THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 3, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 2 Archbishop of Kingston Kenneth Richards leads worshippers on a march after blessing Roman Catholic faithful during his Palm Sunday service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church on North Street in Kingston on Sunday, April 2. Palm Sunday is the last Sunday in Lent and marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week of the year for Christians. RUDOLPH BROWN/PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTO OF THE WEEK JAMAICA AND other regions are set to benefit frommillions of pounds in“substantial” restorative justice funding over the next decade after the sole shareholder in the United Kingdom, Guardian Group, apologised for the media company’s links to transatlantic slavery. Last Tuesday’s apology coincided with The Guardian’s disclosure of academic research tying the newspaper’s founding financial backers to slavery. The quantum of proposed compensation to Jamaica was not declared, but the Scott Trust said that it expects to invest more than £10 million (US$12.3 million) in restorative justice support for descendant communities in the Caribbean nation, as well as the southeastern United States’ Sea Islands/Gullah Geechee. The research findings showed that much of the wealth of founder, journalist and cotton merchant John EdwardTaylor, and other financiers, was derived from chattel slavery. Sir George Phillips, one of 11 Guardian investors in Manchester’s cotton and textiles industry tied to slavery, co-owned a sugar plantation in the western Jamaica parish of Hanover. In 1835, Phillips unsuccessfully attempted to claim compensation from the British government for 108 people enslaved on the plantation. British slave owners received compensation of £20 million after the abolition of slavery in 1834. The Scott Trust last week acknowledged and apologised for the origins of the wealth used to fund The Guardian and expressed regret that the media company’s editorial positions, in its early decades, often supported the cotton industry and, therefore, the exploitation of enslaved Africans. COMMITMENT The trust also committed to deepening its coverage of the Caribbean, South America, and Africa, as well as of black communities in the UK and the US; funding journalism training for persons from under-represented backgrounds; and financing further slavery research through theWilberforce Institute at the University of Hull. The academic research was commissioned in late 2020 by the Trust and conducted by the University of Nottingham. The Scott Trust’s restorative justice initiative will be overseen by a four-member advisory panel of experts to guide and review its programme. Consultation will be had with descendant communities in Jamaica, the US, and the UK, as well as other experts and stakeholders. Ole Jacob Sunde, chair of the Scott Trust, said that the organisation was “deeply sorry”about the role of Taylor and his partners. “We recognise that apologising and sharing these facts transparently is only the first step in addressing The Guardian’s historical links to transatlantic slavery, which was a crime against humanity,” Sunde said. “In response to the findings, the Scott Trust is committing to fund a restorative justice programme over the next decade, which will be designed and carried out in consultation with descendant communities in the US, Jamaica, the UK and elsewhere, centred on long-term initiatives and meaningful impact.” And KatharineViner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian News &Media, said the media entity was facing up to the fact that its founder and partners sourced their wealth from“a crime against humanity”. “As we enter our third century as a news organisation, this awful history must reinforce our determination to use our journalism to expose racism, injustice and inequality, and to hold the powerful to account,”Viner said. The Guardian campaign will likely give wind to the advocacy of reparation advocates, who claim that Jamaica is due almost a third of £7.5 trillion in compensation for slavery. ‘Deeply sorry’ Jamaica to get millions in reparation funding from UK Guardian Trust FEW THINGS in Edward Seaga’s political life pained himmore than P.J. Patterson’s statement to a campaign crowd that if he descended the platform and moved among themno one could tell the difference. “Mr Seaga felt it was unkind because of all the things he had done for the Jamaican poor,” Prudence Kidd-Deans, one of Mr Seaga’s closest aides, told this newspaper. Ms Kidd-Deans might have inserted the word ‘black’ to qualify the poor Jamaicans Seaga had helped, and who he believed were being rallied against him on the basis of race. Seaga, a former prime minister and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was a white Jamaican of Arab descent. Patterson, who was Jamaica’s longest-serving prime minister, is unmistakable black in a country whose population overwhelmingly looks like him. Patterson was normally a mild-mannered politician. But his code-switching on the hustings said everything. As did, most people believe, Finance Minister Nigel Clarke’s pinning of the“Massa Mark” tag on Opposition Leader Mark Golding in Parliament last week. Both instances – notwithstanding Dr Clarke’s dizzying employment of sophistry on Tuesday to argue otherwise – arrive at similar places. It did Dr Clarke little credit that rather than apologise to Parliament, where his indiscretion occurred, and to Jamaica for his unfortunate remark, he doubled down on the statement and sought to mark his critics out as either fellow travellers of Mr Golding’s People’s National Party (PNP) or incapable of grasping nuanced arguments. Dr Clarke is patently wrong on both counts. EASY POLITICAL GAIN Nigel Clarke is a black Jamaican. Mr Golding is white. Dr Clarke insists that he does not engage in identity politics, especially with respect to race. Until last week, his record on that front was impeccable. Prior to the finance minister closing the Budget Debate, Mr Golding, celebrating his party’s upward movement in opinion polls, claimed that his PNP was being blamed by Labourites for every problem faced by the JLP. “Damn