We at Barbados Free Press have been hunted for over 2 years now. Threats from the previous government and their supporters were a daily occurrence – and still are.
Threats of murder, rape, arson and violence against our families are made via emails and the comments section.
In a small place like Barbados, the entrenched elites have far more power to ruin your life than in a large country like America or Britain where the press is active and courageous. Here, in Barbados, I would be fired tomorrow if my employer ever suspected what I do on night shift!
So we understand why four blogs in Bermuda have shut down due to “pressure”.
Our friend Don Mitchell at Corruption-free Anguilla blog has the story (link here)
30 Comments
November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Okay decided to do a bit of homework so went to Caribsurf’s web site and got this.
B. Prohibited Activities
It is contrary to Cable & Wireless policy for any of its Customers or other Service user to effect or participate in any of the activities listed below (whether actual or attempted and whether directly or indirectly) through a Service.
Each of the practices listed below (each, a “Prohibited Activity”) constitute an abuse of the Cable & Wireless Network and interfere with other Customers. Such practices are prohibited
1. Posting or sending messages substantially similar in content to 10 or more Usenet or other newsgroups, forums, listservs, or other similar groups or lists (each, a “List”);
2. Posting or sending messages, articles, or other content to a List which are off-topic according to the charter or other owner-published FAQs or descriptions of the List;
3. Publishing mail bombs, chain letters or pyramid schemes;
4. Sending unsolicited commercial messages or communications in any form (”SPAM”);
5. Falsifying user or other Service related information, including, but not limited to, intentionally omitting, deleting, forging or misrepresenting transmission information, including headers, return mailing and Internet protocol addresses, provided to Cable & Wireless or to other Service users or engaging in any activities or actions intended to withhold or cloak Customer’s or its End Users identity or contact information;
6. Engaging in any other activity that:
1. violates a law or regulation (including, but not limited to, libel, slander, invasion of privacy, harassment, obscenity, child pornography, export laws and regulations, and infringement or misappropriation of another party’s copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights);
2. threatens the integrity and/or security of any network or computer system (including, but not limited to, transmission of Viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time-bombs, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware or any other harmful programs or similar computer code designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware);
3. has the purpose of harming or attempting to harm minors in any way;
4. attempts to use the Service in such a manner so as to avoid incurring charges for or otherwise being required to pay for such usage;
5. otherwise degrades or interferes with other users’ use of a Service;
6. breaches any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence; or
7. violates generally accepted standards of Internet or other networks conduct and usage, including, but not limited to, denial of service attacks, web page defacement, port and network scanning, and unauthorised system penetrations.
7. Engaging in any of the activities listed above by using another provider’s service, but channelling the activity through a Cable & Wireless account, remailer, or otherwise through a Service.
8. The use of any lewd, offensive, profane, indecent, defamatory, libelious, slanderous, obscene, abusive, menacing, threatening, immoral words and/or phrases as part of a Customer’s e-mail address and/or URL (Universal Resource Locater) is strictly prohibited and Cable & Wireless will not allow the use of any e-mail address(es) and/or URL(s) which contains such material.
_________________
Now seems to me that the threats fit into this category therefore you should send the details to the address they provide:
The Legal Department
Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Limited
Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados
Phone: 246-292-6031
Fax: 246-426-5760
Email: Glenda.Medford@cwbar.cwplc.com
At the end of the day – maybe not everyone reads BFPE [elections after all are over] and even if they do like many of us assume someone else “got it”.
Like everything else in life if you follow the procedures you get the best results – unless you know someone and they can cut around the line, but you know what I mean.
One thing to remember C&W is not the police, so the same way I can see 3 other wireless’ from my living room [and one of the is real fast] the IP address does not mean anything except to say it came via that modem.
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BFP says…
Hi CM
Actually… “official notice” has been long given to both the police and c&w for months by more than one victim. And while you are correct that folks can use any number of little tricks to hide… for the vast majority of the time the people threatening violence saw no need to hide.
AND THEY DID NOT.
Nope… both the police and C&W could have, and probably have, identified them long ago with about 5 minutes work.
