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UK vote for public registry ‘racist & economic terrorism’- John I. Cline

- Public march scheduled for May 17, 2018; Premier and Opposition Leader expected to speak
National hero Ms Patsy C. Lake, left, who through the Positive Action Movement helped lead a march against the selling of Wickham's Cay and parts of Anegada, is in support of the demonstration being spearheaded by former Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority Board Mr John I. Cline, right. Photo: VINO/Facebook
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL), left, and Opposition Leader Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), right, will be some of the speakers at the national march and demonstration scheduled for Thursday May 17, 2018. Photo: Andre Dawson aka ‘Shadow’/VINO
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL), left, and Opposition Leader Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), right, will be some of the speakers at the national march and demonstration scheduled for Thursday May 17, 2018. Photo: Andre Dawson aka ‘Shadow’/VINO
House of Commons: Bishop John I. Cline has labeled the vote by the United Kingdom’s House of Commons to allow for public registry of who owns and will benefit from offshore accounts in its Caribbean Overseas Territories as ‘racist and economic terrorism.’ Photo: Internet Source
House of Commons: Bishop John I. Cline has labeled the vote by the United Kingdom’s House of Commons to allow for public registry of who owns and will benefit from offshore accounts in its Caribbean Overseas Territories as ‘racist and economic terrorism.’ Photo: Internet Source
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The Chairman of the BVI Christian Council and Bishop of New Life Baptist Church in Duff’s Bottom, John I. Cline, has labeled the vote by the United Kingdom’s House of Commons to allow for public registry of who owns and will benefit from offshore accounts in its Caribbean Overseas Territories as “racist and economic terrorism.”

Only the black majority islands must comply

Speaking exclusively to our newsroom today Monday May 7, 2018 the man of the cloth noted that the vote, which took place on May 1, 2018, will only affect countries “where there is a majority of black people,” like the Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Montserrat and the Cayman Islands. 

However, the vote does not affect other Crown Dependences with majority whites, such as Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Jersey.

Mr Cline, a former Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority Board, is spearheading a national march and demonstration scheduled for Thursday May 17, 2018 and is to start at 2:00 P.M. from the Road Town Sunday Morning Well and end at Government House. 

He said "we are marching for economic justice and our dignity as a people."

Speakers at the march on Government house

Those expected to speak include Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL), Opposition Leader Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) and others from the financial services sector.

In addition, national hero Ms Patsy C. Lake, who through the Positive Action Movement helped lead a march against the selling of Wickham's Cay and parts of Anegada, will also be speaking, as well as Bishop Cline.

The founder of the Save the Seed Energy Center said the vote is going to affect everyone so “it’s not a political thing, it’s about the country, as our financial services industry is well regulated and a legitimate business.”

The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) is yet to tell the people what action they will take in protecting the industry that accounts for some sixty percent of Government’s revenue.

The attempts by the UK to derail the VI’s financial services sector comes at a time when hurricanes Irma and Maria have devastated the tourism sector.

