T&T must be mindful of developments in the international global security environment— including across Europe and the Middle East —and the public must be very vigilant with security consciousness and take precautions, says National Security Minister Edmund Dillon.
He had this message yesterday, the 26th anniversary of the failed coup attempt by the Jamaat al Muslimeen.
On July 27, 1990, Muslimeen members attempted to overthrow the NAR Government, taking hostages — including late prime minister ANR Robinson — at the Red House Parliament location and also at the then TTT state television. After five days, the effort was put down by local military.
Yesterday, NAR stalwart, Wendell Eversley, and a handful of others placed flowers outside the Red House. Eversley warned that another coup attempt could occur in T&T and knocked both the PNM Government and UNC Opposition on certain issues.
Dillon, former chief of defence staff during 1990, said: “Twenty-six years ago, the issue of 1990 remains in our psyche as an indelible mark.
“No one must ever forget those events, as traumatic as they were. They must serve as a continuous reminder of what T&T must guard against and recurrence of any such act by those seeking to go against T&T’s democracy.
“Had it not been for the intervention by and large of the T&T Defence Force and the police, we would have had a different outcome in 1990. I commend the Defence Force and police for that work. The situation then reminds us that we must always be vigilant.”
Noting international security events, Dillon said T&T must be aware of what was happening overseas and “therefore we must certainly take precautions, including the public, who must take security precautions across the board. This isn’t 26 years ago.”
International communities, particularly now in the West, have suffered a string of terrorist attacks by home-grown jihadis, mainly youths. The latest was in France on Tuesday. Two teenaged ISIS supporters slit the throat of a priest at the altar of a Normandy church despite one teen being monitored by authorities via electronic bracelet.
Dillon said: “Our intelligence agencies continue developing systems and institutional strengthening to heighten projection capacity and we are strengthening the ministry’s operational aspects to respond appropriately to any eventuality.”
Dillon said an army presence would remain in strife-ridden Enterprise indefinitely.
Anything possible—Abu Bakr
Jamaat Al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, who said yesterday’s anniversary was a day for “reminiscing,” said T&T had not progressed since 1990 and things were “a lot worse” now. He claimed there was injustice, many in jail, abject poverty, high crime, youths were hopeless and beset by drugs and crime.
Bakr particularly took issue with what he said was Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s move to “shackle Africans with chains on their foot,” a reference to electronic bracelets proposed within anti-crime laws. “Nobody from the Emancipation Committee ent say nothing about that (bracelet),” Bakr said.
Saying he favoured having a meeting with the politicians to give solutions, “including the National Security Minister whose ministry got the most in the budget. I would suggest to him to open youth camps, Most of the ‘shooters’ (using guns) in T&T are 14-15. Youths can’t pay to go anywhere. They can’t even go Disneyland. He could organise some camps... for example in Enterprise.”
He said when people lost hope, they could do anything. “Nobody giving them jobs or training them. Things not getting better, it’s worse,” he added.
Asked if the perceived overall negative situation could result in another event in T&T like 1990, Bakr said in the situation T&T had, “anything can happen.”
Asked about so-called “unruly” individuals in Central, he said he had been talking to them, “which was why there was a lapse in things but it’s gone back now” (with the recent murder of Selwyn Alexis).
Bakr said he had been approached to go and talk to them and efforts were being made to put things in place to talk to them again.
He said prior to 1990, people were not “cutting off people’s heads and women felt safe.”
He said the Jamaat had a Laventille bakery which provided employment but he took issue with the NAR government which he claimed broke down that and other things.
Yes, it can happen again— Eversley
NAR stalwart, Wendell Eversley, has knocked Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s non-response to queries on the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Simmons commission of enquiry into the 1990 coup attempt.
Eversley did his traditional walk from east Trinidad to the Red House yesterday, dressed in the national colours, to mark yesterday’s 26th anniversary of the coup attempt.
He laid a large wreath of yellow flowers outside the Red House’s east wall at 3 pm. The daughter and grandchildren of Lorraine Caraballo, a coup victim,also laid carnations. The forlorn small group sat on the pavement outside the Red House until evening.
Eversley said he wrote Rowley on July 7 asking if and when the enquiry report would be implemented. It was instituted under the PP government.
Former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had promised its recommendations would be implemented and that the then National Security Minister would handle it. Eversley said the report stated that recommendations 11 and 12 should be implemented immediately.
“Those involved ensuring that July 27 would not be forgotten and seeking compensation for relatives of those killed/injured in the event, as well as reinforcing of security in communities, businesses and among citizens but there was no response,” he said.
Eversley, who said conditions in T&T were such that another coup attempt could occur, added:
“Look at what’s happening in communities all over. Look at Enterprise. Citizens are already being terrorised by situations.
“The 12th recommendations of the inquiry report which was earmarked for immediate implementation called for measures to enhance security in T&T. The commission did its job and said what is necessary and we need to do it. It’s only black people’s blood flowing in the streets. People have to be serious about protecting citizens.”