O SWEET St-MARTIN'S LANDS 61st ANNIVERSARY

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« O SWEET SAINT-MARTIN'S LAND”! IT'S YOUR 61^st, ANNIVERSARY

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU: WHY HAVE THE FRENCH CONVERTED YOU FROM THIS "USEFUL BIRD IN WHITE"? :

« ...Thy useful birds in white

Their morn and evening flight

Like aircrafts-wings in unityTheir coming down for food

Their turning back to roost

Bring home to me their harmony... »

TO THIS ?

“... Flight of its pelicans
Graceful and elegant

When they hover high into air

When they dive into the sea

Tell me the place where we see them

When based on their prey”

Can this be some sort of mockery?

What could be the reason for the French to publish their own version of « O SWEET SAINT-MARTIN'S LAND” and converted father Kemps “Birds in white” to “Pelicans”?

To distort in substance and in form our cultural history and memories of a historic icon of our society Father Gerard Kemps, is nothing less than an intellectual crime. I can only hope that one day our cultural organizations will become conscious of this intellectual and cultural crime and proceed to the necessary correction.

I had already some years signal this distortion done to father Kemps song, but my plea has fallen into deaf ears.

This November 11^th, 2019, 60^th anniversary of St-Martin/St-Maarten Day, I want us to consider the original 3^rd verse of our island anthem as written in its original lyrics by father Kemps, as in all the organized official ceremonies , “O SWEET SAINT-MARTIN'S LAND”, our said to be St-Martin/St-Maarten bi-national song and even Dutch Sint-Maarten anthem, will fill the air with its charming melody.

But do we know that the 3^rd verse of this song is today completely obsolete?

“Thy useful birds in white”: Birds of Western Africa origin, known as ox-peckers (in french: pique-boeufs or Héron Garde-bœuf,), made their first appearance on our island, St-Martin, in the early 1950's, the most known colony was that installed in the mangroves of Lowland. This is the colony of father Kemps song.

They have in the recent decades been driven out of their nest in the Lowland by the new french european settlers therefore we have no more “Morn and evening flight”, we have no more “turning back to roost”, does this says that our bi-national anthem that we chant today on its 61st, anniversary   in such a heartfelt melody is today in reality of facts obsolete?

These birds are essentially insectivorous, they feed on insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, bugs, ticks etc. and therefore render a great service to gardening and raising of livestock, in particular, they keep our cattle clean of ticks, a factor of disease.

“Their morn and evening flight” “Their turning back to roost”: From the presbytery balcony of Marigot overlooking the Marigot bay, father Kemps home for 30 years, he had a daily clear view of this colony of white birds leaving their nest in Lowlands early every morning and returning every evening

“Like aircrafts-wings in unity, Their coming down for food” here we see that father Kemps not only observed this colony of white birds from his home balcony but also followed them on the pasture fields where they feed in particular on the cattle ticks and will separate group by group. As example, one group will land off in the Spring/Marigot, an other in Galisbay, then Friar's Bay, then the Savana etc.

“Like aircrafts-wings in unity”: Before the landing of each group, the colony will put on a flying performance in the air similar to the fighter jets grand performance we see in the skies of Paris on the 14^th, of July festivity. By “aircrafts-wings in unity” father Kemps compares these birds coming down for food to that of the the known “Patrouille de France avions de chasse” show in the skies of France.

“Their turning back to roost”: In the evenings for the gathering back up of the colony to return to “roost” we were given the same grand performance, before the entire colony completed and ready to return to its roost in the Lowlands, flying in harmony always with one leading as a 30 seconds interval the "eclaireur", the reconnaissance bird

“Bring home to me their harmony” : The unified organization of this colony of birds was source of inspiration for father Kemps.

My question today is what has remain today of all the charms of our little islands, put into such heartfelt lyrics and melody in 1958 by father Kemps, priest of the Marigot Catholic Church from 1954 to 1984,

In 1959 the entire Lowlands have been sold off to the Americans by Paris as 50 pas geometriques at the official price of ten centimes of francs a square meter,

In the 1980's the Americans were chased out of their lowlands properties by the french europeans and so were these birds we are chanting today in our island bi-national anthem, chased from their nest in the Lowlands, by the destruction of ann the mangrove in the area, the erection of 8 meters high walls guarded by dangerous bulldogs

As father Kemps I was also charmed by the natural harmonious organization of this colony of birds. A group would land every morning on a cattle farm situated before my home in Friar's Bay.