52 Responses to “UK vote for public registry ‘racist & economic terrorism’- John I. Cline”

  • tretretrete (07/05/2018, 13:53) Like (28) Dislike (13) Reply
    Usually I dont agree with the Bishop but when you factor in all the evidence its clear as day. Racism wrapped in transparency.....BS
  • HMMM (07/05/2018, 14:18) Like (11) Dislike (9) Reply
    Again to hell wud uk canada baby lol lets link up wid canada
  • Music (07/05/2018, 14:18) Like (44) Dislike (10) Reply
    I am afraid unless the UK government can be persuaded to rescind this decision, we are stuck with it. It was not a racist decision. They are not after destroying black countries. But the UK and other countries want their pound of tax flesh and are determined to get it. The Crown Dependences may be majority white but they have completely different relationships with UK. If we comply we may lose some customers, but if we decide on independence we will lose even more investors because they wont trust us without the backstop of the mother country. We are between a rock and a hard place.
    • March we will (07/05/2018, 15:07) Like (32) Dislike (5) Reply
      We are expecting the March to persuade them. It persuaded them in 1949 to give us our own autonomy. We persuaded Lavity to thrash the Bates Hill Agreement and we will persuade the UK to rescind this decision until and unless it can be implanted in a fair manner globally.
      • Cardigan (08/05/2018, 07:30) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
        In 1949, the March fed into the guilt of colonialism and the zeitgeist of independence throughout the Commonwealth. There is nothing similar in 2018 to strike at the conscience of the UK Government.
  • pat (07/05/2018, 14:22) Like (26) Dislike (2) Reply
    I am in
    • VOW (07/05/2018, 15:29) Like (39) Dislike (15) Reply
      While you all marching do not forget to march for the premier to put back the millions that he gave away for the plane and the audits for the past years this man make s mess of our ISLANDS. We are now worst than a third world country. Only prayers can take us out of all this mess. The same GOVERNOR they treat like a /// is the same person who is by our side if it never for this GOVERNOR right now we would have been rule completely by the UK . If he had return to the UK for the way they treat him . Soon after that we were hit by flood and hurricanes now this even though he is the QUEEN representative he is looking out for us . The NDP always treat people like second class now they want us march I am not if good come I reap good and if bad come I reap bad I will never for get how they treat me after the flood NDP I get help from out the BVI.
      .
      • @Vow (07/05/2018, 16:23) Like (22) Dislike (4) Reply
        We understand all the internal issues we have. I'm right there with you on some of them. However, there is a time for internal fighting and there is a time when we close ranks internally and fight for ourselves outside. This is not a political war. This is about our survival. The NDP or VIP did not cause this. It would have happened with any Government sitting. You are not marching for the NDP Sir/Ma'am. You are marching for your territory. Long after Dr. Smith and them are gone, we will still have issues like this if we do not stand up for ourselves. Let us not be political about this. I'm sure Noel and the others had political issues but they put that aside and saved Wickham's Cay. What will your children and grandchildren say about you in the future when this is discussed? That you stayed out from protecting their future because you thought the Governments did a bad job at it? Well here is your chance to do your part. It will not affect Dr. Smith and not you. It will affect all of us and there is a time when we have to forget politics and hold the hand of those who may have done us wrong for the greater good. Let us unite on this one and then we can go back to sort out of internal issues at the poll.
  • Race Wars (07/05/2018, 14:28) Like (11) Dislike (17) Reply
    You going learn bout Edomites today! Not only is violence Traglodytes 1st and biggest weapon they will deprive you of economic freedom. There is no boundaries to their treachery.
  • Rubber Duck (07/05/2018, 14:36) Like (23) Dislike (25) Reply
    The decision has nothing to do with race and this promoter of superstitious non sense should be ashamed to claim it is. There are overseas territories with majority white population and big financial services industries that are affected notably Gibraltar.
    • @rubber duck (07/05/2018, 14:56) Like (20) Dislike (6) Reply
      Really? Gibraltar. You don’t understand why this impacts us more than anyone else do you? Have you ever heard of Gibraltar as a financial services centre? We are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
    • Duck Hunter (07/05/2018, 16:45) Like (6) Dislike (5) Reply
      You sound like a European of the Caucasian persuasion who is obviously oblivious to the sentiments of people of color and the struggles we face in this world....
  • Lawd (07/05/2018, 15:00) Like (29) Dislike (29) Reply
    One thing Tola ppl know how to do is call everything racist lol. Even if it's true or not, yall be ready to say it boy lol
  • cay (07/05/2018, 15:36) Like (3) Dislike (13) Reply
    Now we doom
  • NezRez (07/05/2018, 16:07) Like (21) Dislike (5) Reply
    Facts: Gibralta will NOT be affected the way we will. They will NOT lose 60% of their income like we will. Gibralta has:
    Shipping
    Internet gaming
    Regular gaming
    Tourism
    Financial services