Why haven’t they acted?
Why, indeed.
January 23, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Taken from story link above …
“Bloggers do not exist simply for the purpose of criticizing a government or a particular political party. The most they can do is to offer an alternative perspective and ideas about how to make their island a better place. If you are trying to make a difference, it does not take long for the realization to sink in that blogging does nothing to really achieve positive change. After all, no politician is lying awake at night worrying about what is published about him on any blog. Blogs are usually read by people who agree with the blogger. This is little more than the case of a preacher preaching to the converted. If all the effort put into blogging and commenting is designed to make a change, you have to ask yourself what is the use?
Then I answer myself. You go on blogging because you enjoy the writing. You like expressing your views, no matter who agrees. You do not expect to make a difference. That would be a mistake.”
BFP this doesn’t sound like you though, you make a difference, right?
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BFP replies…
got that right, JR. The minute we feel we aren’t making a difference, we will go back to our families. This is a mission for our children. The blog is only one battlefront. There are many on this island.
January 23, 2008 at 6:59 pm
When the election of 2013 or there-about arrives, the blogs in Barbados will not be as we knew them in the election of 2008. Why you may ask?
The election of 2013 or there-abouts has already started, as I write people are already positioning themselves. Further to this a charm offensive has started to remake certain individuals.
People have started to blog with a long term objective – which is their right with a free press. In due course they will endeavour to take over a medium they recently despised.
Is there a counter to this? yes, encourage ordinary citizens to post. Do not discourage others by reference to grammar, syntax and other such drivel, here is not the place for that. We should concentrate on ideas and opinions providing they can they be understood, that is all that matters.
Preparation is always the key to long term success.
January 23, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Bermuda is even smaller than Barbados and perhaps more susceptible to abuse and corruption by the power elite.
Why is it that the Mottleys seem to be involved with everything nefarious and underhanded and keep coming up with jobs.
http://www.bermudasun.org/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=270&ArticleID=333Elliot Mottley91&TM=9512.018
http://www.rebeccamiddleton.org/
A young Canadian schoolgirl was brutally murdered in 1996 and it appears political interference and incompetence by the then AG, Elliot Mottley, ( who denied he gave immunity )led to the accused getting off.
Another case of justice denied
Maybe someone from the middleton family can let us know some of the details?
Bermuda is in serious trouble
January 23, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Boy, I can’t believe how these Caribbean governments are behaving like gansters. Harrassing people about freedom of speech.
Man what happened in the 1800s in America and Europe where people were jailed and killed for expressing themselves freely is finally taking hold of the Caribbean.
Something has to be done about it.
January 23, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Blogs cannot be agents of change. They are providers of information. The people have to decide.
“Democracy is not something you believe in or a place to hang your hat, but it’s something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles.”
Abbie Hoffman
January 23, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Banning blogs is stupid beyond belief.
If the BLP had done “damage control” as soon as BFP and BU came into existance, they would probably have done better in the Election.
We are lucky the Bees “slept while Rome burned”.
A Politician should want to know what the Electorate thinks about him but some are too arrogant for that.
I truly believe that the DLP will accept that blogs are a useful tool to guage public opinion.
January 23, 2008 at 9:44 pm
K . I . S . S .
Y . U . H .
S . T . I . N . K . I . N . G .
W . H . I . T . E
R . A . S . S . H . O . L . E . ! . ! . ! . ! .
.
W . E
G . I . N . E .
K . I . L . L .
Y . U . H .
R . A . S . S . H . O . L . E .
M . U . D . D . U . H . ! . ! . ! . ! .
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BFP Comments
Dear Royal Barbados Police Force,
Dear Cable & Wireless,
Dear Prime Minister Thompson,
The IP number of the person who made the above threat is 69.73.198.99 at Jan 23, 2008 21:44 Grenwich Time.
Yours truly,
the citizens of Barbados
January 23, 2008 at 10:43 pm
maybe our new AG can get this information from Cable and Wireless or maybe they will tell him to go take a hike or try and get a supoena from the CJ?