fools!”Mr Golding quipped. He has subsequently apologised for the remark. In Parliament, Dr Clarke chided Mr Golding for the statement, saying it painted his party’s supporters as idiots. It did not sound like Mr Golding, Dr Clarke teased, but rather like “Massa Mark”. Employed against white people in the Jamaican context, ‘Massa’ is a pejorative term/ word that evokes the privilege and power of slave owners and their descendants, who still wish to lord it over black people. Dr Clarke insists that was not the context in which he used the term, but rather to describe, as is often done in Jamaica, “a perceived attitude of those with power in relation to others, not a colour. It describes a perceived disposition, not a race”. “And it is an acceptable termof the Jamaican language that frequently appears, non-racially, in the written and spoken word,” he said. Perhaps! However, that was not how some of Dr Clarke’s parliamentary colleagues interpreted his statement. One declared that ‘Massa’ was an appropriate designation for Mr Golding because he was the“descendant of a slave master”. MESSAGES DISTORTED The sobriquet ‘Massa’ in reference to Mr Golding appears a further nine times in Dr Clarke’s prepared speech. He, however, did not use the word again, perhaps because of the uproar that occurred in the House when PNP member Angela Brown Burke attempted to have Dr Clarke withdraw the statement, and rudely defied the Speaker on being pressed to withdraw her own unparliamentary remarks. Indeed, Dr Clarke told Parliament he has nothing for which to apologise. “I regret that some persons may have viewed my remarks as racially motivated,” he said. “To again be clear, this was never my intention. To apologise, however, would be to legitimise what simply is not true.” No one believes that Dr Clarke is racist. And there is a possibility that what he claims was his intention was indeed the case. But sometimes people do not communicate what they intend. The messages are distorted by the dissonance of their own making. In which event, Dr Clarke’s“Massa Mark”message, as transmitted, was very much in the vein of a code-switching, like if he were to offer to step into the crowd. Maybe on reflection, Dr Clarke will appreciate why he owes Parliament and Jamaica an apology. Dr Clarke erred again Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke [ EDITORIAL ]
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 3, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 3 Andre Williams/Staff Reporter FALSE REPORTS of imaginary dangers in Jamaica could potentially ruin genuine claims for asylum in the United States, as would-be immigrants appear at court hearings after crossing the treacherous US/Mexico border illegally. False claims of either assault or death threats, documented on police report receipts, are said to be presented in the US as evidence from asylum seekers claiming that they are running from their country because they no longer feel safe there, some local law enforcement officers are discovering. But one Kingston family led by their 76-year-old matriarch is anticipating that these fake cases do not jeopardise their chance for safe and legal acceptance into the US. They are clinging to hope that their genuine case of clear and present danger, dogging them for more than a decade, will meet the threshold for being granted asylum. The family’s nightmare began in 2012, when Ingrid Wallace* handed over an illegal .357 firearm to the police. The gun belonged to a gang in her gritty Kingston 13 community that a relative had stashed in her house. The firearm was retrieved by someone she trusted, a now retired detective sergeant formerly of the Flying Squad arm of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch (CTOC). Since then the family has been living in danger. Some have been killed, believed to be because of her action; while others have been displaced across the island. Gripped with increasing fear, last yearWallace and five close relatives fled Jamaica, crossing the US/ Mexico border illegally. It was the first time they were travelling by air but according to the elderly woman, she did not second-guess the transnational trek going through Panama to Mexico. She had no incident report to prove the threat level against her life, claiming she did not trust people, and kept running until she was able to accumulate funds to make the trip to the US border. “Believe you me, is when me reach over on US soil and safe me know say that the wall was 30 feet that me climb over. Sometime me sit down and think about it andme laugh. Mi say, jah know it must be for a reason. At age 75 and me go over it; people younger thanme can barely walk,” Wallace shared with The Sunday Gleaner over the phone of the desperate move. She and her family are now housed in an asylum centre, awaiting the hearing of their case later this year. The elderly woman has heard about people taking false receipts and other documents to bolster their asylum claim in court, which she hopes will not put her genuine cause at risk. “Me never do none of those (receipts). In my case, mi never trust the police dem but because I was use to this individual (sergeant). I just call him and tell him to come collect it (gun) because me feel safe with him,”Wallace said. “After what happen after that mi did afi just tek weh myself and some of the place where me did afi live, me couldn’t even use my legal name.” Her granddaughter, who was 14 at the time of the incident says she cannot forget the threats and stigma that the family faced after giving up one of the area gang’s favourite tools. Her two-year-old child, strapped to her, also made the arduous trip into the US. They now fear for their mother (Wallace’s daughter) who is still in Jamaica. Wallace said the threat level is still active. “These things don’t die. Things of that nature may cool for a while but anything can make it come up back,” Wallace said. As it relates to her impending court hearing, she is not nervous and believes that because of her circumstances, it will result in a positive outcome. MULTIPLE REPORTS Senior Superintendent of Police Anthony McLaughlin, in charge of C-TOC, said he was unaware of reports regarding the false claims. Asked if the US