PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Former prime minister Stuart Young, Monday, expressed “alarm” at what he described as the position being articulated by Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander.
Stuart YoungAlexander told the Trinidad Express newspaper that the Kamla Persad Bissessar-led government is examining legal options to curb what he described as the misuse of social media and the spread of misinformation that threatens national safety and security.
Alexander said that discussions are under way on “how we can approach (Attorney General John Jeremie) to see what is the best solution we have” adding that the aim is to craft “a legal approach against that behaviour,” including potential new laws “to limit persons’ continuous misuse of social media and the spread of misinformation”.
He said that the measures would target harmful conduct and not legitimate public expression.
But in a statement posted on his Facebook page, Young, said that as a “lawyer, and a proud citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, I am alarmed by the positions being articulated by the Minister of Homeland Security.
“When you consider these positions along with his use of a Preventive Detention Order under the State of Emergency Regulations to detain a social media blogger, as opposed to using the available criminal law which allows the protections of bail and the tenets of being “innocent until proven guilty”, what we are seeing is a live and developing threat to democracy”.
Young was making reference to the detention order served on Olive Green-Jack, who posted an image of the Prime Minister’s private residence on social media, calling on Venezuela to target it.
The order, which was made on November 12 said that she “made and published public posts and/or comments on social media addressed to the Venezuelan Government in an attempt to influence public opinion in a manner likely to be prejudicial to public safety.”
It added that the posts and comments invited violence on the Prime Minister, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and members of the public by Venezuela and/or external persons, which revealed “an imminent threat to public safety.”
Trinidad and Tobago is under a state of emergency (SoE) that is due to end in January next year, and Young said that Alexander’s latest statement and the detention of the woman “are very dangerous developments.
“Is it this government’s policy to use dictatorial actions to silence persons who have different opinions to theirs? We cannot simply ignore these clear and present threats to our constitutional rights and liberties.”
Young said that while he agreed that social media posts should not breach the laws of the country “examples are the law of defamation and criminal laws like harassment, and users, including ironically, government ministers, must be responsible and abide by the laws. “However, a line is being crossed by the government and these are dangerous developments.
Be alert Trinidad and Tobago,” he wrote.
Alexander, is also reported to have written to the United States, seeking the assistance of the United States Embassy here to move on US–based social media actors, some of whom have dual nationality and targeting Trinidad and Tobago by spreading propaganda and fear.
The Express newspaper said it had obtained a copy of the letter, in which Alexander writes that “in recent weeks, several individuals—holding dual nationality or US residency—have been using media platforms, social-media channels, and online ‘news’ programmes to disseminate defamatory, inflammatory, and intentionally misleading narratives about our joint mission and the ongoing security operations within Trinidad and Tobago”.
