00:00Pantrin-Bego says with regard to the Special Operations Bill that it recognizes the government's responsibility to protect citizens and
00:08address criminal activity and is not opposing measures intended to improve public safety.
00:14The House of Representatives passed the bill via the government's majority, a majority that will also see it pass in
00:21the Senate this week.
00:22In a statement on Monday, Pantrin-Bego added that as the legislation is being debated, it believes it is important
00:29that there is clear understanding on how the proposed measures may affect the legitimate practice, development and presentation of Trinidad
00:38and Tobago's national musical instrument.
00:40Pantrin-Bego said the steelpan movement is also a year-round cultural and economic ecosystem involving steel bands, arrangers, musicians,
00:50manufacturers, tuners, technicians, administrators, cultural practitioners, young people, families, vendors, transportation providers, service providers, community organizations, audiences and others who
01:03participate in or support steelpan activities.
01:06Pantrin-Bego pointed out that this is particularly important as bands and communities enter a critical period of preparation for
01:14upcoming festivals, panorama and other national, regional and international cultural engagements.
01:21The Special Operations Bill proposes a new arrangement of seven policing districts in which closed areas can be declared based
01:29on specific security concerns which would require permits to enter and leave those areas and the option of a curfew.
01:36Pantrin-Bego is requesting what it calls clear guidance from the relevant authorities on how the proposed legislation would apply
01:43to legitimate steelpan activities including panyard operations and access, rehearsals and practice sessions, movement of players, arrangers and other personnel
01:53to and from panyards, preparation for panorama and other festivals, cultural and community activities associated with panyards,
02:01and the continuity of panyards, and the continuity of panyards, and the continuity of steelpan-related cultural and economic activity
02:05during any period in which special measures are implemented.
02:09Pantrin-Bego said that as the recognized organization representing the national steelpan movement,
02:15it stands ready to engage with the government, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that measures designed
02:23to address crime do not unintentionally disrupt the practice, preservation, development, and international advancement of Trinidad and Tobago's national musical
02:34instrument.
02:35Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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