Former Premier Sir John Swan has warned against the dangers of the Independence debate getting categorised on racial lines.

The senior statesman said recent comments made by a former member of the Bermuda Independence Commission ?offended everything he stood for?.

Sir John?s comments come after political activist Rolfe Commissiong hit out at critics of the commission?s report, and said there was a ?small minority... determined to hold all of us hostages to their fears?.

He condemned a number of ?largely white? individuals and organisations ? including , Bermudians for Referendum and the United Bermuda Party ? who he said were ?determined to advance their position at any cost? against Independence.

But Sir John said such comments ?disturbed me and I hope they disturbed most sound thinking Bermudians?.

He said the tone suggested a decision on Independence had to be made on the basis of race, and the assumption was that blacks opposed to severing ties with Britain were ignorant on the issue.

He raised concerns the comments could ?set a stage that pre-empts any debate on Independence because it gets categorised in racial and ethnic terms?, further polarising society and hampering ?constructive dialogue? on the topic.

And he feared they would create untrustworthy feelings among young Bermudians. ?If they hear what I?m hearing they must be very, very confused,? said the statesman.

The former Premier said he considered name calling of whites ?totally offensive?.

He added: ?In a democracy, freedom of choice should be fundamental in any process, and to try and whip people through categorisation should be an offence under any human rights or declaration of rights for groups of individuals.?

Sir John, who led the United Bermuda Party from 1982 to 1995, said he had no day to day involvement with either of the two main political parties and saw himself as an ?independent thinker?.

?I stand more as a person who?s tried to embrace all of Bermuda and these comments offend everything that I stand for,? he said.

Sir John, who stepped down as leader in the wake of his failed 1995 Independence referendum, maintained his position of supporting Independence ? but not under the current PLP leadership. He said he did not see the ?manifest competence? required from Government to take the country to Independence.

And he maintained his stance that a referendum, not a general election, was the only way to tackle the Independence question.

?If we are to respect the will of the public it?s the only way to go,? he told . ?We are in the 21st Century and we can?t keep using colonial rule as rationale for rushing to Independence.

?The world has changed in the 21st Century and we must now weigh up the pros and cons of the issue based on the world?s present circumstances and our circumstances.?

He continued: ?That?s a decision that every Bermudian should have the privilege of doing without being accused of being black or white, rich or poor.?

The issue of full sovereignty for the Island was bigger than one individual or party, he added: ?It?s about Bermuda and how we relate to the rest of the world.

?I will defend everyone?s right to express their opinion regardless of race, origin or creed if we are to see ourselves as a true democracy.?

In a Rotary Club speech in September, Sir John warned that Bermuda was in danger of becoming a Third World nation unless it started making plans to safeguard its future. He also said he thought the BIC report was slanted in a pro-Independence way.