January 23, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Is this a similar neighbourhood as the one who attacked me on Jan 17? The 1st two digits are the same (69.73) but the last two are different – 210.154
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Hi Ian
Its all Cable and Wireless. They could stop it in 5 minutes if they wished.
January 24, 2008 at 2:21 am
The murder of Miss Middleton was a tragedy, what followed was an amazing fiasco which should leave all reasonable, decent people concerned or stunned. Just how did this comedy of errors lead to such an intolerable ‘result’?
The basis of the miscarriage of justice has always centered on the granting of immunity to a suspect. Now, for the first time we hear the following:
Former AG denies deal in Middleton case
By Karen Smith The Royal Gazette Ltd Bermuda, August 15, 2000
Former Attorney General Elliott Mottley denied there had ever been an immunity deal offered to one of the suspects in the Rebecca Middleton murder. He refuted claims that Kirk Mundy had been offered a lesser charge, that of accessory after the fact, in return for a guilty plea and information. He said: “There never was an immunity deal offered to Mundy. He was charged based on the evidence that the Police provided us with at the time. “They had nothing else but his statement.
“For years people have said there was a deal, but there was no deal. There was no written immunity document because there was no immunity offered.
“I have never spoken out before, but now I think it is time.”
Comment: Stop the press! This is an incredible turn of events but the ‘confession’ appears to have been accepted without so much as a second look. There never was an immunity agreement? This needs to be investigated in depth.
It appears a formal complaint against the officers involved in the enquiry needs to be made at the highest level, investigated by an independent, overseas commission. The former AG’s comments are astounding.
January 24, 2008 at 3:37 am
Re the Middleton case, immunity was granted to one one supect, whose lies were plausible. What transpired was that the DNA in Miss Middleton, matched that of the immune person. They tried to convict the other suspect on the basis of a missing knife from a set found at his house. Apparently there were many of that type sold on the island. The evidence was not enough to convict. So the guilty party or parties walked free.
Lets face it, the Middletons and WE Canadians are not amused.
January 24, 2008 at 4:58 am
Prime Minister Thompson:
What is the present government’s position regarding the investigation of internet threats?
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Good Point, Anonymous
We have a change of government, but don’t forget that the police and Cable and Wireless are the same entities.
But you have a point. I think Adrian Loveridge has already formally complained and the folks at Keltruth blog also. So the information is all in the hands of the police and Cable and Wireless now.
We also want to see what the government will do about Ronja Juman.
So much to do for the new government!
January 24, 2008 at 7:52 am
In a small place like Barbados, the entrenched elites have far more power to ruin your life than in a large country like America or Britain where the press is active and courageous. Here, in Barbados, I would be fired tomorrow if my employer ever suspected what I do on night shift!
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Perhaps, unwittingly, in those few short lines above, may have given us the reason why the Barbadian media has been so impotent in recent times! Also, they may be an intrinsic, part of the problem!
In any event, the situ needs to be dealt with. It is wholly, unsatisfactory that a person could be forced to lose his job because of some private, activity in which he’s involved, after work, which was completely, legal.
I can understand why the small size of Bim and her neighbouring islands make your tasks even more difficult. Smashing the elites has to be a main priority of this new, government and I think we will not forgive them for failing in this duty. Indeed, I’m certain that BFP will keep a keen-eye on them and make certain that they live-up to our expectations. We did n’t help them to gain power, in order to be ignored or side-lined!
So, come-on PM Thompson. We will give you a reasonable, length of time to settle-in but then we expect to see serious, severe action against the creeps!
We won’t accept being disappointed!
The situation also, highlights the need for wide co-operation between the blogs and the peoples of the region, to counter the undermining, filth (the elites!) and to secure our ‘democracies’!!!!
January 24, 2008 at 11:50 am
Keltruth Corp:
“Blogs cannot be agents of change. They are providers of information. The people have to decide.”
And what is your opinion on ‘responsible’ blogging, is it akin to what they call ‘reponsible’ journalism?
Should blog moderators enforce ‘responsible’ blogging?