I can testify, for the last 20 years there is no more : “Morn and evening flight” there is no more “Turning back to roost”. it seems to me that today they have started a new life style, they "roost" in the same area where they feed.

Today, I really don't want to believe that the little group of 15 to 20 birds I yet see before my home in Friar's Bay, is the last remaining of the large colony of over 300 birds that existed on this island in the days of father Kemps.

The last cattle farmer in Friar's Bay “ Maxi” has died last Saturday November 2^nd 2019 and this can well be the last of these birds in Friar's Bay, as for now they are in a state of utter disarray flying around by the one and two

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PPRN 2019

BALY Léopold

Friar's Bay – Bievenue

07150 Saint-Martin Saint-Martin le 25 Octobre 2019

Madame ou Monsieur Le commissaire enquêteur de

l'enquête publique du projet PPRN de Saint-Martin

Préfecture St-Barthelemy & St-Martin

23 rue du Spring/Marigot

97150 SAINT-MARTIN

Objet : Mes Observations et propositions sur le projet PPRN 2019

Madame ou Monsieur Le Commissaire Enquêteur,

Je vous demande en votre qualité de Commissaire Enquêteur de l'enquête publique sur le PPRN 2019 de Saint-Martin de bien vouloir, dans votre rapport, prendre acte de mes observations suivantes :

1. Sauf erreur ou omission de ma part, il me semble que l'opération de délimitation s'est limitée au strict caractère général et impersonnel que les autres procédures, les illustrations cartographiques de zonage, présentation des aléas, la législation ou réglementation etc.
   
   Or j'estime que l'opération de délimitation qui particulièrement affecte et limite le droit de propriété privée de tiers devrait être complétée par une procédure d'information individuelle a chaque membre de la population directement affectée dans leur droit de propriété privée par l'application de cet PPRN 2019.
   
   Il en va du principe juridique de la République et du respect de la Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen, que la population directement affectée dans leur droit de propriété privée, soit prévenue individuellement par l'administration préfectorale sur les implications de ces délimitations mises en vigueur par cet PPRN, en particulier sur l'utilisation ou l'occupation des sols, les travaux autorisés ou interdits sur les bâtiments existants, l'interdiction de construire ou possibilité de construire sous certaines conditions etc, auxquels leur propriété privée serait dorénavant soumis.
   
   Le non-respect de cette formalité est susceptible tant sur le plan juridiquement que par référence jurisprudentielle a soulever la validité de cette opérations de délimitation et de son opposabilité aux tiers
   
   Cette information individuelle le l'administration préfectorale s'impose d'autant plus que la COM St-Martin n'est pas dotée d'un PLU ou d'un POS respectant les normes légales de publication.
   Sans exclure l'absence de cohésion manifeste dans cette affaire entre l'administration préfectorale chargée de la mise en vigueur de cet PPRN et l'ensemble des élus de la COM St-Martin, y compris le président qui a compétence de la fonction urbanisme
2. Où est l'urgence ou même la nécessité d'instituer des mesures aussi draconienne de préventions risques naturels et de surcroît, limité exclusivement aux aléas littoraux, en dépit de l'hostilité générale manifestée publiquement par la population indigène contre le contenu de cet PPRN ?
   
   Cet PPRN est considéré par nous les indigènes ancestraux de Saint-Martin comme l'ultime coup de grâce destinée a pérenniser la politique de l'Etat consistant depuis une soixantaine d'années, a nous déplumer de nos légitimes et ancestraux droits d'user des fruits et du bien-être qu'offrent les sols littoraux et eaux côtières de notre ile.
   
   Le PPRN ne prétend régler que les parties du littoral exposées aux aléas calculés sur la submersion marine relevée durant l'ouragan Irma du 6 Septembre 2017, pourtant, on note dans le rapport CEREMA que les dégâts aux constructions dans ces zones submergée par les vagues marines et classées rouge par le PPRN, ont été très inférieurs aux dégâts relevés dans les zones non-submergée  ?
   
