Alleged rights abuses being investigated, says PM
about 4 years in Jamaica Observer
Prime Minister Andrew Holness last night expressed concern about recent human rights issues, including the complaint of a teenaged Rastafarian woman who accused the police of forcibly cutting off her locks."I want to place on record and I have asked the commissioner of police to put the full investigative force [of the Jamaica Constabulary Force] at his disposal to find out whether or not there were any administrative breaches or criminal breaches at play," Holness told a virtual press briefing at Jamaica House."There are issues as well as to how our citizens are treated when they are in custody, and we want to know if anybody's right would have been abused," he told the briefing, which was primarily aimed at making Jamaicans aware of the Government's decision to gradually introduce new COVID-19 protocols to restrict spread of the virus, which has raised alarm over the past two weeks.He said that, while revealing the updates to the disaster management rules targeting the spread of the pandemic was of tremendous importance to him, so too were the human rights issues which have appeared over the past two weeks.In terms of the allegations that the woman's locks were cut by a cop, he said he has been following the various allegations that have been made, including the young woman's claim that they were removed without her consent on July 22."Yesterday I met with the commissioner of police and enquired on the status of the investigations that are ongoing," he told the briefing."The commissioner and I are of the same view that in post-independent Jamaica we should not be having this kind of conversation about people's hair choices, and whether or not the State has any choices, and whether or not the State has any right to cut someone's hair. It is totally against what we believe in as Jamaicans," he said.Holness also referred to the arrest of a man in Moneague, St Ann on July 24, after he had used indecent language to curse the prime minister for his decision to curtail entertainment and other social and religious activities after a relaxation of the curfew hours to allow businesses to exhale after months of tight security had backfired."I want to say categorically and with great certainty that we are a free country, and you are entitled to express your views about how you feel as a citizen and how the Government is managing your affairs," Holness said."Of course, you would have to do so within the confines of the law, and we do have laws on our books regarding the use of profanity, and there is a standard of decency. But I wish to reaffirm that every Jamaican, regardless of who you are and what station you are [in life], that you have a right to express your views and, as your prime minister, it is my duty to ensure that those rights are protected and reinforced," he added.