Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/858250
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 AUGUST 2017 Opinion 24 Malta's voice in Brussels has sent a stern reprimand to the European Union's member states, after ambassador Rich- ard Cachia Caruana criticised member states for not rebuking Libya for its failure to save immigrants it was legally bound to. In a letter to his German counterpart Wilhelm Schoenfelder dated 8 June, Malta's permanent representative to the EU lamented that all guns had been turned on Malta, while "not one single voice has called on the country", refer- ring to Libya, "to honour its obligations". He described as 'unacceptable' and 'incorrect' statements made by Spain and Commissions Vice-President Franco Frattini, and in no unclear terms expressed Malta's "profound disap- pointment at the ill-judged way" at the criticism levelled against it by the Com- mission and member states. "While Malta has been targeted for criticism," he said referring to the Budafel, Montfalco, and Motte Piquet incidents concerning shipwrecked mi- grants, "not one single voice has called on the country which was international- ly bound t coordinate search and rescue operations in the two incidents as well as to receive the rescued individuals to honour its obligations." Cachia Caruana said the rescue opera- tions had been the sole responsibility of the Libyans because the incidents took place in its search and rescue regions (SAR). The revelation of Cachia Caruana's reprove to the EU comes a week after Libyan ambassador Saad El Shlmani threatened MaltaToday with legal ac- tions if it carried "any more attacks on Libya and its leadership". Claiming it was "insulted" by reports and opinion columns carried in Malta- Today about the way Tripoli has been handling the often fatal immigrants' exodus from its shores over the last months, the Libyan government said it would take action if MaltaToday car- ried "any more attacks on Libya and its leadership". In his letter, Richard Cachia Caruana also defended Malta from accusations by Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini, who frowned upon Malta's reluctance to save migrants outside its SAR. "The claim that Malta should take responsibility for rescued persons out- side its search and rescue region apart from being legally incorrect places also an unfair and unreasonable burden on Malta. "This is not merely a 'legal bureaucrat- ic government', as Commission Vice- President Franco Frattini called it in La Repubblica, but it is an issue that, as we are all aware, has wide ramifications." Cachia Caruana said that "while registering my authorities' profound disappointment at the ill-judged way the above matters have been handled, we prefer to look ahead and try and find a way forward to ensure that such incidents will not recur." He referred to claims by Frattini that Malta had not ratified the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention and the Search and Rescue Conventions. "This is totally incorrect," Cachia Caruana wrote. "What has probably given rise to Mr Frattini's remark are the recent amend- ments to the Conventions," referring to new amendments forcing Malta to take in anyone saved in its SAR, even if the persons rescued at sea can be taken to the nearest safe port – an amendment Malta has not accepted. Cachia Caruana gave detailed break- downs of the incidents in which he claimed Malta had informed Libya of the incidents in their SAR, but that no action had been taken by the North African state, such as the Budafel tuna pen incident. He said Malta could not accept state- ments by the Spanish government that it was bound to take migrants saved by a Spanish vessel, the Montfalco, when it rescued a number of individuals inside the Libyan SAR. He also said it was "patently not true" that Malta refused corpses picked up by the French military vessel La Motte Piquet, which were collected from the Libyan SAR. "Indeed, Malta's foreign minister personally called the French Ambassador in Valletta making it clear that Malta was ready to accept the corpses even if Libya would not co- operate in that respect. This was equally an issue of human dignity." Cachia Caruana said the obligation to save lives at sea was the responsibility of all countries bordering the Mediter- ranean, "and not only of EU member states. In this respect, my authorities believe it imperative that all countries be called upon to honour their interna- tional obligations." He said Malta had fulfilled its inter- national obligations to the full, bring- ing ashore 237 illegal immigrants in ten separate incidents, and managing its large, 250,000 square-metre SAR "with the utmost professionalism and expertise". "Notwithstanding this, there have been calls for Malta to take on responsi- bilities which belong to others." Malta tells Brussels to point its finger at Libya News – 8 August, 2007 Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Dame Frances Grima Memories of Royal Engineers Malta She possessed the strongest of wills and never gave up. But the end also came for Frances Grima at the age of 120. She married Carmelo, general secretary of the Sectional Com- mittee of the Labour Party in Zejtun, at a young age and stood by his side through thick and thin, raising a family of four. She showed her mettle during the religious political confrontation of the early thirties. Members of the local club were refused ab- solution on going to confession. They resigned in droves and did not even dare to step inside their club. Dame Frances came up with a solution. Her family home opened up as an office where her husband Carmelo could listen to the many grievances of the Zej- tun community in those days in need of much assistance. Dame Frances became the standard bearer of the female community in whom she instilled the basic sights of social justice. In the meantime the local club had been denuded of its mem- bers and in September 1933 registered as a band club with Dr Paul Boffa as its honorary president, with Dame Frances as its adopted maternal patron, a role she cherished and hap- pily acknowledged. Her social, educational and cultural beliefs were grounded in the political message of Sir Paul Boffa, whom she considered her intellectual tutor till the end. In the fifties Dame Frances started courses for females in Zejtun in First Aid and basic health hygiene, since she was a registered qualified member of the St John's Ambulance Brigade. Her work in favour of those most in need never ended. In 1994 Frances was created Dame of St John's Ambulance Brigade and awarded Gieh Iz-Zejtun in 1998. She was blessed with a long life which she dedicated primarily to improve the life conditions of her compatriots. Her right to rest in peace has been earned 10 times over. Joe Agius Banda Zejtun Secretary I am currently collecting photo- graphs of members of the Royal Engineers Malta unit that was disbanded in 1970. I have already managed to collect some 150 photographs. I intend to organise an exhibi- tion with these photos so that both young and old will have the opportunity to see what our unit was all about. I was a Corporal in the unit. I am therefore appealing to former members of this unit, as well as relatives of those who are no longer alive, to pass on to me any photographs that they might have, showing members of this unit during work or relaxa- tion. Naturally, I will return the photographs after making a copy of them. I intend to organise the exhibi- tion in October and am trying to hold it in St George's, where our unit was stationed. All those who can help may contact me on 99807287 or send me an email on joefarr@malta- net.net. One may also visit the Fa- cebook page Royal Engineers Malta. Joseph Farrugia Sliema APPRECIATION Right of reply The Nationalist Party's elector- al commision refers to MaltaTo- day's report on page 3 (30 July, 2017) on Adrian Delia's mem- bership dues and the excerpt of the PN membership list. The Commission understands that what was published in MaltaToday was part of a list that had been released before the opening of the nominations for leadership candidates, which also included a large number of members who were still on the list but whose membership de- tails had not yet been updated. This was due to other priorities and commitments that mem- bers of the sectional commit- tees and the PN membership office had due to the 3 June general election. The Electoral Commission would like to point out that when Dr Adrian Delia present- ed his nomination, he fully sat- isfied all the criteria laid down by the PN's statute and the electoral rules, and his nomina- tion was accepted according to these very same criteria. Matthew Bonnett, Nationalist Party