Great speech by Maltese Deputy PM

[Ederico]

As reported on The Times Of Malta.

The Times & The Sunday Times, MaltaMinister recalls 'a blot in Malta's history'

Sir Ugo Mifsud



Justice Minister Tonio Borg has suggested the erection of a monument for the 43 Maltese who were exiled to Uganda during the Second World War.


Speaking in Parliament late on Tuesday, on the 65th anniversary of a momentous sitting of the Council of Government (the then parliament) which debated an Order providing for the exile of the group, Dr Borg said that was one of the worst moments of Maltese parliamentary history, but it was also the scene of one of the finest speeches ever heard in the Chamber.


That speech was made by Sir Ugo Mifsud, co-leader of the Nationalist Party (and a former Prime Minister) and it ended abruptly when he suddenly fell ill, and died two days later, on February 11, 1942, at Villa Francia, Lija. The group was exiled on February 13.


Dr Borg said there were only two instances where Maltese were exiled, the other having been the case of Manuel Dimech at the time of the First World War.


The exile of the 43 Maltese was the climax of a series of major injustices.



This group had formed part of an even larger group which was interned two years earlier without ever having been convicted by any court.
This was also a story of courage by those who stood up for the rights of the Maltese and a story of the hardship suffered by relatives of the internees, who continued to suffer even after the exile ended.


Dr Borg read an excerpt from Rajt Malta Tinbidel by Dr Ganado to give an example of the hardship of separation caused by the British government's decision:


"Qbatt il-valigga u hrigt nigri lejn il-karozza li kienet daqs hames passi boghod mill-bieb. Alda harget fil-bieb b'Tonio u Vanni kull naha. Vanni, meta rani diehel fil-karozza haseb li kont sejjer passiggata. 'Ha nigi mieghek Pa?, ha nigi mieghek...' L-ispettur Tabone hareg il-maktur u beda jomhod. Kellu ghajnejh bid-dmugh. It-tfal, qalli, it-tfal... ma kompliex, u qbadna t-triq lejn is-Salvatur."


Malta's young needed to be told about this sad episode because there were lessons to be learnt, Dr Borg said.


Among those who were exiled were Nerik Mizzi, leader of the opposition and co-leader of the Nationalist Party, Sir Arturo Mercieca, who was Chief Justice when he was interned, Herbert Ganado, Chev Vincenzo Bonello and many ordinary Maltese including dockyard workers. They were interned in May 1940 at Fort Salvatore, in Cottonera, and then transferred to the Civil prisons and, after protest, to St Agatha, in Rabat, from where the 43 were taken for exile.


This unfortunate blot in Malta's history served to reveal the courage, heroism and resistance of this group of Maltese who, despite everything that was thrown at them, remained loyal to their principles.
It was claimed that the Maltese were interned because they posed a threat to national security and public order, but it was never explained to them how this threat existed.


However unfair their arrest was, Dr Borg said he could never understand how the British Empire, on which the sun never set, considered them to be such a threat that they were even exiled. Indeed, Britons in the UK who were considered a threat to security were arrested but never exiled.


Indeed the 43 Maltese had challenged their exile in court and it was significant that Mr Justice Montanaro Gauci, a former member of Strickland's pro-British party ruled against the exile, saying it was not covered by law. Despite winning their case and before any appeal, the Maltese were still exiled and the colonial government and some Maltese rushed a Bill through the Council to provide for exile.


Sir Ugo's impassioned speech on February 9, 1942, was divided into two parts, the legal arguments and the political. In it he revealed his courage by insisting that the exile was a vindictive act against the Maltese which would sow division among the people from which only the colonial authorities would benefit.


Sir Ugo argued that even in war it was important to safeguard fundamental human rights and, furthermore, once the Westminster Parliament, despite the war, had not approved a law to authorise the exile of Britons suspected of posing a threat, why should the Maltese legislate to exile fellow Maltese from Malta? He insisted that it could only by the English Parliament which had the authority to exile British subjects from one colony to another.
Amid interruptions from across the floor Sir Ugo said: "What has happened to the internees can happen to anyone. We are here to defend individual human rights."


He continued by appealing to the Maltese in the council "Let us respect our own rights, the constitutional rights for which our ancestors struggled in this very Chamber. My appeal is, do not let the English use you, do not let them use the Maltese to intern fellow Maltese... I pray to God that such ugly matters which will leave an indelible mark on our history will not happen in Malta, I am feeling ill." He then suffered a heart attack and was taken home, dying two days later.


His appeal fell on deaf ears and George Borg Olivier, the only remaining Nationalist member on the council (the third, Nerik Mizzi having been interned) voted against the law in all its stages.


The internees were escorted into the hold of the merchant ship Breconshire on February 13 and warned that if anything happened and they tried to take to the boats, they would be shot.


