And he proposed an independent body, which would monitor civil liberties infringements and embarrass the Government into upholding its own laws.

These were some of the ideas Mr. Ian Kawaley, speaking at the Beyond Barriers forum yesterday, shared with conference delegates.

Mr. Kawaley said problems between expatriates and Bermudians are a part of a wider social problem that goes back to slavery and continued through the period of legalised segregation.

"Those that have done well in Bermuda are largely white, well educated people who came to Bermuda in the 1960s,'' he said.

"They replaced those who left due to the changes that were occurring at the time such as the extension of the franchise, and many of them started businesses.

"The popular view distinguishes Bermudians who are born here from those Bermudians who have status or `paper' Bermudians.

"That perspective has no validity legally, but it is due to tensions that exist between expatriates and those born Bermudians who are dissatisfied with their lot.'' Mr. Kawaley said expatriate workers everywhere have limited rights but he questioned why a government would grant them work permits without according them the basic quality of life any person could expect in a guest country.

"In Bermuda we import people who occupy privileged positions,'' he continued.

"Some 73 percent of the non-Bermudian population is white and these white expatriates are brought into a colonial society that is not allowing Bermudians to fully exercise their rights.'' He chided those Bermudians who directed their anger at expatriate workers because they were "soft targets'' who were incapable of hitting back.

He said that though many Bermudians were nationalistic, they had not chosen to move toward independence or develop their resource pool like other countries.

Neither have they elected to assert the rights they had under the law through such vehicles as the Human Rights Commission.

"We have an instutionalised fear of speaking out,'' he added."It is generally accepted that if you want to do well in business, then you should not speak out against the system, since nothing exists to protect those who speak out whether they are expatriates or Bermudians.

"This is part of a longer, more wide standing problem since many people believe that those in power have a divine right to rule as they see fit.'' "Bermuda has sought to break down barriers on a piecemeal basis, but what we need to form is some sort of coalition that will fight these barriers on a non-partisan basis, using the ample legal network that is already in existence.''