The British are coming to impose direct rule - Hon Mark H. Vanterpool
The Minister was delivering his speech at the official opening of the Rita Francis Festiville in Road Town on Monday July 25, 2016.
We want to remain free
According to Hon Vanterpool, it is important not to forget that the Africans were once considered property to buy and sell and all must be mindful that they want to continue to ensure that they can lead themselves for generations to come.
He said it is important also for those who might not be listening all the time, “who are a bit too busy, to understand and for some of us in leadership positions” to remind them that “more than once and more than twice” the United Kingdom Government had contemplated instituting direct rule over the Virgin Islands again.
“Which means that they are going right back to what we are here celebrating tonight,” he pointed out, adding that the decision was being made “that if we don’t do, as they say, they were determining that they will come back and directly rule over us. So we will have no more premier of our own, we will be led no more by our own government…the United Kingdom was intending to implement a direct rule.”
Hon Vanterpool noted that he chose to speak out since “this can happen indeed. So we will not dwell on it but we will not forget it and we will not be fighting against it but we want to be remindful of it so let’s go forward in peace and enjoy the 2016 emancipation celebrations.”
Self Determination
Hon Vanterpool has in the past joined the chorus for ‘self determination’ for the Virgin Islands.
Speaking at the Emancipation Service at the Sunday Morning Well in Road Town on August 4, 2013, Hon Vanterpool had spoken of how the Virgin Islands still has to adhere to its “Colonial Masters” and that the Territory needed to determine its own political status and cultural and social development without outside influence.
The self determination, which Hon Vanterpool had said he was referring to, “would be our right, as a Virgin Islands people, to decide, our own political status, without outside influence; and freely chart the course, of our economic, cultural and social development over the next 25 years and long into the future spanning many generations to come.”
He had also said he was happy to see that the conversation about self determination has begun, regardless of whether persons are for or against it.
The Minister for Communications and Works had also expressed disappointment that the United Kingdom did not seem keen on going all out to protect the Virgin Islands financial services industry but rather seemed relentless in shifting the goal post in this sector in keeping with international demands.
In recent times, talk show personality Edmund G. Maduro pointed out similar concerns about UK nationals sweeping up top positions in the territory and the hypocrisy that exists within the government structure, speaking from both sides of its mouth.
Leader of the Opposition, Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) has also made calls for the Virgin Islands to continue the conversation for self-determination.
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38 Responses to “The British are coming to impose direct rule - Hon Mark H. Vanterpool”
Might be the best thing to happen to the BVI in years and the worst thing to happen to the politicians in their lives!
Action plan required immediately, not Action Man.
A. If the threats were made by the current Tory government, when EXACTLY were the threats made?
B. What were the actually phrases used?
C. Were these threats put in writing?
D. In context to EXACTLY what were these threats made?
E. By whom EXACTLY were these threats made? (Please don't say Jeremy Corbyn.)
F. If the threats referenced were in fact those made by struggling labour leader Jeremy Corbyn last year in reference to beneficial ownership, WHY are you dredging it up again, making it seem as though these are new threats coming from the UK government?
The labour party is NOT in power and Corbyn will never be re-elected leader of the party. Ergo, such "threats" are hollow and completely meaningless.
OR ... is all this nonsense just smoke and mirrors to further the NDP's cause to persue Independence so they can more closely align the BVI with their beloved China and their communist/socialist (and very controlling) government?
Over the past several years, our government leaders have been quietly aligning the BVI political infrastructure with that of China. The BVI Financial Services Commission approved the establishment of the new "Bank of Asia BVI" sometime prior to March 2016.
The Smith government opened BVI House in Hong Kong in September 2011, with an eye towards expanding our financial services to the wider Chinese (mainland) area. Currently, more than 40% of our financial services business comes from Asia with the bulk of that coming from China.
The government wants to hire Chinese contractors to build OUR airport, while more and more consumer goods are being imported from China.