   Le PPRN ne donne aucune information sur la population exacte concernée par ces aléas littoraux,
   
   Par l'historique des passages de cyclones sur St-Martin, nous savons que l'ouragan Irma serait le premier ouragan dont l'oeil frappait de plein St-Martin et avec des vagues de 6 à 8 mètres de haut,
   
   En outre, l'intervalle entre deux ouragans majeurs dans le basin Atlantique est d'ordre de 20 a 35 ans,
   
   Nous savons également que le contenu du PPRN est contesté par les élus de la COM St-Martin, y compris le président
   
   Pour ces raisons, il est légitime que la question de l'objectif de l'Etat dans cette procédure PPRN se pose et pourquoi ne pas envisager une loi d'aménagement du territoire tenant compte de tous les aléas d'origine catastrophes naturelles, y compris tsunami, au lieu et place d'une révision du PPRN par arrêté préfectoral très contesté par la population indigène
   
3. Pourquoi prendre comme modèle de référence exclusivement l'ouragan Irma du 6 Septembre 2017,  pour définir les aléas littoraux par submersion marine ?
   
   Nous savons que les effets dévastateurs des vagues sur notre littoral est directement fonction non seulement par la seule puissance des vents cycloniques mais surtout par la trajectoire du cyclone agissant sur la direction du courant océanique,?
   
   Si Les ouragans Luis et Irma suivaient a peu près la même trajectoire Est- Nord-ouest, l'histoire nous prouve que notre ile aurait été par le passé, frappé aussi par des cyclones a trajectoire toute opposée, comme l'Ouragan Alice du 2 Janvier 1955 qui avait une trajectoire Nord-Est/Sud-Ouest.
   
   Il est donc évident qu'un PPRN reposant exclusivement sur le phénomène Ouragan Irma, ne règle pas a long terme les aléas de l'ensemble du littoral de notre iles contre la montée des vagues par effets cycloniques.
   
4. Est-ce rationnel de parler en termes d'aléas par risques de submersion marine ou même d'inondation ?
   
   Ni le Président de République, Emmanuel Macron, lors de sa visite du 13 Septembre 2017, soit 7 jours après le passage de l'ouragan et qui décidait de l'institution sur St-Martin d'un nouveau Plan Prévention Risques Naturels (PPRN), ni les experts CEREMA arrivés le 7 Octobre 2017, n'ont été témoins sur terrain, de submersion marine ou d'inondation,
   
   Tous les aléas littoraux faisant l'objet de cet PPRN 2019 s'appuient non sur des constatations effectives sur le terrain mais sur des photographies prises dans le vif de l'ouragan c'est a dire exclusivement le 6 Septembre 2017.
   
   En effet, la mer reprenait naturellement sa place simultanément avec la fin des effets cycloniques sur l'ile.
   
   Il serait donc plus rationnel de parler en termes de montée des vagues cycloniques a l'intérieur des terres au lieu de submersion marine qui laisse supposer submersion la cause des dégâts relevés
   
   Accuser la submersion marine au lieu et place de montée des vagues a l'intérieur des terres, camoufle la solution rationnelle qui serait la construction de barrages marins anti-vagues et non une expropriation de fait.
   
5. Où est la vérité du choix entre submersion marine et la montée des vagues a l'intérieur des terres  ?
   
   La réalité est que l'ile de St-Martin s'est retrouvé place directement sur la trajectoire de l'oeil de l'ouragan Irma du 6 Septembre 2017, le plus puissant ouragan jamais enregistré dans l'Atlantique Nord et le littoral de notre iles recevait de plein fouet des vagues marines de 6 à 8 mètres de haut.
   
   If faut savoir que jusqu'à la fin des années 1950, notre ile était naturellement équipée pour amortir les effets de la montée des vagues marines d'origine cyclonique et même de tsunami par ses nombreuse lagunes et salines, qui communiquaient directement avec la mer et des larges plages de sables.
   
   Aujourd'hui, ces lagunes, salines, plages de sables, ont été remblayées de totalement ou à plus de 60% et les lagunes et salines coupées de toute communication avec la mer, ceci dans le seul objectif d'une urbanisation spéculative.
   
