The chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission (CRC) Sir Hilary Beckles, Tuesday urged Britain to re-think its socio-economic policies towards the Caribbean region, criticising some segments of the British press for suggesting that the call for reparation
‘Sections of the British media, rather than see the enormous hospitality of the Caribbean people, what you talk about is that we have come here to take money away from the taxpayers,’ he said.
Sir Hilary, who is leading a six-member delegation on a ‘groundbreaking visit’ to the United Kingdom to ‘advance its advocacy for reparatory justice’, told a news conference that there is no reason why Britain should be divided on reparatory justice for the Caribbean.
‘There is no logical reason. It’s an emotional response based on the racism of a few and I believe that there is racism in the western world. I don’t believe the majority of the British people have racist tendencies,’ he said, reminding the media that he grew up in Britain, attending schools here as well.
‘Yes you have a few racist people knocking around the place, but the majority of the people are open minded liberal, and that is the consciousness that we want to respond to. That open liberal spirit of the British people, that what we are talking to,’ he said, telling the media ‘you can help us to communicate that message’.