    They will survive much better than we. FACT!
    • @NezRez (07/05/2018, 16:59) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
      Correct - they (Gibraltar) have a diversified economy unlike ours. Many have been voicing for other sectors to be developed but the short-sightedness of current and past governments have not helped. Shouldn’t we be looking at some other revenue streams? Options are what we need not fighting a lost game.
    • Dark days ahead (07/05/2018, 21:18) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      We will have to be more open to foreign investors and a lot of public agencies will have to be privatized.
    • Reply (07/05/2018, 21:28) Like (155) Dislike (2) Reply
      Only Julian Willock bring forward revenue ideas
  • trrefdrfds (07/05/2018, 16:24) Like (30) Dislike (14) Reply
    March on this corrupt government first then the UK after
    • @Truth (07/05/2018, 16:57) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
      Let's do it the other way this time. We have to take on the bigger issue first.
  • YOLO (07/05/2018, 16:34) Like (18) Dislike (0) Reply
    i guess we have to march in we want to keep our jobs because if we end up on the black list bad for the bvi, if we go independent, what money we will be using becuase under the agreement of the uk we allowed to use US Money. And if uk have there way by we showing or fiancee book allot of the off shore banking is going to leave the bvi. so lets March but i dought it going make a different
    • Rubber Duck (07/05/2018, 17:23) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      There is no offshore banking in BVI. Do you understand any of this.?
    • @yolo (07/05/2018, 18:02) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
      We can negotiate with the US ourselves to use the US dollar. Both St. Thomas and Puerto Rico benefit from us using the US dollar. They are US territories. The US did not approve this dollar in 1959 because it was good for us. They approved it because it was good trade for their territories. It is still the case today. On offshore banking, we do not keep monies in the BVI. We have companies who set us here so that they can plan their wealth best. We are not to make a difference to them. We are marching against their indifference to us!!
      • chad (09/05/2018, 06:52) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
        @yolo Interesting proposition but the bvi does not have the leveraging power to do so. Do you for a second think that a territory with 30000 ppl 59 sq miles has any power on the table with a super power like America? Most the caribbean would use dollars if so.
  • YAWN (07/05/2018, 17:07) Like (15) Dislike (6) Reply
    The UK is anything but racist. What a ridiculous comment. If you’ve ever been to the UK you’ll know that there is extreme diversity and has actually been overly welcoming that it’s out a strain on national services like the NHS. This also affects a huge number of white people who work in the offshore financial sector. Just listen to yourselves! Cline wants attention and is saying the ancient out of date methods that everyone loves to jump to- race. Get with the times Cline.
    • @yawn (08/05/2018, 07:17) Like (5) Dislike (5) Reply
      Then let them apply the standard to Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man where there is a majority white population. Then we will be convinced. You do not underestimate the mentality of a colonist. Whatever they have in the UK that you have seen does not meN we are truly viewed as equals. I don’t need to go much further. If you do not understand these struggles, then I am not sure who is delusional.
    • NezRez (08/05/2018, 22:24) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
      @ YAWN...any colonial power that colonized people into slavery is racist. Also, why are they now after 60 deporting Black people only, who have worked their butts off, claiming now they don’t have proper papers? The U.K. invited these same people over there to work, and after years of paying taxes, they want to put them out. Some of our poor Black people spent their entire lives there and have nowhere to go. You are lying to yourself if you say that isn’t racism.
  • SHAME (07/05/2018, 17:10) Like (12) Dislike (4) Reply
    Sorry to hear the race card being brought out. Rev Cline and those in Government have not planned for the inevitable. There is a world anti money laundering effort where transparency of beneficial owners is just one of the tools used to combat grand corruption. I am sure that the victims of large thefts from Russia (68 Billion Dollars), some of which flows through the overseas territories, would welcome this legislation.
    Perhaps rather than thinking of what can we get today, this government should have had a strategy to deal with the future repercussions for the BVI that are plain to see, rather than to fog the issue with allegations of racism.
    • @Shame (08/05/2018, 07:27) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