authorities communicate with the Jamaican police to authenticate claims by asylum seekers, he said, “I have never been contacted and am not sure if any other department has been, but C-TOC has not been contacted in relation to persons held.” But two district constables (DC) from two separate police divisions in Jamaica, speaking to The Sunday Gleaner on condition of anonymity, shared that they were aware of these fake claims. One DC said he learnt that a woman came to the police station on more than one occasion and made fake reports to collect receipts to use as proof. “The young lady came to us and said that an ex-boyfriend threatened to kill her. When checks were made in the community, nobody could verify her claims. We were then made aware that she crossed the border,” the 25-year veteran said. Another DC based in the Corporate Area shared that a man made a similar claim of assault at two police stations and obtained two report receipts. “What he did was to go to his area station, got one receipt and then he went to the HQ station and made another report and got a receipt. When the police did their checks, he was gone. Somebody informed the police that he sold all belongings and left for the border,” the policeman, donning a smile, said. Dr Henley Morgan told The Sunday Gleaner that asylum-seeking immigrants lie because they want to“escape” the reality of their life in Jamaica. According to Dr Morgan, surveys have shown that up to 70 per cent of Jamaicans have said if they could migrate to a country like America they would. “So there is a strong pull factor. Whether you fly the gate using the real key, which is going through the legal system, or by a lie or by corrupting the officialdom or whatever else, even taking on a fake identity or creating a scenario in your community, they will do whatever it takes,”Morgan, a management consultant and founder and chairman of the Agency for Innercity Renewal (AIR), said. The Sunday Gleaner reached out to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requesting data on Jamaicans seeking asylum. However, up to press time there was no response to the email queries. Information obtained from the CBP website revealed that over the past four years, millions of immigrants surrendered to Border Patrol for a chance to gain asylum in the United States. Jamaicans, like other nations, solicit the help of coyotes in Mexico to help them cross the southern border. A coyote is a person who smuggles people from Latin America across the US border, typically for exorbitant fees. Jamaicans reportedly secure passage into the US throughMexico for as much as US$3,000 (approximately J$465,000). Data provided by Mexican immigration authorities reveal a significant increase in the number of travellers from Jamaica over the last three years. In 2020, 4,467 Jamaicans were legally admitted into Mexico. A year later, arrivals surged by 68 per cent to 7,509. In 2022, a total of 16,186 Jamaican nationals travelled to the country by air transportation. STRICTER MEASURES Delona Flemming, director of public relations and communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, said the ministry is unable to determine the number of Jamaicans who use Mexico to gain entry into the US. The Biden administration, in February, announced its most restrictive border control measures to date, issuing plans for a temporary rule which would presume asylum ineligibility for those who enter illegally. The penalty would make it easier for the government to deport border-crossers who express a fear of harm, potentially reducing the numbers that are allowed into the United States to await a hearing in swamped US immigration courts. [Name changed to protect identity] andre.williams@gleanerjm.com Asylum seekers making false claims to enter US Jamaicans, like other nations, solicit the help of coyotes in Mexico to help them cross the southern border. A coyote is a person who smuggles people from Latin America across the US border, typically for exorbitant fees. AP
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 3, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 4 Aubrey Campbell/Gleaner Writer CHARLOTTE, NC: MISSIONARIES OF the Poor (MoP) Jamaica will take centre stage this year to share their unique message in observance and celebration of Easter, the holiest period on the Christian calendar. Presented by a consortium of organisations in support of education and youth development in Jamaica, the annual concert fundraiser was started in 2021. The idea emerged over a casual conversation at the height of the global health crisis, which had forced charitable groups to rethink their approach to fundraising. This year’s event, on April 15, will see the MoP’s mixed voice choir in the starring role as they present He Is Risen, a joyous rendition of the Easter story in song, dance and spoken word. Set for a 7.30 p.m, DST start in the ‘Zoom room’, the 90-minute virtual showcase is complemented with themed items from a number of soloists, carefully curated from the presenting organisations -Maldon High School Alumni, Montego Bay High School Alumni, Cornwall College Old Boys and Comets Club International. Calynton Blake from Blake Music House and a music tutor at the Montego Bay High School, and Keith Rose fromMaldon High return for encore performances and will be joined by first-timers from the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College. Cornwall College’s Michael Williams with his Trilogy Entertainment outfit will entertain as patrons file into the room. Easter Praise 3 is being presented with the blessing of DonovanWilson, newly installed president of the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (USA), Inc. Tickets may be purchased from any of the presenting organisations. “This year’s presentation is special, as we have gone the extra mile to make sure it’s a family-friendly programme, with something for everyone,” offered Ava Marie Clarke from Montego Bay High School, who is serving as executive producer. Founded in 1981 by Father Richard Ho Lung and four brothers from the Jesuit Order, and now numbering some 550 brothers serving in nine missions around the world, MoP has since received both papal and episcopal approval for