   Jusqu'a présent la politique de l'Etat sur les terrains littoraux consiste a les soustraire de la propriété ou possession des indigènes pour les brader a des spéculateurs américains et européens qui transforment les lieux sans tenir comptes des dispositions naturelles, créées par la main divine et destinées a amortir la montée des vagues par les effets cycloniques ou tsunami
   
   Ainsi il n'y a pas submersion marine a St-Martin, mais simplement la nature qui réclame ses droits naturels
   
   Léopold BALY

May 1st, 2019 Wishes

On this May 1^st 2019 I embrace the opportunity to extend my vibrant exhortations to the working class of the world as they celebrate today their annual May 1^st, festive day.

In particular to my St-Martin/St-Maarten fellow-patriots, my wish is the awakening of our consciousness to the reality of facts that today the working class struggle on this little island goes beyond traditional social struggles,

It is not only a question of survival of our social struggle and public liberty but more our very existence as an indigenous people.

Our survival all directional depends on our capacity of resistance against a real day to day political tragedies, our annihilation, a direct attack against our very daily livelihood, against our “liberté, égalité, fraternité”, against our spirit of belonging to our ancestral homeland

We can no more afford to be complacently submissive to the state of France denial of we the people and in particular workers, liberty and freedom to public manifestations that are guaranteed by the “Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme et du citoyen” an integral part of the french constitution and also by article 9 of the “Convention européenne des droits de l'homme”

I overheard yesterday morning that the Trade Unions French/Dutch of our island were planning a unity march for this year May 1^st manifestations, which from my point of view was one of the most dreamed praised worthy initiative of the mass ever to take place on this island.

This unity march was to be on the routing Galisbay parking lot to the Bellevue frontier where the French and Dutch Trade Unions were to meet and then march back to the Galisbay parking lot. Unfortunately seemingly the prefet decided that the bellevue strip of road leading to the Frontier cannot be use.

Did the Préfet had any juridic grounds to forbid this strip of road for the organization of a peaceful manifestation as the 1er May, ? The part of the itinerary the less liable to risks of violence or any sort of public insecurity?

My answer is that this is an manifest abuse of power “en fond et en forme” and for this I accuse the Trade Unions for their religious complacency and secrecy on such a flagrant violation of the people's public liberty to manifest. Such violations must be submitted to the public attention

By law the organizers must declare their manifestation to the Collectivity or the Prefecture at least 3 days in advance, giving all the details such as chosen place, time, itinerary... It is only if there is any evidence of “trouble de l'ordre public” or impossibility to adapt a police safety disposition that the prefet can forbid even partly the manifestation, and this must be done by préfet decree (arrêté)

On this 1^st, May 2019 let us in one common voice French and Dutch send a clear message to our respective european State government that their duty is to commit themselves the guarantee and protection of the people's democratic and universal human rights and that we are no more going to tolerate silently the institution of a police regime in our Island, we are no more going to tolerate the arbitrary denial and restriction of our constitutional and universal human rights.

ARE WE CONDEMNED TO BE A CARIBBEAN LAUGHING STOCK?

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ARE WE CONDEMNED TO BE A CARIBBEAN LAUGHING STOCK?

(Sommes nous condamnés à être la risée des Caraïbes?)

At a time when all our neighbouring Caribbean islands are giving serious concern to the potential of tsunami catastrophes, many already recognized as “Tsunami Ready” and others in process of being, 

France is blindfolding St-Martin and its other Caribbean possessions from these real major sea waves threats by arbitrarily, enforcing on the people a called PPRN (Plan Prévention Risques Naturels) based only on seashores inundations recorded after September 06^th 2017 Hurricane Irma by appointed inundation experts of a France based centre of risks by the appellation CEREMA.

This PPRN is exclusively limited to declaring 50 meters inland from sea foreshores as uninhabitable areas and as solution the expropriation of the inhabitants of the concerned areas.

To have an idea of the outrageousness of this French governmental land appropriation scam let us compare this PPRN to our nearest neighbour Island, Anguilla Tsunami ready plan.

Anguilla is recognized as “Tsunami ready” since December 2011 by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), that sets out the guidelines and commitments to meet for attribution of the title

While France solution to hurricane occasional sea surge and with only solution the expropriation of the inhabitants, Anguilla “Tsunami ready” recognition is centered on the Island government commitment to the IOC guidelines, tsunami warning recommendations and the island participation in Caribe Wave Annual Tsunami Regional Exercises.