January 24, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I see the stench of Bermuda’s corruption has reached your shores,kudos to your site and a citizen free press
http://bigpussysal.livejournal.com/
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 24, 2008 at 12:45 pm
What if these jokers are using a cafe or a hi-jacked wireless connection. Then we are all up the creek without a paddle.
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BFP Comments
Undoubtedly they often do use proxies, cafes or hijacks…. but a serious police and Cable & Wireless investigation would be able to punch through those diversions.
Trust Clive on this… he says it would be a “piece of cake” for the techies.
January 24, 2008 at 1:08 pm
… and techy versus techy could be a wild goose chase, you know that too.
Not much different from BFP blog as no one can find you to sue you if you allow slander here.
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BFP says…
BIG DIFFERENCE.
a/ Criminal investigation (threats of murder etc) vs. civil
b/ The folks who threatened murder fouled up on numerous occasions and didn’t use any proxies or anything. How do we know? We see the logs as do the other blogs… and there is no doubt that those criminals operated with the assurance that the government of the day wouldn’t touch them… they were sloppy and careless.
Oh yes, my friend. The records exist to take them down no matter how careful they are since the govt changed.
January 24, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Replying to: “And what is your opinion on ‘responsible’ blogging, is it akin to what they call ‘reponsible’ journalism?
Should blog moderators enforce ‘responsible’ blogging?”
This impacts the free speech issue. I believe that all posts should either be based on factual data or expressed as opinion. Comments, unless they are endorsed, should not be relied upon.
I am sure that Mia Mottley’s opinion of ‘responsible’ would be very different from someone who is not part of that power structure.
January 24, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Scream a little harder, cause I don’t think they can hear you (or want to hear you).
Until then….
K . I . S . S .
Y . U . H .
S . T . I . N . K . I . N . G .
W . H . I . T . E
R . A . S . S . H . O . L . E . ! . ! . ! . ! .
.
W . E
G . I . N . E .
K . I . L . L .
Y . U . H .
R . A . S . S . H . O . L . E .
M . U . D . D . U . H . ! . ! . ! . ! .
January 24, 2008 at 1:50 pm
bigpussysal quoted MLK,Jr.
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends’. Martin Luther King, Jr.
So very true.
In the trials and difficult times we know who our true friends are and may God bless them both, the true ones and the untrue.
January 24, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I believe the blogs force gov officials namely politicians to take some long hard looks at themselves. it is my belief that if you enter into public you should also understand that you are subject to pulic srutiny. Now we in Barbados have elevated politicians to a dangerous plain where they are feared and loved at the same time. We have also allowed them to cast the impression that kick backs, tampering with the electorate and behaving as thoe they have been appointed by some high power is their right of a minister or politician.
I believe the true power of the blog is to show ppl that resources of this country are not at the whims of a selected few who sit behind the glass case of parliament. For too long we have allowed political party especially the last gov to make ppl feel as thoe certain thing that shud be done are real gifts or rewards . Basic things that taxes payers shut get , roads , housing , health care , jobs , pensions , running water. All these and many more are our right they are not for yardfoul reward or X buying they are due to tax payers. Once there is that level of injustice there must be place and way for ppl to speak out.
January 24, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Why blogs are necessary……..read
Cecil Foster’s “Island Wings”
January 24, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hi.
I’m writing to you from Bermuda; I’ve posted infrequently and lurked on this site for at least a year.
In Bermuda, while it is true that http://www.limeyinbermuda.com; http://www.imho.bm and http://www.bravozulu.bm appear to have ’shut down’ (only Limey has done so officially), the blogosphere in Bermuda is more active and diverse than ever before.
This is a fact that is not made readily clear by either this thread or the original one posted at Corruption Free Anguilla.
And quite frankly ‘Big Pussy Sal’ has a blog largely regarded as a highly offensive white extremist blog, extremely offensive and uncharacteristic of Bdian politics as a whole; yet he is free to post as he wishes.
There is no movement towards active ’shutting down’ of the blogosphere in Bda by the government either; certain posts on this thread have in my opinion made an illussion to this effect, and it is quite frankly not true whatsoever.
