The U S Human Rights Report
viagra generic times;”>The following is a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the latest US Government Human Rights reports on The Bahamas. The report is riddled with errors and adoptions of propaganda lines by the Opposition parties and opposition press. Here is the statement:
14 April 2016
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken note of the annual Human Rights Report of the United States of America that was released on 13th April at 3 p. m. The section on The Bahamas was authored by the United States Embassy in Nassau.
This is an annual report, which is mandated under U S laws. It should not give rise to undue concern by the Bahamian public. While we in The Bahamas do not have a similar mandate in our laws, from time to time we also pronounce on practices in the United States as they affect our citizens’ rights in their country.
The overall report is not harmful. It is rather the sensationalizing of extracts taken out of the general context that may cause some concern.
The Ministry in its discussions with the U S authorities has pointed out that these reports ought to be prepared with careful forethought, and try as much as possible to scrutinize information received and avoid adopting uncritically the narratives of matters reported in the Bahamian press and by Non-Governmental Organizations which are untested, often untrue and many times sensationalized. This applies whether the subject is human rights or corruption. Press allegations contained in sensationalized headlines about threats to investors in particular should not be accepted at face value. One example of an allegation of corruption in the report predated the time of this administration and is now before the courts.
The Bahamas continues to have an enviable record in human rights and matters of governance and transparency. Improvements are always possible and necessary but in general we have an excellent record including adequate means of redress where necessary. We welcome the examination of our systems by any responsible entity in this open society. Bahamians can take pride in their country.
End