We find in Anguilla the carry out by the government of an effective educational awareness and preparedness programs such as:

• Creation of a government Department of Disaster Management
• Concluding tsunami warning programs and assistance agreement with, UNESCO “IOC”, the Caribbean Tsunami Warning Center (CTWC), the US National Weather Service Puerto-Rico based Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program (CTWP), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Carrying out of tsunami awareness educational and readiness programs
• Carrying out of informative programs in behalf of senior and children so that they know exactly what to do in the event of a tsunami alert
• Posting through the Island of educational billboards and evacuation maps and signs
• Putting in place siren system to complement Radio/ TV alerts
• Preparation of evacuation sites
• Publication of Anguilla Tsunami Warning Protocols
• Publication of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
• Participation in Caribe Wave annual tsunami exercises

WHAT IS CARIBE WAVE ANNUAL TSUNAMI REGIONAL EXERCISES?

Since 2005 UNESCO 'IOC” and international coordination groups for Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration/NOAA, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency/CDEMA), organize Annual Tsunami Regional Exercises under the appellation: Caribe Wave.

48 Caribbean countries and territories participate in these Tsunami Regional Exercises of which St-Martin, St-Barth, Guadeloupe and Martinique,are supposed to be members participants, under  France coordination administration EMIZA (Etat-Major Interministériel de la Zone de Défense et de Sécurité Antilles)

Dutch Sint-Maarten is also supposed to be a member participant of CARIBE WAVE

The purpose of these exercises is to advance Tsunami preparedness efforts in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions and to test the effectiveness of the tsunami and other coastal hazards early warning system in place in each country or Territory, under the auspice of UNESCO's IOC

Each of the 48 countries & Territories members decides on their level of participation and coordinates the corresponding activities within their jurisdiction.

Caribe Wave annual Tsunami Regional exercises for 2019 was held on March 14^th 2019.

And all that France have presented to the people of St-Martin during same time is this PPRN on the expropriation of inhabitants on an area of 50 meters inland from sea foreshores as prevention from hurricane sea surge risks.

WHY SUCH A TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM?

Experts and research officers such as from the Puerto-Rico based Caribbean Tsunami Warning program under the US National Weather Service or from the Risk Management Solution (RMS) the world's leading catastrophes risk modeling consultancy, have issued warning that the caribbean is clearly a place where both regional and local types of tsunami can be anticipated.

They have issued warning that the potential for tsunami in the Caribbean is significant and has to be taken seriously. They warn : "Complacency kills"

Areas along the North-Eastern and Eastern boundaries of the Caribbean where the North America and South America plates interact with the Caribbean plates and where one plate is forced under an other are potentially prone to really large earthquakes which would be associated with major regional tsunami.

Within the Caribbean and bordering the Caribbean there are major fault structures that could be capable of producing earthquakes of magnitudes 8.6 and 9.0 and also volcanoes that could generate both regional or local tsunami at any time .

Since 1842, 75 Tsunamis have occurred in the Caribbean, claiming over 3500 human lives, according to US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

We may be reminded of:

- Year 1692 earthquake tsunami sank most of Jamaica pirate city,

- Year1867 offshore earthquake triggered tsunami waves claimed lives in the Us Virgin Islands, Puerto-Rico and Guadeloupe.

- Year 1918 Puerto-Rico earthquake tsunami, 116 killed

-Year 1946 an earthquake of 8.1 magnitude struck the Island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti) and claimed over 1600 lives.
- Year 1991 earthquake generated tsunami in Panama and Costa Rica.

-Year 2010 earthquake subsea landslide generated tsunami waves in Haiti

Since 2005, the password referring to tsunami risks in the Caribbean is : “COMPLACENCY KILLS, GEAR UP FOR TSUNAMI”.

France in spite of being a member participant of Caribe Wave, is holding as state secret from the concerned population, all questions relating to tsunami risks threatening its Caribbean possessions.

Two cyclones seasons after cyclone Irma of September 2017, France is still keeping our consciousness solely on the eventuality of an Irma.2 hurricane as only major sea waves threats

.

Likely what more effective manner for a colonizing government to finalize its genocidal by substitution policy perpetrated for decades against an indigenous people than to let them be flood away by tsunami waves ?