The Earl and Countess of Wessex have been urged to use their “diplomatic influence” to achieve “reparatory justice” for the island of Antigua and Barbuda.
The country’s prime minister told Edward and Sophie: “You will have noticed there are no protestations here,” adding that they were not “holding placards”.
It follows protests on the couple’s visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday, where banners were held aloft saying “compensation now” and “Britain your debt is outstanding”.
Gaston Browne said the decision not to protest was because they believed in having an “open and very objective discussion”.
Browne also told the earl and countess it is the country’s wish to “one day become a republic”.
The PM’s remarks came at a meeting between Edward and Sophie, Browne and his Cabinet during their visit to the island on Monday.
Despite stating the country would one day want to change position, he acknowledged that it is “not on the cards” at the present moment.
The prime minister said he understood the royal family did not get involved in “contentious issues” but said he wanted them to “understand these issues… so you can use your diplomatic influence in achieving the reparatory justice that we seek”.
Browne added: “The reality is we have been left and bereft of modern institutions such as universities and medicinal facilities.”
The PM said: “We continue to have the Queen as our head of state, even though I should say we aspire at some point to become a republic.
“But that is not currently on the cards so she will remain as head of state for some time to follow.
“We’re not trying to embarrass you, we’re just trying to build awareness.
“You may not necessarily comment on this issue as you represent an institution that doesn’t comment on contentious issues.
“Our civilisation should understand the atrocities that took place during colonialism and slavery and the fact that we have to bring balance by having open discussions.
“We believe in constructive engagement so you’ll notice there weren’t any placards because for us it’s about having open and objective discussions.
“We understand that nature of your job is not to get involved in contentious issues but at the same time it’s important for you to understand these issues.
“You can be even use your, let’s say, diplomatic influence to build bridges in achieving the reparatory justice that we seek here in the Caribbean.
“Because the reality is we have been left and bereft of important institutions such as universities and good medicinal facilities.”
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
“We continue to have the Queen as our head of State , even though I should say at some point we aspire at some point to become a republic.”
Why the almost apologitic sound “even though I should say at some point we aspire “.
A professor once said, you have two exact same sentences and you interject one singular word into one of the two sentences .
Both no longer means the same..
So politicians who have plundered and raped Antigua and Barbuda for the last fifty odd years for all they could get for themselves want the United Kingdom to spend millions doing ancestry and DNA testing to see who actually dates back 4 hundred years and actually had a part in the trans-Atlantic slavery and extract taxes to pay reparations to these islands. The islands would also need to spend millions to do the testing to see who dates back to slavery? The UK is a diverse population and the Caribbean has also become very diverse over the years. Since it would not be fair for just the English to take the blame the African countries would also need to do testing to see who dates back to the Chiefs that viciously captured their people and sold them on the shoreline to the Portuguese shippers. Since Portugal played a part then fairness would dictate that the ancestors of same should be tested and included in the payback. Interesting that all this begging for money comes at a time when economies are struggling to survive after covid. One could also surmise that if the apparent non-stop corruption, freebies, board members etc. had been curbed a long time ago there would be a substantial excess in the treasury to get through hard times. Being that there are approximately 30 million slaves around the world (the majority in Africa) at this time then perhaps all slaves past and present should get on the band wagon and demand reparations from whoever enslaved them….Not going to happen…time would be better spent turning the Caribbean into recognized integrity first ‘economic power houses’.
@Jeb…while the word #REPARATIONS is trendy and trending in these times, over 100 years ago, the Marcus Garvey Movement, many of its leaders and followers were openly discussing REPARATIONS, even before any of the British or for that matter European territories came close to becoming #QUASI-INDEPENDENT.
Names like Ras Mortimer Planno, Ras Sam Brown(formed The Suffering Peoples Party in Jamaica, and REPARATIONS were always a topic of discussion.
Prince Emmanuel Charles Edwards – High Priest of the Bono Shanti have done his works, as in using diplomacy to urge Buckingham and the British Government to discuss this same REPARATIONS.
Therefore, simply because the Government’s of today, are jumping on the REPARATIONS bandwagon, somethings which many of their predecessors vehemently opposed, under advice from their Medium’s, puppet masters and the likes, it does not mean others we blind to the ATROCITIES of the CHURCH(yes, the Vatican and the Church of England are included as perpetrators as well).
Whether, or not Africans too are responsible for the Triangular Slave Trade does not negate the fact, that those responsible MUST pay for crimes.
It’s ironic, that when the Gay Homosexual Community accused some of the same players in the Triangular Slave Trade for their atrocities against them in recent times, no one in your circle ⭕️ cry fowl, about the BILLIONS paid to the faggots which they the Church created, abused and is still doing so, to this day!
Shame pon aryu ! You against slavery but wan take the proceeds from it ? Imagine how your ancestors would feel seeing you put that money in aryu grubby lickle hand. Don’t write a cheque for me I work for my own fkn money. Disgusting and embarrassing !!
You obviously don’t even have cursory knowledge of how reparations work.
Lmaooooooo sooo your tryna get some form of dollar for something their ancestors did to us when they who are alive right now in this present moment wasn’t even there to experience so u passing down a tragic story from hundreds of years ago onto innocent ppl because of hostile history?
This is just classic
Ouuu wow slavery black ppl were treated bad we was broken on the wheel and raped etc etc.
But if u say u holding onto ur mother or father abandoning you when u was young and u can’t put that behind u, they say ur holding on to trauma and that shouldn’t define u as a person for today
Or Low and behold we don’t even know why the pyramids in Egypt were built tsk tsk tsk but let’s say the pyramids in Egypt was built on white oppressed slavery, they would be cussing for reparations too not so?
Okay imagine if we were at war hundreds of years ago because of racism with actual guns and ppl dying. U mean to tell me I could be living in some reality where I’m given a lowly status just cuz whoever still holding onto what conflict we had thousands of years ago I wasn’t even born to experience or have any form of affiliation with? And everyday I have to wish for living the life I have already rn?
On top of that I wasn’t even asked to be born so u decide to make me live this shitty life because of ancestoral injustice and history.
And u don’t see nun wrong with that?
Seeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnn np
So after all them grants for roads from the UK
And UK donate this and they do that and they UK Name in this from medical ships to whatever they do. It’s like u see the man that know he did wrong tryna change the future for better and u JUST POCKET WATCH and want add on to what u feel he should be responsible for and if u nuh get it u acting shady.
Petty and bruk minded mindset
Nobody can whip u and bull ya mooma in front she granddaughter and get away these days,
But hey if u feel u want reparations GO RIGHT AHEAD me nah stop you, end of the day is freebs right. And ur not a true Antiguan unless u love freebs.
All this it’s entertaining for me tho lmaoooo
Yeah ik im the one who gonna benefit in the end if they get tru but who cares I seriously find ur decision making entertaining!!
Comments are closed.