NINE LOCAL organisations yesterday issued a joint statement calling for the immediate removal of the police personnel involved in the March 14 shooting of seven men in Braeton St. Catherine, pending a Coroner's Inquest.
The nine organisations Jamaicans for Justice, the Bankers Association, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Jamaica Exporters Association, the Bishop Herro Blair-led Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches, the Barry Wade-led Christians United for Love Justice and Peace, the August Town Sports and Community Development Foundation, the Independent Council for Human Rights(1998) Limited and Families Against State Terrorism (FAST) also urged the Government to commence the hearings in the Coroner's Court by May seventh.
The statement from the organisations and a press conference staged by the leadership of the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, criticising the Amnesty International report on the incident, highlighted yesterday's response to the controversial shootings.
Speaking at the press conference marking the end of their week-long 32nd Synod, the United Church leaders described Amnesty's actions in the matter as "out of order" and said that the international organisation had "dissed" Jamaicans.
"Amnesty International does not constitute the final word on what is justice in the world," said chief spokesman, Rev. Roderick Hewitt. He charged that the organisation has a "myopic interpretation of justice" and a "super-power mentality".
"It is not God's Permanent Secretary," the cleric said.
The church passed a resolution calling on Amnesty to show greater respect and sensitivity to local authorities when its officers return to evaluate the island's human rights situation. It also called for an independent inquiry into the Braeton shootings.
The joint release from the other organisations said that the killing of the seven men continued to be of "grave concern" in the society.
"Given the gravity of the suspicions raised about police actions in this instance, every effort must be made to ensure an impartial investigation and inquiry into the incident," the release said.
"Of great importance is the empanelling of an impartial Coroner's jury. To this end, we are calling for the Coroner himself or herself to select that section of the juror's list which is to be used for summoning the jury. In the interest of transparency, provisions need to be made for the jury summonses to be served by bailiffs, not the police."
The organisations said that it was "accepted international practice and standard procedure" that police officers who are under investigation for involvement in shootings should be removed from front-line duty.
"This is necessary to allow for an unimpeded, impartial investigations and to allow witnesses to come forward without fear or the perception of threat from the police officers. It is in this context that we view with great alarm reports that Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams, accompanied by six jeeploads of policemen, were in Braeton during the week of April six.
The organisations said that they were, "calling strongly and urgently for the immediate removal of those policemen and women involved in the March 14 Braeton operation from front-line duty, until after the completion of the investigation into what happened in Braeton on that day and the completion of a Coroner's Inquest" and "We also call upon the government to commence the hearing before the Coroner's Court by May 7, 2001."
But, even as the various groups were voicing their concerns, Amnesty's Secretary General, Pierre Sane, was seeking to clarify the 84-page report 'Police Killings in Jamaica' which he released on behalf of his organisation in Kingston, recently.
In an open letter to the Government and people of Jamaica issued yesterday, Mr. Sane stated that the organisation's approach to human rights had been "misrepresented and misunderstood".
See full text of Pierre Sane's letter in the letters segment of this edition.
