This country’s human rights is being trampled by the current government.
So said Couva South MP, Rudranath Indarsingh, in a statement to recognise World Human Rights Day today.
The following is Indarsingh’s statement.
“Today, December 10th 2022, our country and the global community observes Human Rights Day.
Understanding why an occasion like today is significant and ought to be for everyone in Trinidad and Tobago is absolutely essential, as we are entitled to certain fundamental rights simply by virtue of being human.
They represent fundamental principles of our society like justice, respect, equality, and integrity.
I am concerned that under the Keith Rowley-led administration, our human rights have become compromised and have become an area of concern for many citizens.
The cost of living under this Government has skyrocketed to unimaginable levels, compromising the access to food and shelter by many.
Today, many persons cannot afford the basic right to food and shelter as the cost of living in this country continues to soar under the PNM.
Our right to safety and security has been severely compromised due to the unprecedented increases in crime and the new record of 556 murders in this country.
There have also been recorded attacks against businesses, increased car thefts and home invasions.
While this Government promises Venezuelan migrants better, under the Rowley-led administration, there have been numerous reports of sexual and workplace exploitation of Venezuelans who turn to Trinidad and Tobago for help, protection and peace.
There are too many reports of human trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation under this Government, and even our local citizens are increasingly falling victim to such.
It was under the People’s Partnership administration led by the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar who have a proven track record of ensuring greater access to food through the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on items and the lowering of cost of goods from the National Flour Mills (NFM) at Christmas time.
It was the People’s Partnership administration who created the Children’s Life Fund, Children’s Authority and Ministry of Gender Affairs and Child Development to ensure human rights related to women, men and children were achieved.
We defended the human right to security by constructing police stations and schools, while this PNM shut down police stations.
Even today, there is news that the police have refused to grant Opposition activist Victor Roberts permission to lead a democratic expression of protest against this Government. There has been no justifiable reason offered by the police for their refusal.
One wonders what role an anxious and increasingly unpopular Prime Minister has in refusing this permission, and what are the reason/s the police could justifiably offer. This is an attack on the democracy of our people.
This PNM cares only for its political survival while it tramples and rapes the society of the basic human rights of its citizens. Today on Human Rights Day, I am calling for the creation of a new unit under the Office of the Prime Minister that can monitor and evaluate the preservation of human rights, and to coordinate with state agencies towards the defense and ensuring of such.
In a country where, under the PNM, so much is going wrong, we need to make getting human rights, right.”
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