      Our AML regime has been rated largely compliant with the world standard. We have implemented every world standard. They now want us to go above world standard on our own because of the Russia issue? The UK and US have companies through which fraudsters try to launder money all the time. None of us are exempt from attracting criminals. They have not shut down their companies registry because of this. Why shut down ours? We all have the same issues and should fight crime together. Not consider our whole industry criminal and sabatoge it through your own political will. That is nit right and we will not accept it. We have the information they want and we keep it privately. We can provide it in an hour. Why must we have it public when no one else except us will? That will destroy us competitively and they know this and then the trillions of dollars they lose will go back home. This is more about economics than crime masked in a way to receive support. Do not be fooled.
  • now (07/05/2018, 17:21) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.
    People out way of life is at risk.
    If we have no money for Roads, Schools, Health Care, civil servants salaries, teachers, the courts, prisons, water, sewage, should I go on, Is There Not A Cause???
  • Rubber Duck (07/05/2018, 17:21) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    I understand exactly how it affects us. I am not certain that it the end of financial services in BVI. Is secrecy of ownership the only thing BVI has to do offer.? If so it is a precarious foundation for an economy.
    • @rubber duck (08/05/2018, 07:29) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      If you say that then you do not understand. There is a big difference between secrecy and privacy. The latter is a fundamental right and we must uphold that right for ourselves and others.
  • You can not ... (07/05/2018, 18:15) Like (5) Dislike (9) Reply
    “You can not run a sustainable economy on the back of dirty money.”
    • Retarded statement (08/05/2018, 07:33) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
      No truth in it. Do you or they have any proof at all of this statement. Dame Hodge should be sued for defamation for that statement to even imply that we have built our economy on dirty money. And what exactly is the UK economy built off of? Get real and deal with the real issues at hand. She is a trained debater that’s all and got the last punch in so everyone would remember, especially the ignorant. But those of us who know better will not bow down to that ignorance.
      • Evidence..? (08/05/2018, 11:02) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
        Check out MosFon and the allegations involving Brazil Gas/Oil deal that was facilitated by said MosFon directors and utilized BVI as part of it. There’s more cases that we are unaware of that are coming down the pipeline. I’m sure the forensic accountants and lawyers are hard at work chasing the lost gwop. All this energy and none expended on the conversation on how to diversify and fill the gap this will leave in revenue. Only when the well connected sell their ideas to these ministers and they all become partners (off the books of course) do we hear the platitudes of these saviors of our economy. We need viable industries/sectors which only had been given lip-service to date.
  • trrefdrfds (07/05/2018, 19:01) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Truth be told we are reaping what we sowed. We yes we from the head our officials was very disrespectful to the head in authority. I speak of the present Governor some of our electrd officials was rude to not show up at swearing in. They find all excuses not to attend and not only that history recalls where it was normally held. There were those not in favor of that historical event and place. So take what we get now. You dont have to like this because i know its not a favorable comment but truth must be told. Not that I'm in favor of what happened in UK and I must add that Mrs. Smith represented us very well. Respect given you will receive respect. Our parents thought us that from birth yet we forget at times. Mother land punishing us now.
  • BRAD BOYNES (07/05/2018, 21:05) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    March on the darn NDP. They are screwing us over More than the UK.
    • @Brad Boynes (08/05/2018, 07:36) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      There is a time and place for everything. Right now we protect inside from outside. After that you can arrange a march to protect inside from inside. Do not confuse the two.
  • wondering (07/05/2018, 21:08) Like (7) Dislike (3) Reply
    Why is a pastor using the race card because beneficial owners must be revealed? Secret accounts fund
    Terrorism, Human Trafficing, Drugs, War and much more. A pastor should be supporting ridding the BVI
    Of dirty money. Where is His faith that the Lord provides for His people? How come this pastor is not ashamed? Shocking. Like Irma and Maria did not show the BVI that God is not pleased with the BVI? Fasten your seatbelt and repent, Our God Lives! Seek ye first the Kingdom of God!
    • Public education (08/05/2018, 07:38) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
      Our people suffer for lack of knowledge. We hope in the next few weeks we can educate you so that you can understand that your views are not exactly correct.
  • just asking... (07/05/2018, 21:29) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    Not sure this March will change the course of history
    • We must demonstrate (08/05/2018, 07:40) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      The 1949 March gave us self governing autonomy