their missionary work and constitution. THREE YEARS in the making, the directors, officers, and members of the Comets Club International organisation are proud partners in this collaboration that continues to inspire camaraderie and fellowship. As the community and the village get smaller and resources become scarce, it is clear that for best results in these charitable endeavours, like -minded entities must join forces to maximise outcomes. Though the partnership is only four strong this year, I feel that the package will rank right up there alongside the Easter praise - the concert with a conscience…! Missionaries of the Poor Choir to headline Easter Praise 3 Donovan Wilson, president. UJAA (USA), Inc. Father Richard Ho Lung, MoP founder/ director. MALDON HIGH School Alumni Association (MHSAA) is proud to share its “Donate to Educate” fundraising vision with other like-minded organisations as we work to improve learning and create opportunities for students at our alma mater and Jamaica, in general. The recent pandemic highlighted the disparity in the delivery of education across Jamaica, in the process, forcing alumni organisations to step up their efforts at fundraising. MHSAA is delighted to once again collaborate with former students and friends to stage another Easter Praise (III) fundraiser, benefiting the development of young minds in our beloved homeland, Jamaica, by God’s grace! The traditions of the Easter season, the holiest on the Christian calendar, are founded on sacrifice, marking the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thanks to our partners, the muchneeded funds will be used to enhance learning in the areas of academics and sports at Maldon High School. ‘Learn to Live’ I thank you. Baldwin ‘Bunny’McIntosh, President. Maldon High School Alumni: donate to educate GREETINGS FROM the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association of New York (CCOBANY). We are pleased to be collaborating with the other organisations to stage the third Easter concert, Easter Praise 2023. It has been said that there is strength in unity. Once again, I want to express our gratitude to all the people who supported last year’s concert through the purchasing of tickets and spreading the word about the concert. This year, we are inviting you to another wonderful concert on Saturday, April 15. We are depending on you for your support. Please purchase your ticket through Eventbrite at:https://www.eventbrite. com/e/easter-praise-the-easter-storytickets-596133369957 or by Zelle at info.cornwallcollege.nyc@gmail.com Barrington A. Harvey, Sr President CCOBANY CCOBANY: strength in unity THE MONTEGO Bay High School Alumnae Association of New York Inc (MBHSAANY) was established in 2014. Since our inception, the group has had at its core the common goal of giving back to our immediate community in the United States, to the Montego Bay High School, and ultimately, to Jamaica, while fostering meaningful bonds as a sisterhood. MBHSAANY is thrilled and grateful to be part of this collaboration with likeminded organisations to celebrate the Easter story while fundraising, making this a winning combination. All proceeds from this Easter Praise Giving back, moving forward! virtual concert fundraiser will allow us to continue our assistance to Montego Bay High School in its efforts to nurture the maintenance of its record of academic excellence while shaping the brilliant minds of these eager, young ladies. Thanks for your support! Merlene Mullings President previous two. Hats off to the production unit that continues to make it look easy, and a special ‘thank you’ to the performers who are giving of their time and talent for a worthy cause. To this year’s stars, the Father Richard Ho Lung inspired Missionaries of the Poor, you are Godsent! ‘He is Risen’, indeed…Hallelujah! MyrtleWedderburn Treasurer Comets Club Int’l/NY
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 3, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 5 NEW YORK, NEW YORK: BISHOP DR C. B. Peter Morgan has been named the new chairman of the Jamaica Diaspora Day of Prayer and Fasting (JDOP) Committee as preparations gear up to rally Jamaicans across the diaspora to pray and fast for the island. The 19th annual Jamaica Day of Prayer and Fasting is scheduled for Saturday, July 15, this year as Jamaicans begin celebrations for the country’s 61st anniversary of Independence. Returning to the in-person format, JDOP 2023 will also be live-streamed over various online platforms, including YouTube. A founder of the Deeper Life Ministries and Convent Community Churches in Jamaica and a respected Christian leader in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the diaspora, Dr Morgan was unanimously affirmed and appointed to lead the movement at a planning meeting in January. Bishop Morgan succeeds Rev Newton Gabbidon, who led the previous year, having succeeded Rev Andrew Bennett, who had, for the previous nine years, led the initiative founded in 2014 by Rev Dr. SamVassell. Vassell, now Church of the Nazarene New York Metro District Superintendent, oversees some 150 churches in the NewYork-New JerseyConnecticut (Tri-State) area. Now residing in North Carolina, Bishop Morgan has been engaged with JDOP since its beginning. Among other roles, he has prepared the global prayer agenda for the special oneday, annual gathering that coincides with the Jamaican Emancipation and Independence holiday celebrations. “The annual Day of Prayer and Fasting preceding the Emancipation and Independence Week in August is the central event for us,” Bishop Morgan stated in accepting to lead JDOP, a consortium of Jamaican clergy and Christian and community leaders who have remained spiritually engaged in the affairs of their island home. He noted the JDOP’s significance “within the global Jamaica diaspora community in the growth and development of the homeland.” Preparations for the event include identifying more sites to serve as “prayer hubs” within areas where Jamaican communities are concentrated, especially in Britain, the USA, and Canada. Dr Peter Morgan, new chairman of Jamaica Diaspora Day of Prayer and Fasting Bishop Dr. C.B. Peter Morgan. CONTRIBUTED NEW JERSEY: GRACE FOODS has announced