DOMA condemns panyard shooting

In a statement over the weekend, officials of the group said the shooting of several children in an Arima panyard on Tuesday night was cause for deep and urgent examination of the state of the country. According to DOMA, the incident and the other deaths and murders that are being reported do not seem to be attracting the same level of national concern as was the case a year ago.

"The anxious voices of condemnation and alarm seem to have been battered into submission and apart from the heroic persistence of groups like the ‘Keith Noel 136’ committee, we seem to be in a state of semi-acceptance that lawlessness is here to stay," DOMA said.

"We understand that the constant news of murders and visibility of dead bodies have made us somewhat accustomed and less sensitive to the seriousness of our situation. We however feel very strongly that as a people we must rage against the fading concerns that may make us complacent and lead us to an even more lawless and destructive condition."

According to the business group, every human life must have value if TT is to be counted among the civilised nations of the world and there was no benefit for citizens of a society that deemed certain lives to have less value than others.

DOMA warned: "Our silence and acceptance of the murders of gang members and URP workers may have led to the prevailing sense of ease among gunmen that they could simply walk into a panyard and shoot as they like with no concern if young children are murdered or wounded."

While the group acknowledged the good work of the protective services in confiscating a large quantity of illicit drugs at Monos Island recently, it said more work needs to be done to "get to the core of that dirty business."

"It is time for us to find out where this evil shipment came from and where it was going — who sold it and who bought it and who in our midst may still be free to try this again," DOMA said.