      The 1968 March gave ius Wickhams Cay back.

      We are 2-0 with marches. You never know the result of a thing unless you try.

      Even if it does not make a difference we should march against their indifference towards us and send a message.
  • foxy (07/05/2018, 22:40) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    March about the 7.2 m plane and 1.6 m wall too
  • Ayanta (07/05/2018, 22:59) Like (6) Dislike (6) Reply
    We ain't marching a rats ass with this corrupt NDP government. I support the Brits and will stay one.
    • @Ayanta (08/05/2018, 07:45) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
      You have a democratic right to support whom you want. There are a lot more in the community that will support the territory’s financial viability on this one. It is hoped that when the march is done, you will see the strength of the effort and the reason for the stance as we try to keep the BVI a place where we can live at a good standard and feed our families including you and yours if you live in the BVI.
  • T May (07/05/2018, 23:57) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
    England IS a BeeAtch.
  • Yessa! (08/05/2018, 09:54) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    Good luck with that. It will be an uphill battle trying to convince the people to march when they are preoccupied with how they will pay their bills and get the roof fixed before hurricane season comes again for a situation they blame this government getting us into.
    • Really (08/05/2018, 11:20) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      How did this Government get us into this situation now? If this problem is not fixed, you won't even have money to pay for the houses you live in so Hurricanes will hardly be a real issue. We will march with who understands and hopefully by the march we will get those who don't understand to understand.
  • big bird (08/05/2018, 12:44) Like (9) Dislike (3) Reply
    first thing first march on the ndp and we money
  • Be clever (08/05/2018, 23:45) Like (6) Dislike (5) Reply
    Cline, you are foolish and fooling the people linking this issue to race. It has nothing to do with race. There is no reasoning to that and it is not supportable in fact either. I know you get a galvanising effect when you invent a common enemy and threat to serve your lust for power, and you have seen Trump use that to great effect. We don’t need a valid and good idea to make our feelings known on the issues at hand to be debased and devalued by a foolish and dishonest argument about colonialism and race. Using the powers they seek to use for these purposes though is constitutionally problematic so we need to be specific that the European hard left that is failing economically and those who play the identity politics and seek to strip personal freedoms and privacy cannot prevail and hand our economy over to the US and the Far East.

    It is still pretty heinous behaviour by a fraud of a politician in Margaret Hodge (Who is not in government but in opposition) and her allies and vested interests in the ICIJ, EU and our competitors mainly the US. Nobody else is being held to this standard including the UK where registers are public but lack verification. Th US comes out very well looking to vacuum business out of here, Cayman and Bermuda. The UK therefore does very badly losing the business that was in the UK and its OTs. Of course if we want to talk of imperialism, the US states openly it wants to expend the world’s reliance on the dollar and now they want to take the offshore business in house as well. Just at the point where we may start to get more work from growth in Asia and Africa. Great timing.

    What’s worse is it is a general attack on personal privacy made all the more galling by it happening as Europe passes more strict data privacy laws. It makes no sense to do this, law enforcement in the know generally say it won’t help and if bad money is in less well regulated or less compliant places including the US, it is harder to track down.

    Be VERY clear on this, those who live in the OTs share every bit of anger frustration and consternation at the hypocrisy, treachery and stupidity of the interest group that managed to get this thing passed and the Brits and others living and working in the OTs are amongst the biggest advocates for the places and are being relied on to bring our economies through the challenges. With the hurricane and now this, which is not likely to be as bad as first it seemed, this is the time we need to turn the corner. This is the time for the OneBVI rhetoric to get real. This is the time we plan together to pull through. This is exactly not the time for division and ignorance. Lets do this.
  • read this (09/05/2018, 07:59) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/02/cayman-islands-considers-legal-action-uk-public-scrutiny


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