slaves,when all of you know of all the racial discrimination against island people right here in your face.hypocrites.
Oh, alotta aryo felt, because you had mulatta children and spouses from the Kingdom, and others who are Europeans, you would have gotten sympathy from them, eh?
Nothing 'tall go so!
The Mulatta princess was runned out of the Kingdom, therefore those of you who are less than mulatta, or of wholesome darkskinned -ness, WILL NOT, get any better treatment!
TOOOO BAADDDD!
Next issue at hand!
We’re an inconvenience to them clearly
They can’t afford to keep us or the contingent liabilities all the territories have
UK people don’t even know what their territories are & couldn’t care less
If they knew any of their taxes were used for us there’d be outcry
UK is a big disappointment wretched place with wretched selfish people
It is not the Governor's policy or the Baroness' policy. IT IS A BRITISH GOVERNMENTAL POLICY. And until the House of Commons Vote otherwise that is how it will be. So get over it. You may have better luck at Debt forgiveness in Lieu of Repatriation.
Also wondering why the Premier is not demanding reparation money from the Africans who sold the slaves to the slave ship captains? Also wondering who would actually want citizenship in the African country, where their own people sold them?
Also wondering why this Government is not holding those businesses who STOLE employees' SS and PAYE, because they deducted it but never paid it in. Every week we have people going to Balsam Ghut for crimes, but the many businesses that STOLE employees' money, aren't being charged? Why not? Are there so many of them that they would clog the court for years?? Why aren't these THEIVING businesses being brought before the Court? I am waiting, Premier Fahie and so are a vast amount of your voters. We want justice, now. Crimes on the employees by the employer must be brought to the BVI Courts.
you won't have to fight .Repatriation to your country could be granted very easily.
Reparations is the issue.
With the full support of the English, British and UK governments, slave traders, slave owners........etc enslaved slaves and exploited, dehumanized, ill-treated them. Slaves through their blood, sweat, tears and much pain through their value as chattel property, forceful labour.........etc produced innumerable wealthy White Britons, produced products for use in British factories....etc. Slave labour built the UK economy.
However, despite their great contributions, the only people that have not benefited from slavery are slaves and their descendants. The UK borrowed £20,000, 000 to pay slave owners. Clearly, neither Jasper, Sugg, Johnson, Windsor......etc give a rat’s butt about the exploitation of slaves and their attitude towards to their descendants is get over it. We are the superior race! They cannot even bring themselves to offer a simple apology. But why should they, for they are just some n.....as.
Disappointedly, except for tangential reference by the Premier Fahie and S. Flax-Charles, the other 11 elected members all of whom are of African descent to my knowledge are as quiet as church mouses on the disrespectful reparation comment. The silence is deafening and sickening. Grown men and women perhaps are still afraid of massa. What a bunch of House Sl.....s or N...as.
[Let’s lead like eagles, not careen off the cliff like buffaloes]
Will we be willing to pay them reparations? We got rich from the misery forcibly imposed on them. To set history right, we should repay those who suffered while we prospered from their suffering, should we not?
But what will we argue? “It was legal! And we were just people of our time. That’s how it was in those days. People didn’t see it as wrong … “ and all the same arguments we disagree with in the slavery debate.
As with the Holocaust, the wrongs of slavery and money laundering are not equals because slavery was sustained, conscious brutality on a mass scale for hundreds of years. But those differences do not invalidate the argument that reparations could be claimed for damage inflicted on victims of money laundering.
We should think on this as we move forward.
Moreover, it seems as if the UK wants to employ the same Colonialism practices through neocolonialism. VI residents must be vigilant and not fall prey to the same practices, eg, creating adversarial relationship between the people and local government to rationalize their performance and behaviour. They must avoid themselves being used to sanitize racial supremacy, racial hierarchy, White supremacy.......etc.