In yet another injustice, although the group was supposed to have been interned and exiled because of pro-Italian sympathies, it was not allowed back to Malta before March 7, 1945, when the war with Italy had ended in September 1943 and Italians arrested in Malta had long been released.


Dr Borg said he had not recalled this case to request an apology from anyone, but to highlight the lessons which should have been learnt, notably that the Maltese should never be intolerant with each other and they should argue without harming each other.

[Ederico]

As a follow up to this, two letters.

Letter 1, by Dott. Victor Ragonesi, Secretary General of the PN at the time of Malta's independence negotiations (1960s) and personal secretary of Dott. Giorgio Borg Olivier (party leader), a man of staunch nationalist faith:

The internees (1)

Victor E. Ragonesi, Sliema.


What a pleasure and how refreshing to read what Tonio Borg told Parliament recently when he commemorated the vicissitudes of those Nationalists, professionals and workers, who where interned by the British colonial power, and then exiled to Uganda, when Italy entered World War II in June, 1940.


The salient points in Dr Borg's speech - reminding present and future generations of what happened - were:
• the undemocratic manner used by the so-called "mother of democracy";
• the fearless behaviour of the Maltese involved;
• the indomitable courage and ability of Sir Ugo Mifsud;
• the unblemished reputation of our Judiciary.


The British Colonial power disregarded all legal procedures and provisions applicable both in the UK and in Malta, and acted as dictators do.
The Maltese involved never wavered in their Nationalist beliefs, made of steel.


The speech delivered in the Council of Govemment by Sir Ugo was a masterpiece of facts and legal maxims, which caused his death. During his speech, two members of the Constitutional Party started insulting him with gestures and words. He referred to their nonsensical and despicable behaviour. They persisted. He suffered a heart attack, fell to the ground, was rushed to his residence, where he died after two days at the age of 52.


The Nationalist Party suffered the worst tragedy in its long history, provoked by politicians who put British interests before those of the Maltese. The judgment about the legality of the Maltese being deported to Uganda was delivered when they were already on a ship at sea. Judge Anthony Montanaro Gauci harboured Constitutional Party sentiments. He had the right to do so. Even so, he gave a judgment "without fear or favour" - evidence of the complete independence of our judiciary.
Of course, we should erect a monument to those Maltese subjected to hardships and injustices, which some of the present generation may find difficult to believe.


Happily enough, we have a monument commemorating Sir Ugo - it stands in the Mall, Floriana. It was erected by John Colombos, a Maltese of many substantial means, entirely at his expense. After graduating, he proceeded to Paris and London, where he settled, becoming a renowned counsel.


Dr Colombos, before World War II, published a book on the interpretation and application of legal norms and procedures relating to maritime matters. The book was adopted by the British Admiralty and became its official reference in maritime law.


It was translated into many languages, including Russian. During his frequent visits to Malta, before and after we achieved independence, once I dared to suggest to Dr Colombos to seek copyrights from the Soviet Union. His reply was: "I am not a fool! They would abduct me and send me to Siberia". He was also a staunch Nationalist.



Letter 2:
The Times & The Sunday Times, Malta

The internees (2)

John G. Micallef, Sliema.


Certainly the internment of the 43 Maltese citizens who were exiled to Uganda in 1942 during the war was a blot in Maltese history as Justice Minister Tonio Borg said. But I wish to clarify a fact and add something to what he said for the sake of correctness and historical facts.


The Breconshire, which carried the internees to Uganda, was not a merchant ship as reported but a ship belonging to the Royal Navy, manned by naval crew and known as H.M.S. Breconshire. What I wanted to add is the fact that, on the way to Uganda, the ship was caught in the midst of a naval battle. It is understood that, while the internees were herded into the hold, a naval officer spoke to them and, at pistol point, warned them that if the ship was hit and sunk there would be no boats for them and anybody trying to reach a lifeboat would be shot.


It is also understood that a member of the crew who was on duty on the bridge saw a torpedo heading straight on to the ship and informed the captain who, in turn, quickly ordered a sharp turn, which without doubt saved the ship from an eventual explosion if the torpedo hit. At that very moment, it is said, a Mass was being celebrated by Mgr Pantalleresco who was one on the internees.


Of course, nobody knew what was going on at that moment and afterwards, but this was considered as a miracle. As far as I know, all the ex-internees are now dead, so there is no confirmation of this except what has already been written and perhaps heard or known by some of the relatives of the internees themselves.


This episode is part of Maltese history of the darkest period of the war in 1942 and should not be forgotten, although 65 years have passed. So the erection of a monument to those who have suffered, with all the names of all the internees and a brief story, will not be out of place as the minister suggested. Let's hope that this will be erected in a prominent place in the not too distant future.