1.
GV Harbour in Virgin Isles & Tourists disembarking (2 shots)
0.10

2.
GV Norman Koech being interviewed
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3.
CU Koch speaking
0.34

4.
SV Young Blacks milling in street (4 shots)
0.46

5.
CU Asia Labeet speaking.
0.54

6.
GV Bay with Yachts
1.07

7.
SV Tourist woman and kids along waterfront zoom out to top view
1.15

8.
CU Susan Palmer
1.33

9.
GV EXT Virgin Isles National Bank and Police stationed outside (2 shots)
1.44

10.
CU Air Indies schedule Board
1.49

11.
SV INT Deserted Airport Lounge
1.52

12.
CU'S GN "Fountain Valley Golf Course"
1.54

13.
SV Golfers in Clubhouse and Golf Cart on Links (2 shots)
2.00


NORMAN KEOCH: "I realize that there is some resentment. Some say there is no racial connection in this. I don't agree with this. I would say it is an undertone of racial resentment by, especially the young people and possibly the returning veterans that come here who have been subjected to drugs and that sort of thing, and possibly have been pushed around where they haven't been accustoms to that here and they come back with a bit of a chip of their shoulder ant they're not too happy."



ASIA LABEET: "All we know is injustices being done to us, the people to these islands - because a lot of our people has been killed and nothing has been done about it."



SUSAN PALMER: "I love St. Croix and maybe it's a shame what happened but that wouldn't change our mind, I still want to live here."



REPORTER HAL GREY: "Have you had any difficulties since you've been here?"



SUSAN PALMER: "Absolutely none - not at all. I think everybody's been just charming and lovely. You can't ignore what's happened. I don't think it's any worse than the Sates in many areas."




Initials AE/17.52 AE/18.22



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: On the beautiful Caribbean tourist island of St. Croix, in the United States Virgin Islands, racial tension and racial violence is destroying the island's image as a carefree sand, sun and surf holiday centre.

In the past year 16 people have bene murdered on the island. And the fact that almost all those murdered have been white and all those so far convicted of the murders, black, has led most people on the island to attribute the killing to racial troubles.

Last month five black islanders were convicted of the shooting of sight people on a golf course -seven of them white.

Now few cruise ships call at St. Croix. Airlines give warnings before accepting bookings and the tourist industry, which has brought a mixture of prosperity and social problems, has been dealt a server blow.

Tourism has strained basic amenities and labour has had to be imported to fill necessary jobs. At the same time crime has increased and another import has been Black Power politics from America.

More than 40 U.S. Marxhalls have been sent to augment the island's 100-man police force.

The United States bought the islands form Denmark in 1917. The total population is 63,000 - almost entirely on the three main islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. Eighty per cent are non-European.