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  • Concern about citizenship issue — real, or the usual political hypocrisy?

Honourable Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,

Your kind attention is humbly directed to the following content.

It is based on you being one of the most vocal and critical leaders in the Caribbean region against the recent ruling that took place in the Dominican Republic on the issue of its citizenship.

Our St. Martin grassroots people movement has recently also taken keen notice of said ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal in the Dominican Republic.

Also, our movement has — with great interest — observed the many protests coming from regional Governments — and leaders against this particular ruling in a sovereign country.

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Our interest in the matter is also based on the fact that on our own “Friendly island” the immigration situation has become the greatest threat to our very existence as a native, indigenous St. Martin people of heritage.

This sad fact, lies at the very core of our movement coming into existence in order to do whatever it takes to reclaim our native island — currently inundated by hordes of (illegal) immigrants, mainly from a particular island in the region.

In addition, because to a very large extent, the outcome of the citizenship issue in the Dominican Republic will set a precedence and/or example for our own fight for survival as a native St. Martin people, we are very carefully monitoring these developments.

For the record also; our movement respects the right of every sovereign country to formulate the laws it sees fit for its own domestic situation and to preserve and protect its own people as well, as its own sovereignty and integrity.

Consequently– in principle — our movement will not interfere in the internal affairs of any foreign country, nor will we make any judgment in such situations.

The main reason however for our open letter is very simple and logical.

It goes as follows:

The on-going discussions on the citizenship–issue in the Dominican Republic, have created a — perhaps unintended — but nevertheless a unique opportunity for us, native, indigenous St. Martiners to “show–case” to the region and beyond, our own dilemma.

Ours is a well–known — albeit, politically very inconvenient fact, all our local St. Martin/St. Maarten political leaders are fully aware of, but dread to even casually entertain.

Meanwhile, by denying its existence, such is creating a ticking, “nuclear”, social time–bomb, whose fall–out will most certainly and very negatively affect the entire Caribbean, economically and socially.

On our so–called “Friendly island” of St. Maarten/St. Martin, for years a process of (cultural–) genocide by substitution is taking place — in plain sight for all to witness.

We even dare–say, that the leaders of every island in the region — including those now “crying wolf” about the citizenship issue in the Dominican Republic, know this very well.

However, to date, we have not heard even a “peep” – let alone any strong reactions from one single political leader in the region towards this very overt atrocity waged against the native, indigenous, or grassroots people of this island.

The magnitude of the socio-economic and demographic consequences of this uncontrolled immigration “Tsunami” on the “Friendly Island” is unprecedented in the region and evil beyond belief.

And again– never a “peep” from any regional politicians — let alone the willingness to take “strong” actions like are now being considered against the Dominican Republic.

Better yet…

Based on this growing regional “concern” for the violation of the human rights of, especially the Haitian people, we have yet to see which country in the region is willing to throw its own doors wide open to accommodate the legions of thousands upon thousands of undocumented immigrants.

Still better yet…

Which of the “concerned” regional leaders, including the Honourable Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, is willing to allow for these immigrants to enter into their own countries and to allow for them to outbreed their own native population?

Or, to drain and/or to deplete their own infra–structures, their own social welfare, health–care and educational system?

Or, to publicly promote sorcery, voodoo, de–forest their hills to make charcoal?

Or, to run gypsy bus and taxi–services, undermining their own native taxi and bus–drivers?

What about Dr. Gonsalves and the likes, inviting the thousands upon thousands of poverty–stricken immigrants to run down their own native residential areas, their tourist–products, markets, and/or to build social homes and schools for a never–ending number of pregnant female immigrants?

After all, Dr. Gonsalves and his supporters would come across much more convincing and credible, if they would put their own islands totally to the disposal of the poor Haitian immigrants.

Right?

We on the “Friendly island” have a lot of “experience” in being overrun, marginalized, penalized and “genocized”, because our leaders excelled in being “politically correct” by not protecting its own people.

Perhaps, that is what the leaders of the Dominican Republic are trying to do – protecting their own people, their own identity, their own sovereignty.

Who knows?

Just prove them – and us wrong, by allowing for St. Vincent to open up its doors to all the poor Haitian immigrants and make sure to respect their “Human rights” in your own country – at the expense of your own people, that is.