The government is purchasing Chinese equipment for various projects, some of which has already broken or proven to be of inferior quality. But the icing on the cake and the thing which should have made everyone stand back and say hmm, was the fact that in April 2014, Minister Walwyn announced that he wanted to introduce Chinese and perhaps Portuguese into our school system.
Interestingly, although China House is located in Hong Kong, (where mostly Cantonese and English are spoken), Lorna Smith suggested that Virgin Islanders should learn Mandarin Chinese, which is the main language of mainland China.
It is very clear to me the direction in which the NDP government is headed. When government ministers start stirring the pot about colonialism, a UK takeover, self-determination and independence, I suggest those who continue to back the NDP start taking Mandarin lessons and brace yourselves for a whole new kind of existence.
Please ayo hurry up an come mark is afraid cause he an is government will not get that big money again to s**** lol .....UK plz hurry up an come am begging u ....Mr governor plz tell them come fast we fed up of this NDP government plz plz plz .....father god u hear the cry of our people woiiii am happy
I hope the queen does come and clean up this country starting with you Dishonorable Vanterpool. The truth is never far behind.
Oh, Virgin Islanders, when will you return to the history books and the new emerging hidden history to know and acknowledge that the very British was responsible for keeping our forefathers in slavery? When will you understand that the British Monarch engaged heavily in the slave trade? When will you understand that their plantocracy meted out hardship on our ancestors from Africa? When will you understand that they owned a ship called "JESUS" that transported slaves to these regions? When will you understand that they raped the gold and treasures from Africa? When will you understand that the religion that we now embrace, Christianity, was used as a tool to keep our people in subjection with promises of better days in the sky? When will you understand that the Africans had a religion prior to Christianity?
People of the Virgin Islands, why would you rejoice and want direct rule from the former oppressors? A burnt child is always shy. It is because you do not understand your past. Well, you must understand quickly so that we can shape a better destiny for generations yet unborn. A direct rule over the Virgin Islands will be a big, big step backwards. It will confirm that we don't know how to govern ourselves, and that is farthest from the truth. We do know how to govern ourselves.
When they left us as a bird sanctuary, we didn't sit down. Our forefathers toiled, worked the land that they had bought, sailed the Caribbean sea and traveled to neighbouring islands to help build the Virgin Islands.
The UK had 182 years head-start on the Virgin Islands, because that is how long slavery has been abolished in these islands, and they built the UK from the strength of the Caribbean slaves from their commerce in the islands. And look at where we are today as a country, as a people, the envy of many British who come among us.
People of the Virgin Islands, do not fear self-determination. The time is ripe and it is high time for this conversation. This dialogue is very important because many of the conscious and knowlegable thinkers refuse to return to direct British rule.
So, Honourable Vanterpool, start the conversation and you will hear the views of many. At this juncture, it is obvious that many, many do not understand what the effect of direct rule over us will be. Well imagine the apartheid era in South Africa, that was recent enough. Direct Rule will be Introduction to Apartheid 101 to start with. We have nothing to fear. We are a wise people; plan, plan, plan. Put the plans in order. Team up with other OTs for "security." The spiritual leaders will tell you and believe it, "the God of your forefathers, the God whom you now serve and has brought you this far for 182 years will never leave you but will only bring you into a better country flowing with our own milk and honey.
We the members of the Positive African Movement say "No to British Direct Rule" and Yes, to Self-determination. We will not give up until it comes. We have not forgotten the sacrifices of our ancestors and the prize they have given us -- The Beautiful Virgin Islands. Forward Ever; Backwards Never. We mean it with all our might. Unite, Virgin Islanders, for the future of our children.
please be reminded this is happening and will not be better, because we have not been observing the laws and covanants that our fore parents made with God(yahuwa) look at the US....we are israelites and we are supposed to be runing this world but instead we are left here bickering, robbing and killing each other then saying we want the red skin to come and free us..WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!! WAKE UP GET BACK TO THE LEARNING AND OBSERVING THE COVANANTS THAT WAS GIVEN TO MOSES, THEN CHANGE WILL COME< SABBATH IS VERY IMPORTANT OBSERVE IT FRIDAY 6-SAT 6pm. WOW