As I am trying to concentrate on my business my “inner man” keeps holding me back and tells me that my job is to open the people eye and let them know that they need to stand up. How can you do as if nothing happens while God has given you the knowledge and the capability to expose what is wrong? I am not here to judge anyone but hope that the information provided will help you to take a stand. People will always trample over you if you let them. It is time to rise against injustice and at least speak up your mind. Join others and create an opposition to fight and the rise above oppression.
Today issue: As a businessman I apply for a work permit via the legal channels and I obtain the work permit. With this work permit I went to the immigration and obtain a landing permit. I sent the landing the permit and the person got his ticket and travelled to Sint Maarten. Upon arrival he was detained because according to the immigration officer he suppose to have a visa in his passport. I review the landing permit and this is the phrase listed on the landing permit:
“ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR CONTINUING THE JOURNEY OR RETURNING TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN (VISA, ETC)”
I told the officer in charge that the only document this person need is a passport. He obviously did not agree with me and he said that the person will remain in custody of the police department. I ask him to have the person remain with me until I can sort this out tomorrow with the office of the lt. Governor as this person has a legal work permit and also a landing permit. I am the employer, as such responsible for this person, and also there no other risk by letting this person remain with me until the problem was solved. This request was denied and this person was locked up maybe the first time in his life and for DOING NOTHING WRONG.
The next day I went to the office of the lt. Governor to get this problem sort out and I was brush off by his office. I was sent back to the Police Department. Obviously the result was the same as you cannot file a complaint to the same division that issued the order to lock up the person. I went to the office of the Consul of the D. R. in order to inform them of the abuse that is taking place and did hope through their intervention that this issue could have been solved. Nevertheless it seems that this Consulate has been infected by the same decease of “ineffectiveness” of our governmental system and I had to accept the situation as is. I sent an e-mail to the United Nations claiming Human Rights abuses, I wrote to the lt. Governor, to the minister of Justice, commissioner of labor, management from Insel Air and the office of the Dutch Embassy in the D.R. So far the only office that responded was the office of the commissioner of labor. I had a brief meeting with him and hope that he will make the necessary recommendation to the relevant authorities to have these problems solved.
Again I realize that on Sint Maarten the normal person does not have a right to file a complaint when his rights have been violated. It is all about who you are and who you know. These incidents are clearly indicators that tell you that we are not ready yet for country status. A professional approach from the office of the lt. Governor could have solved all these problems and unnecessary accusations.
I do hope that others bring there stories to the media and let the people decide if we are ready for a new country status or not. YOU THE PEOPLE HAVE TO DECIDE. If they cannot fix this house, sent them home. I told mr, Hyacinth Richardson that I was very much surprised when his office called me as I did not expect no response from none of these governmental institutions. I only hope that this is not politics as usual and that he makes the necessary recommendation to the E.C. to have these problems regulated properly. The person was locked up for 3 days and was sent back to D.R. Up to now he cannot obtain a visa to come to Sint Maarten. Within short I have to ask to renew his papers and he has not worked one day in Sint Maarten. Is it not a shame???
Hen Ling Soon