Pan Trinbago, stakeholders seek clarity on Special Operations Bill

Pan Trinbago is seeking clarity from the Government on how the proposed Special Operations Bill, 2026 could affect steelbands, panyards, rehearsals and other activities associated with Trinidad and Tobago’s national musical instrument.

In a statement, Pan Trinbago said it recognises the Government’s responsibility to protect citizens and address criminal activity and is not opposing measures intended to improve public safety.

However, it wants clear guidance on how the proposed legislation would apply to legitimate steelpan activities.
Pan Trinbago said the panyard is an important part of the steelpan movement, serving as a space where players rehearse, young people learn, arrangers develop music, instruments are maintained and communities gather.
It said the steelpan movement also involves arrangers, musicians, manufacturers, tuners, technicians, administrators, cultural practitioners, families, vendors, transportation providers and other service providers.
Pan Trinbago is therefore seeking clarification on provisions relating to designated closed areas, access and movement, curfews, permits and special operations.

It wants to know how those provisions would apply to panyard operations and access, rehearsals and practice sessions, movement of players and arrangers, preparation for Panorama and other festivals, cultural and community activities, and the continuity of steelpan-related activity during periods when special measures are implemented.

Pan Trinbago said the issue is particularly important as bands and communities enter a period of preparation for upcoming festivals, Panorama and other national, regional and international engagements.
It said consistent access to panyards and rehearsals is fundamental to the development and presentation of the national musical instrument.
Pan Trinbago also warned that any unintended disruption to panyard operations or rehearsals could affect communities, cultural practitioners, small businesses, service providers and families involved in the wider steelpan ecosystem.
The organisation said public safety and the continuity of cultural life can be addressed through clear communication, appropriate protocols and consultation.

The statement comes as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she would only authorise special operations in the 26 UNC-held constituencies and 70 UNC-held local government electoral districts, as well as the two Tobago People’s Party-held constituencies, after consultation with Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.

The concerns also come after Berkeley Carnival Revolution (BCR) called on the Government to clarify how special operations measures, including possible curfews, movement restrictions and permit requirements, could affect the cultural sector.
In a statement on Monday, BCR said mas camps, panyards, studios, theatres, dance companies and other cultural spaces provide productive outlets while helping to build skills, strengthen communities and preserve cultural traditions.
The group said many of these spaces operate in working-class and marginalised communities, with much of the work taking place at night.

With the 2027 Carnival season approaching, BCR said cultural practitioners cannot simply move their activities to daytime hours because many people involved in Carnival have regular jobs and participate in cultural activities after work.
The issue was also raised during Friday’s parliamentary debate by Diego Martin West MP Hans Des Vignes, who said the proposed measures could affect culture, sport and youth.
Des Vignes said cultural performers would have to move in and out of communities for rehearsals and performances.
“Let us understand what this means in terms of culture,” he said, before being interrupted by Couva South MP Barry Padarath.
Des Vignes later said he was “standing up for my constituents who are cultural performers” who would have to “traverse in and out of communities”.

Padarath argued that people in different professions would still require permits, while Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal told Des Vignes to move on, saying Parliament had already heard concerns about people including plumbers, electricians, carpenters, athletes and singers.

BCR also raised concerns about movement restrictions, saying Carnival activities involve people travelling between communities and districts.
“A person may live in one district, work in another, attend rehearsals in a third, and travel through several districts to get home,” BCR said.
It also questioned how a permit system would affect people without smartphones or reliable internet access.
BCR said it was concerned about comments attributed to Defence Minister Wayne Sturge suggesting that members of the public need “an ounce of common sense” to understand the permit system.

“Asking legitimate questions about how new restrictions will affect people’s lives is not a lack of common sense. It is responsible citizenship,” the group said.
BCR is asking the Government to explain how cultural practitioners and workers will access mas camps, panyards, studios, rehearsal spaces and other workplaces; how people travelling between districts will be accommodated; and how permits will be issued to people without smartphones or reliable internet access.
It also wants clarity on how late-night cultural activity will be accommodated and what arrangements will apply during the Carnival season.
BCR said it does not support “the creation of a police state to enforce a system of apartheid” and called for the protection of human rights and dignity.

“Security cannot come at the expense of people’s ability to move, work, gather, create, and participate in their communities,” the group said.

“Culture cannot thrive when the people who create it cannot freely participate in it.”