that it has renewed its partnership with the Penn Relays Carnival over the next three years. The 2023 track and field meet, which will be held between April 27 and 29 at the University of Pennsylvania’s historic Franklin Field, is now in its 127th year and continues to be an excellent opportunity for Jamaican high school athletes to showcase their prowess on an international stage. Don Wehby, Group CEO of GraceKennedy (GK), the parent company of Grace Foods, explained: “Sports is one of the greatest vehicles to promote fairplay, discipline, and a drive for excellence among youth. GraceKennedy’s support of youth sporting activities is well-known. We view this support as amajor investment in nation building – an investment in our youth, our schools, sports development, and our country.” The 2023 Penn Relays Carnival will be staged a month after the spectacular ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys & Girls’ Championships, popularly called ‘Champs’, which is the foundation event for Jamaican junior track and field athletes, many of whomgo on to the Penn Relays to further showcase their talents. Wehby continued: “Our support of Champs in Jamaica began 16 years ago in 2007 and is our single largest sponsorship anywhere in the world. We are proud to continue our support of Champs and of the Penn Relays Carnival year after year. Each year, these meets set the stage for the youth of our nation to showcase their talent in track and field not only to Jamaica, but to the world.” INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE At the 2023 Penn Relays, Grace Foods will sponsor eight championship races, including the High School Girls’4x100m and 4x400mChampionship of America; the High School Boys’ 400m Hurdles Championship; the High School Boys’ 4x100m, 4x400m, Distance Medley and the 4x800mChampionship of America; as well as the College Men’s 4x200m Championship of America. Grace Foods’ sponsorship also includes onsite sampling and giveaways. “We are happy to continue our sponsorship of the Penn Relays, which spans over a decade,”said Andrea Coy, CEO of GK Foods International. “The Relays offer our athletes well-needed international exposure, and the opportunity to engage with athletes, coaches and volunteers from across the region. It also gives Grace Foods the chance to exhibit our products and engage with our consumers who attend the event from all across the United States,” she added. ScottWard, executive director of the Penn Relays, is equally thrilled about the renewed collaboration. He said, “We are excited to continue our longstanding partnership with Grace Foods. Their significant presence every year at the Penn Relays adds to the festive atmosphere in Carnival Village and their support towards our Jamaican and Caribbean participants and fans is magnificent. We look forward to partnering with GraceKennedy at the Penn Relays for many years to come.” Grace Foods renews partnership with Penn relays Scott Ward, executive director of the Penn Relays Don Wehby, Group CEO of GraceKennedy (GK). The Jamaica College team copped top relay honours at Penn 2022. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS With prayer and fasting as the focus, the JDOP 2023 programme revolves around Jamaican Christians across the diaspora coming together on July 15, seeking divine intervention amid stubborn, national challenges, notably public safety and insecurity, abused and at-risk children, poverty, corruption, the healt care and education systems, as well as other pressing socio-political and economic problems. JDOP 2023 will feature, as in past years, messages from leaders in the three key diaspora divisions: the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Interested Jamaicans will be able to join in a multidimensional service that includes prayer, inspirational messages, and music. A major investment in nation building - Wehby
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 3, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 6 THE GOVERNMENT of Belize has expressed concerns that there is an ongoing human smuggling ring involving Jamaicans, with more than 50 per cent of Jamaicans who travelled to the CARICOM country over the last 14 months being unaccounted for. Of the 1,673 Jamaicans who travelled to Belize via routes outside of the United States (US) during the period, only 778 were on record of leaving the country. Over a similar period between November 2020 and December 2021, only 618 Jamaicans of the 1,261 were on record of leaving the country, according to Belize immigration data obtained by The Gleaner. “Without a doubt, there is a humansmuggling ring, as the Immigration Department has beenmonitoring these migratory patterns from May 2022, following the full border reopening, after the COVID-19 pandemic,”Director of Immigration Debra Baptist-Estrada told The Gleaner on Monday. “ … They risk their lives through these treacherous jungles and routes with very young children and even some pregnant women,”she continued. Baptist-Estrada said there were 149 minors – 86 males and 63 females – among the 1,673 Jamaicans, but noted that it wasn’t immediately clear how many of the children were unaccounted for. She said that Jamaicans usually travel to Panama or El Salvador and from there, make their way to Belize. Several Jamaicans also arrived on the Marcella Discovery 2 cruise ship, after booking trips from Jamaica to Guatemala, Belize andMexico and then back to Jamaica. In a March 30 Cabinet brief seen by The Gleaner, the Belize government announced that after “a thorough” discussion, it would invoke Article 226(a) of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. This would allow its minister of immigration to immediately impose a visa requirement for Haitians wishing to visit Belize and to require that Jamaicans provide evidence of fully paid non-refundable hotel reservations prior to boarding flights to Belize. It said that the decision was made because of the increasing number of visitors using Belize as a transit country to reach the United States. The brief said that in addition, a ministerial task force was set up to address the rampant smuggling occurring in this regard and that the ministerial subcommittee will be chaired