Of all the Caribbean islands I
have visited Trinidad holds the most special place in my heart. Perhaps it is
the friendliness of the people or the easy pace of island life, but for sure
the cultural, racial and religious diversity makes it the true melting pot of
the Caribbean as evidenced by the numbers who flock to the island each year for
carnival.
Overshadowing the ease of life,
infectious rhythms and carnival like atmosphere are the dreadful stories of
crime and violence in the Caribbean’s most prosperous economy. The gruesome murder
of former independent senator and legal luminary Dana Seetahal has sent
shockwaves across the Caribbean. That there is little regard for the life of an
outstanding representative of the law indicates the extent to which criminal
elements are willing to defy the justice system.
In spite of the numbness it has
created, some Trinidadians have noted that this lawless mentality has been on
the horizon for a while. One Trinidadian
colleague while not minimising the impact of the murder, argued that the
country had been in great social decay for several years. He cited gang
violence, the murder and rape of innocent children, aggravated robberies, human
trafficking and corruption in government and the private sector as some of the
problems.
As though the murder was not
enough bad news, days after, a section of the media reported that one of the
suspects was tipped off by someone inside the police force and had gone into
hiding. If that report is indeed factual, it will have a telling impact on
ordinary citizens. It will become increasingly difficult for them to place their
trust in an entity which is supposed to serve and protect.
Trinidad thus faces the prospect
of this type of crime becoming the new normal if not dealt with swiftly. Other
Caribbean islands cannot ignore these developments since what affects one will
in some way impact all. The question is how best can the crime situation in the
Caribbean can be resolved? The
conventional method is to place more resources such as guns, vehicles and
surveillance equipment in the hands of the security forces. While this works
for a while it can be seen as simply stoking the fire with criminals equipping
themselves with high calibre weapons and deepening complex networks within and
across countries.
The situation can best be tackled
with leaders across all sectors committing themselves to integrity,
transparency, fairness and equality. While much of the focus is on blue collar crimes,
much white collar crime in the Caribbean goes unreported and unpunished. Ordinary
people who are not blind to abuses of power and profit making by those in authority
will no doubt ignore the laws which are created mainly to regulate their
activities.
When corrupt officials partner
with criminal elements the only result is the total disintegration of
society. Such examples can be found in
oil rich Nigeria where an estimated 20% of the population enjoys 80% of the
wealth with corruption between state officials, foreign oil and business
tycoons being the norm. The kidnapping of some 250 young women and the relative
impotence of the Nigerian government and army to have them returned has shocked
the world, but not many Nigerians. The same could be seen with Jamaica and the
Dudus Coke fiasco which forced the resignation of a top government official and
cost many innocent lives.
Where there is a lack of values
and principles, corruption spreads like a cancer. When corruption becomes the norm violence flourishes
and it does not discriminate against its victims. Worst of all the lives and future
of young people are jeopardised. It will take a herculean effort for Trinidad to
overcome this tragedy however the solutions are clear. Let us hope the leaders
will set their house in order and begin the healing and recovery process for
the country. Hopefully other Caribbean leaders are also watching on and are themselves
making wrong things right.
