Local activists Nalini Dial, who is leader of the National Coalition for Transformation and businesswoman Saviri Maharaj are seeking assistance from the United Kingdom in wake of the upsurge in crime.
The duo said they wrote to Queen Elizabeth 11 after first seeking permission from the High Commission to the United Kingdom in T&T.
Dial said their decision to write the letter came in the recent wake of the recent killing of two police officers and a soldier last week in separate incidents and circulated voice notes on social media warning members of the public of a bomb threat to the malls and the nation’s schools.
In the letter, Dial and Maharaj said they were frustrated with the present Government and the inability to deal with the high murder rate and crime.
“We in T&T feel a sense of deep regret, hopelessness and helplessness. According to one commentator: “Trinidad and Tobago is now living on a steady diet of crime, murder and mayhem. After seven months of governance by the current political party, today citizens are more scared for their lives and not even the present economic decline and loss of jobs are of concern to them, as the lawlessness that now engulfs our nation,” the letter stated.
Dial wrote that it was in the context T&T was a former British colony which is still a committed member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
“We recognise there seems to be no active crime plan by our Government to control and treat with the epidemic of crime. We are very concerned that our safety and security will become worse if this plague is not addressed immediately and genuinely. We also concede that our major institutions governing security/ safety, education, health, social services, economy and politics are failing,” it said.
The women said frequently there are horrendous crimes being perpetrated against T&T women and quoted former attorney general, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC when he said: “Members of civil society have a duty to intervene and do something about this scandalous state of affairs. We have an important role to play which is to make government account, to put pressure on government and to make our voices heard.”
“We are taking it upon ourselves to appeal to Her Majesty’s Government to offer its expertise and advice in crime-fighting to our Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley and his Government. It cannot be disputed that a government which cannot protect its citizens is failing in its first and foremost responsibility to the citizens,” the letter said.
In a brief interview, yesterday, Dial said the reason they wrote for assistance was because they were concerned for their safety and security as well as all citizens.
Dial said that there were 200 murders to date and they did not trust the Government, the law enforcement, the court and other organisations which were there to protect the citizens.
“We are asking for outside help. We don’t know if it will be offered but we are asking for it because we don’t believe this Government will admit to the fact that it needs help and we are asking for it,” she said.
Dial said since gaining Independence T&T can’t take care of its own business.
“So we have gone back to our former leaders for the help. We hope that if offered, the Government will engage in discussions,” she said.