by the minister of foreign affairs, foreign trade and immigration and will include the minister of home affairs & new growth industries and the minister of tourism & diaspora relations. However, the John Briceño administration has seemingly made an about-turn, denying that it imposed stricter travel rules for Jamaicans. “The Government of Belize is monitoring the flows of all travellers in and out of Belize and is in contact with the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard. Belize has not imposed a requirement that Jamaicans provide proof of a non-refundable hotel reservation as a condition for travel to Belize,” Dr Gilroy Middleton, CEO of Belize Immigration, told The Gleaner. Responding to a Gleaner query on Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Kamina Johnson Smith said that she spoke with Eamon Courtenay, minister of foreign affairs and immigration of Belize, on the matter. She said during that discussion, Courtenay clarified that media reports regarding the immediate imposition of restrictions on Jamaican travellers to Belize were inaccurate. She said that they will remain in contact and continue to consult on the matter. At the same time, Johnson Smith said that the statistical information on the movement to Belize is being received and analysed, noting that it is not yet possible to draw conclusions on whether there is an ongoing humansmuggling ring. CARICOM Secretariat spokesman Leonard Robertson indicated on Monday that Belize did not consult with the regional bloc on the issue. “CARICOM has no position on the matter,” he told The Gleaner. NEW YORK: S E V E RA L J AMA I CA - BORN Republicans have condemned the indictment of former United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday, describing the charges brought against him as political victimisation. In unsealing a historic 34-count felony indictment, NewYork prosecutors said on Tuesday that Trump conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to silence claims that he feared would be harmful to his candidacy. The charges arose from a series of cheques that Trump or his company allegedly wrote during the presidential campaign to his lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, for his role in reportedly making a payment to a porn actor, who alleged an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. The arraignment in Manhattan, though largely procedural in nature, was nonetheless the first time in US history that a sitting or former president has faced a judge in his own criminal prosecution. “I don’t think it will work. This is not the first attempt and like all the others, these charges will not stand. He will win in court,”Jamaican Donavan Sybliss told The Gleaner on Tuesday, reacting to the charges. According to Sybliss, the charges are politically motivated. He vowed to continue supporting the former president, who was impeached twice by the US House but was never convicted in the US Senate. “I voted for him in the elections and I will be voting for him again,” Sybliss said. “Even if he is found guilty by a New York jury, the verdict will be overturned on appeal.” Desmond Brown, who is now retired and was born in Jamaica, also believes that the charges are without merit. “These charges were investigated by the previous Manhattan district attorney and no charges were brought. They were investigated by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and dismissed. Why are they being brought at this time if it is not political?”he pondered. Brown, who previously ran in local government elections in Clarendon on a Jamaica Labour Party ticket some years ago, pointed out that when the current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, campaigned for office, he did so on a platform of getting Trump. “This is all a political vendetta,” he said, adding that if the district attorney had a strong case, he would not have brought 34 charges. Bragg has pushed back at suggestions that the charges are politically motivated. The investigation also concerns six-figure payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with both women and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments. All 34 counts are linked to a series of cheques that were written to Cohen presumably to reimburse him for his role in paying off Daniels. Those payments, made over 12 months, were recorded in various internal company documents as being for a legal retainer that prosecutors say didn’t exist. Nine of those monthly cheques were paid out of Trump’s personal accounts, but records related to them were maintained in the Trump Organization’s data system. “It’s not just about one payment. It is 34 false statements and business records that were concealing criminal conduct,” District Attorney Bragg told reporters, when asked how the alleged payments were connected. Carla Spalding, a Republican candidate in the 2022 elections in Florida, has also decried the charges. “Our republic is at risk and we cannot afford to lose our democracy. The laws are being weaponised against political opponents and we cannot be sheep,” she told The Gleaner. The Holy Childhood past student charged that it is part of a scheme by Trump’s opponents who are trying to weaken his bid for the 2024 presidential election. “He is the only one who can save America and the world. We need a leader who will not be a laughing stock on the world stage,” she said. Spalding theorised that Trump’s indictment will increase his grassroots support, putting him in an advantageous position to win the Republican nomination. Scherie Murray, a former Republican candidate who heads a non-profit organisation, said that she is hurt by the situation. ‘DEPRESSING DAY’ “It is a sad day to see him indicted. It is a depressing day where Americans are concerned, and I am concerned how our country is being seen around the world,” said Murray, who is a Republican committeewoman for the 29th State District in Queens. “I believe that it is all political persecution. It is all based on getting Trump. It is a blatant disrespect for the rule of law,” she told The Gleaner, further accusing the district attorney of using the case to try and make a name for himself. The next court date is December 4, although it is not clear if Trump will be required to appear. – Additional reporting by The Associated Press. editorial@gleanerjm.com BORDER BUSTING J’can Republicans stand by ex-president, adamant charges are trumped-up BELIZE SUSPECTS US-BOUND HUMAN-SMUGGLING RING AS MORE THAN HALF OF J’CAN VISITORS VANISH Johnson Smith Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, Tuesday, April 4. AP