While there are many active blogs and forums in Bda right now, I won’t list them all here. But one can find links to hem readily from either of the below:
http://www.poltiics.bm
http://www.vexedbermoothes.com
http://www.21square.com
http://www.progressiveminds.bm
http://www.bermudasucks.com
http://www.jonnystar.wordpress.com (my own blog)
Please enjoy.
Sincerely,
J. Starling
Bermuda
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BFP Says,
Hey! many thanks for your perspectives and the blog list. Yes… saw big pussy sal… and we’ll not be putting up a link anytime soon. Which says a lot about how offensive it is!
C
January 24, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Reality check said:
“A young Canadian schoolgirl was brutally murdered in 1996 and it appears political interference and incompetence by the then AG, Elliot Mottley, ( who denied he gave immunity )led to the accused getting off.”
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I will admit that I have never checked the laws of Bermuda. But I have never heard of a country in the British commonwealth (or any where in the world for that matter) where the Attorney general has the power to give immunity. That is unheard of. If he did deny giving immunity i would believe him.
January 24, 2008 at 11:58 pm
“Replying to: “And what is your opinion on ‘responsible’ blogging, is it akin to what they call ‘reponsible’ journalism?
Should blog moderators enforce ‘responsible’ blogging?”
This impacts the free speech issue. I believe that all posts should either be based on factual data or expressed as opinion. Comments, unless they are endorsed, should not be relied upon.
——————————————————–
Good point.
This is actually the dilema that countries all over the commonwealth have. The right to free speech vs the right to reputation. The reason defamation laws are in place is to ensure that the reputation of citizens are protected (one vicious rumour can ruin a persons reputation and I am sure we all appreciate the law seeking to offer some protection). I get the impression that persons feel that defamation laws in Barbados are restrictive but the laws in bim are actually more flexible than other jurisdictions within the commonwealth.
January 25, 2008 at 2:09 am
[...] the blog Barbados Free Press as I periodically do I saw that they too had picked up this story; in their case it was four blogs shutting down. I did post on their thread, and provided links to a [...]
January 25, 2008 at 3:27 am
Defamation rules that may be aimed at Blogs should be considered when publishing the photographs of accused people at courts across the island.
We often see the faces of rape and other criminally accused in Newspapers and in many cases these people are innocent yet shamed. Are the authorities wrong to bring charges? Do those that are found not guilty, have any rights to sue for wrongful accusation, imprisonment, publication of details and even pictures?
Some would argue that the law gives the judiciary and the police force the permission to do these things with the support of a selective media that will not highlight the cases of prominent judiciary or politicians that are involved in ’sensitive’ legal issues. ie the Juman/DPP case; the Kingsland Estates case etc.
If they want justice for those accused in the blogs then let them pass laws that allows a criminally accused to sue if found not guilty.
The law is an ass
Peace
January 25, 2008 at 10:04 pm
“If they want justice for those accused in the blogs then let them pass laws that allows a criminally accused to sue if found not guilty”
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I understand that how you feel. However i would like to point out that “not guilty” does not mean “innocent”. Not guilty means that the prosecution did not prove the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. There are guilty people who dont get convicted. what you are suggesting is that those guilty people can then sue the government after being found not guilty.
January 26, 2008 at 2:57 am
We seem to agree anonlegal, in so much as sometimes the contributors to blogs may accuse someone of something which they cannot prove. Because the blogger cannot prove it beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean that person is innocent. However the law appears to allow people like Noel Lynch to threaten to sue and receive compensation for accusations (In his case a question asked by a radio presenter).
The law also states that a person is innocent until proven guilty, so whether or not a person is found guilty by a technicality, that person will not have that failed accusation recorded against them.
It is the prosecutions duty to ensure that they do not bring a case against a person without the requisite evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt.
This appears to be your point in the case of the blogs/bloggers and that it is the blogs duty to present this level of evidence or proof to back up their accusations. The government prosecutors have access to all kinds of research information, and investigators, they still get it wrong, they still overlook some technicality and no one is sued.
Give us simple folk a break nah?
Peace