Response to media queries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated by the Jones Communications Network
The following is in response to media queries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated by the Jones Communications Network. The responses are released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration for the general information of the news media.
Question: In its newly released annual report on the state of human rights around the world, Amnesty International has highlighted, for the first time ever, concerns about infringements upon the right to privacy of citizens in The Bahamas.
Question: The report notes that local human rights groups have expressed fear regarding government surveillance online and made specific reference of the Supreme Court ruling that Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald had breached the constitutional rights to privacy and to freedom of expression of members of the environmental group Save The Bays (STB). Any comments on this development?
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Response: Both questions refer to the section of the Amnesty report “the Right to Privacy” The Ministry reiterates without qualification there is no threat to privacy in The Bahamas. The reports of any such threat are entirely misplaced. Regarding the Supreme Court ruling in the matter pertaining to the Minister of Education, the ruling is being appealed. It is only then that we can say whether the law is correctly addressed. The position of the Parliament is that no court can injunct the Parliament or MPs in what they can say. That is the point of the case. There is no privacy issue involved. No one’s privacy was breached. We have cautioned these organizations not to uncritically accept information that is passed on to them, without more investigation.
The Parliamentary Privilege matter before the Court is improperly conflated with the state of the right to privacy in The Bahamas. Institutions and agencies of The Bahamas government do not undermine nor offend the conditions of privacy protection in The Bahamas. Bahamian civic society enjoys a tradition of stability, and the integrity and everyday protections of personal privacy are safeguarded by respect for the rule of law and guaranteed by entrenched constitutional rights.
Question: The 2016/2017 report also added a new section on discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, and highlighted the failed gender equality referendum, noting that, “the result maintained inequality in Bahamian laws so that women and men pass on citizenship to their children and spouses in different ways. The result put at risk the citizenship rights of families, in particular the risk of separation of families with diverse nationalities or children born outside of the Bahamas to Bahamian parents” Is this a major concern?
Question: Does this necessarily paint a negative picture of The Bahamas in the eyes of our international allies?
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Response: The Ministry reaffirms the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas stands firmly for the equality of women. The Government takes no acts to discriminate against people based on their orientation, race, colour, creed, gender or religion. The Bahamas Government shows that it is an equal opportunity protector of all citizens and residents of this country. In addition, the Government takes all appropriate steps to ensure that its citizens of whatever description are safe. It is unfortunate, even in countries which are strong democracies with good human rights records, when there are public views espoused that are discriminatory. Nevertheless, The Bahamas Government is firmly committed to the protection of all its citizens.
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