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 3, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS MISSED 7 [ REGIONAL ] New network aims to save migrant lives in the Caribbean UNITED NATIONS, CMC: THE UNITEDNations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) says a new UN-backed network aims to drive action to save migrant lives in the Americas, including the Caribbean. “Thousands searching for a better life meet their death crossing deserts, rivers and remote areas in the region,” said the IOM in a statement, adding that its Missing Migrants Project documented 1,433 deaths last year – the highest number since its establishment in 2014. The Project is run by the UN agency’s Global Data Institute (GDI), which last week launched the first Network onMissingMigrants in the Americas. “The objective is to save lives, improve data collection and support the families of survivors,” IOM said. “When people have access to safe and regular migration pathways, that increases the likelihood that they can contribute to economic prosperity at home and in their places of destination,” said GDI Director Koko Warner. She added that a lack of these regular pathways “often has tragic results and is a lost opportunity”. The IOM said the network connects civil society organisations, government institutions, journalists, and other key actors. Participants meet in “virtual cafés”, a Missing Migrants Project initiative established three years ago, the IOM said. Although the exact number of those who die transiting through this region is unknown, at least 7,495 people lost their lives between 2014 and 2022, according to Missing Migrants Project data. The IOM said the new network will also work to strengthen national and regional capacities for the collection and exchange of data on migrant deaths and disappearances. Actions will include issuing recommendations to try and prevent these deaths and disappearances, searching for and identifying the deceased, and providing support and reparation to their families, the IOM said. “It will also facilitate the creation of strategic alliances among participants by conducting joint investigations, among other measures,” it said. BAHAMAS Former attorney general supports change to citizenship status NASSAU, CMC: FORMER ATTORNEY General Allyson MaynardGibson has called on the government to pass legislation giving Bahamian men and women an equal chance to pass citizenship to their children and spouses. Bahamians rejectedmore liberal citizenship laws in the 2002 and 2016 constitutional referendums. “I urge us to think about what the suffragists did, us as women, us as Bahamians who believe that all Bahamians, women andmen, are entitled to be treated equally and I say that there’s already a bill drafted that gives women the right to pass their citizenship on to their spouses and their citizenship on to their children and single Bahamian men also to pass their citizenship on to their children under certain circumstances,” she said. In February, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said that legislation allowing Bahamian men and women to pass on citizenship in all circumstances would be brought to Parliament once the Privy Council has ruled on whether children born out of wedlock to Bahamian fathers and foreignmothers have an automatic right to citizenship. Last year, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham called on the Philip Davis administration to abandon the appeal of Chief Justice Ian Winder’s landmark ruling. But the Privy Council, the country’s highest court, heard the matter on January 17. But Maynard-Gibson said people should push for change. “Now that’s not to say it’s the same as eliminating discrimination from our constitution but I want to point out that today, while people are wringing their hands and worrying about what will happen, there are women who are suffering, there are children who are suffering and there are men who are suffering and it is the job of our legislators to eliminate, not cause suffering. Pass the bill. Maynard-Gibson also urged the government to outlaw martial rape. CAYMAN ISLANDS Permanent residency points deemed unconstitutional – Court of Appeal GEORGE TOWN, CMC: THE PERMANENT residence system in this British overseas territory received a significant setback when the Court of Appeal recently handed down a ruling which stated that the system does not give sufficient weight to the individual circumstances of an applicant. Last Thursday, the Court of Appeal declared that the Immigration Act is incompatible with section 9 of the Bill of Rights, which deals with family and private life. Two individuals, whose permanent residency applications were denied over insufficient points, appealed the decisions and the court found that the failure to consider anything other than the points the applicants score is not compatible with the Constitution. This means that court has effectively ruled that if a person applying for permanent residence presents a good enough argument under section 9 of the Bill of Rights that their family or private life would be detrimentally impacted if they are forced to leave, there should be an alternative means for considering issues not addressed by the point system that could help someone secure the right to reside here even if they fall well short of the points needed. Leon D’Souza and Joey Buray were both represented in the appeal by Alastair David, who argued that their right to a private life was infringed when they did not get enough points and therefore faced an enforced exit from the Cayman Islands, where both men have lived for more than 14 years. The judges concluded that neither of themhad made a case that there was a specific or compelling reason outside of the points they earned that should also be considered.
