VI will assert rights that colonialism 'must be a thing of the past' - Dr the Hon Wheatley
Dr the Hon Wheatley was at the time speaking during the Tuesday, April 5, 2022, edition of VIP Let’s Talk with Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5) and Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), when he was questioned on the VI’s position coming out of the CoI Report that is now with the Governor.
Ending Colonialism
Dr Wheatley said through attending the UN Special Committee meetings on Decolonisation (C-24), it has been guaranteed that colonialism must be a thing of the past for countries like VI, a British Overseas Territory (OT).
“We are asserting our right that have been guaranteed, inalienable rights which has been acknowledged by the United Kingdom and all the other members of the United Nations, who have signed on to the United Nations Charters,” he said.
“Of course, we have a Commission of Inquiry that was commissioned by the Governor and backed by the UN, but it does not mean that we can have our rights taken away from us,” he said.
In essence, Dr the Hon Wheatley said that although the UN has backed the UK-sponsored CoI, the same UN still has an obligation to ensure that the era of colonialism must be a 'thing of the past' and those rights must not be violated.
CoI Report now with Governor
Meanwhile, Governor of the Virgin Islands, John J. Rankin, CMG, who received the report on April 5, 2022, from the CoI Commissioner, said until the report is made public after consultations with the Government, he knows that there will be speculation and some people may try to discredit or second-guess the CoI Report and recommendations.
Hon Wheatley, during the VIP Radio show, asserted, “The UN has said, and the world has said, that colonialism must be a thing of the past.”
Governor Rankin has since indicated that while the Report is being reviewed, no 'substantive statements' will be made on it until after Easter.
26 Responses to “VI will assert rights that colonialism 'must be a thing of the past' - Dr the Hon Wheatley”
It was OUR government that spent 7mil on a airline that did not fly, 1mil on a simple school wall, 140mil on a cruise dock which was budget for 70. hospital that took 12yrs to build and so over budget, our roads that look like hell, sewage pumping out everywhere etc etc etc They take our money and get upset when someone question it.
UK got us support after IRMA, got us vax for those that want BEFORE any other Caribbean nation...
We all need to grow up and see who is really taking from us and who is supporting us.
He is, like others VIP Cabinet leaders that are pretending that the CoI main focus is to keep us under their Colonial grip more so rather than came to to help ease the burden of political mismanagement of our finance, especially so over the past twenty years.
True, Independence is our moral rights, but also do we the people of the BVI, their employers have the right to know how our finances are being use by our current politicians. The main is not UK's suppression, but political suppression being in practicing mode in the BVI .
Had a chance, blew it. Next.