In ending, we would like to invite Dr. Gonsalves, Prime–minister of St. Vincent and other “concerned” regional leaders, to come to one of our native, indigenous St. Martin jollifications to hear our experiences as a people, overrun by immigrants.

In addition, perhaps, Dr. Gonsalves, can then help us to educate our own Governments, that unless “charity starts at home” interfering in some–else’s internal affairs, might not be very constructive – it might even come across as a classic case of opportunism, or of a typical political hypocrisy, or of political correctness, which has never solved any problem — other that complicated problems.

Dr. Gonsalves should rest assured, that once he also shows interest in assisting us in protecting our human rights to exists and to come first as natives on the “Friendly island” – God knows, we can one day take on the abuse of human rights of the entire world – including the Dominican Republic – but not earlier!

Deal Dr. Gonsalves?

An invitation will be forthcoming somewhere in mid-2014 and we look forward to having you attend a special function on the issue of immigration with other political leaders and activists from the region.

Leopold James
Proud, native, indigenous St. Martiner,
President of the St. Martin Grassroots people movement.

The opinions presented in this content belong to the author and may not necessarily reflect the perspectives or editorial stance of iWitness News. Opinion pieces can be submitted to [email protected].

4 replies on “Open letter to PM Gonsalves and co-critics of the ruling in the DR”

  1. albert edwards says:

    i find this letter distasteful and one which reeks with predjudice ,very unfortunate not understanding what is the issue in the DR ,people been disenfranchised,virtualy declared a non person,it is the same position with the usa ,deporting people to the caribbean who having no relatives having lived all thir lives in that country.the letter writer is confused and does not see racial discrimination involved .the call for repatriations grows stronger here,400 years of slavery cannot be wiped away easily as the late grea(t Robert Lester Marley) Bob Marley,Sir you have ignored fundamental issues herein.who out breed who is of no significance.

  2. Is this guy for real? He’s a bigoted and self-centered individual who is sick and needs to see a doctor. He’s singing the same tune coming from Barbados and T&T and that’s doing nothing to further the aspirations of CARICOM.
    This guy sounds like Israel where they don’t want Africans in the country; because they believe they would out-breed the Israelis’. They want to protect their Jewish identity. Wasn’t it the same thing Hitler was doing when it is alleged he gassed many Jews? Everybody wants to defend something.
    How ironic that it was Jamaica that killed the Federation many years ago and now it’s Jamaicans that were thrown out of T&T. With these kinds of insular feelings CARICOM is not going anywhere.

  3. Lennox Daisley says:

    Is this guy the “President” of a Sint Martin movement? Perhaps “native” and “indigenous” require some explanation.

  4. Mr. Leopold James, You have come to the wrong place to pick your fight. Gonsalves is not responsible for your condition in your country. In fact you have admitted with this letter that it is your Politicians that’s causing all of your discontentment. You sound like a victim so why on Earth would you side with the Oppressors of the people of the DR. You are on the wrong side of the issue and you need to cool down your temper. I just want you to know that the Hon. Gonsalves is our chosen head of state and we do not always agree with him, but on this we stand with him 140,000% both at home and in the Diaspora. I want you to understand that each of us is only a spec of dust floating on a bubble and when the bubble bust the dust settles back to where it came from so you really don’t own anything. You may want to take a look at the works of the Hon. Nelson Mandela and The Honorable Martin Luther King so you could calm your spirit and become energized to fight a good fight wherever you are. Each one of us is a piece of the Continent and a part of the Main and when one is diminished in any form it diminishes all of us. That is the reasoning behind the stand that our Leader has taken. It does not strengthen him politically but it empowers him as a human being to fight for human rights and justice. If you need help in your struggle in your country this is not the way to ask for it. Those red skinned black Spaniards of the DR may chose whatever words they wish to justify their evil actions but we all know that it is racism against their black skinned citizens whose roots are in their neighbors on the same Island. All of us have been thrown into the Gumbo and are now linked to each other eternally. Our best action is to obey the direct command that says live and let live. The Spaniards of the DR are committing crimes against humanity and it is appalling that all of the Caribbean is not condemning their actions more forcefully. Our Leader is right to remind them that they cannot share in anything that benefits us as Caribbean people if they chose to separate themselves from the Main.

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