THE MONTHLY GLEANER | APRIL 6 - MAY 6, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 8 Stamping out corruption should be top priority THE EDITOR, Madam: SINCE GAINING Independence, Jamaica has been plagued by corruption in politics. This issue has affected the country’s growth and development, and tarnished its reputation in the international arena. To tackle this problem head-on, the Government of Jamaica needs a prosecutorial body that has the ability to prosecute wrongdoers in politics, and the best option is the Integrity Commission. The establishment of the Integrity Commission was necessary because previous anti-corruption bodies were not able to carry out their mandate fully. The contractor general’s office, for example, faced challenges in obtaining evidence to support charges against corrupt officials, which resulted in the lack of convictions in many corruption cases, making it difficult for the public to trust government officials. Similarly, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has been criticised for being too slow in prosecuting corruption cases, which has undermined its effectiveness in curbing corruption. The Integrity Commission represents the best option for Jamaica to proactively investigate and prosecute individuals engaged in corruption and other illegal activities. Established by Parliament in 2017, the commission has a broad mandate, including the ability to bring charges against those deemed involved in corrupt activities, and the power to investigate allegations of corruption, misconduct or malfeasance within the public sector, and other entities falling under its jurisdiction, such as politically exposed persons. However, despite the existence of the Integrity Commission, prosecution has been infrequent across all existing bodies, and the proposal put forth by Mr Warmington to strip the Integrity Commission’s prosecutorial power would hurt Jamaica’s ability to hold corrupt politicians accountable. Through legislative actions and proper oversight, the Government must support all efforts aiming to bolster transparency in public office. Additionally, Parliament must prioritise its commitment to stamping out corruption, recognising that it is no less important than paying off the country’s debts. Jamaica must take critical steps to end corruption. MARIO BROWN Montego Bay History of wars and web of lies THE EDITOR, Madam: A PBS documentary on anti-VietnamWar protests took me on a journey down memory lane, leading tomany interesting junctions and byways. The 1969 protests were so huge in cities right across America, that President Richard Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger were convinced to cancel their ‘madman’ plans for a massive escalation of the war in Vietnam. The White House was very disparaging of the anti-war movement; Nixon called themunpatriotic, among other things, while Vice-President Spiro Agnew attacked the media as “nattering nabobs of negativism” for covering protests. The documentary concluded that the protests changed the course of history, saving many lives. I remember participating in the 1969 protest in Baltimore at the invitation of a trainee marine pilot, who had guided the bulk carrier I worked on as chief mate through Chesapeake Bay the previous day. I remember the protest was exhilarating with many speakers and entertainers; John Lennon’s brand new song, Give Peace A Chance was played, soon to become an iconic anti-war anthem. I remember the ignominious ending of the VietnamWar with the fall of Saigon in 1975, two years after the last US military unit had left the country in defeat. I remember the Gulf War 15 years later, named ‘Desert Storm’ and playing live on CNN, with General ‘Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf ’s troops driving the Iraqi invaders out of Kuwait in quick time. I remember the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Colin Powell, declaring that this victory meant that the US disgrace in Vietnam had finally been expunged. I remember how Colin Powell became the most popular man in America, and both political parties wanted himon their presidential ticket. I remember how he became secretary of state under GeorgeW. Bush in 2001, and his popularity dramatically disappeared when he participated in the IraqWar’s web of lies. I remember how those words about America’s disgrace being expunged, really didn’t last too long. I remember how the undisputed de facto leader of NATO is now deeply entangled in another war, pouring limitless resources into their proxy Ukraine, with allies following suit. I remember that wars inevitably end in negotiations, and wondered how long before a peace settlement appears at a junction or byway in this memory lane. BERNIE SMITH Parksville, BC Canada CURRENT AND would-be migrants were hit with two punches to the gut this week by announcements from the governments of Canada and Ontario. During the much-anticipated summit between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, both countries agreed to implement steps to halt migration by asylum-seekers at irregular border crossings. In a joint statement, Canada said it will accept up to 15,000 migrants from the Western Hemisphere and both countries agreed to expand the provisions of the Safe Third Country Agreement (“STCA”) to go beyond official border crossings and will also cover irregular border crossings such as Roxham Road. This agreement will permit either the US or Canada to turn back migrants upon arrival to the other country within 14 days. Irregular border crossing enabledmigrants to bypass this restrictive policy and has provided the space for many people to receive some forms of support on arrival in Canada. We use the word“irregular”because it is not illegal, according to the Refugee Convention, for migrants to cross a border for the purpose of making a refugee claim. Advocates are concerned that extending the STCA across the entire border will only force migrants to undertake more dangerous journeys. Journeys such as the one undertaken by Razak Iyal and Seidu Mohammed, both fromGhana. Iyal and Mohammed made the dangerous trek from North Dakota to the border of Manitoba during the winter months. Luckily, they were found by a trucker; however, as a result of frostbite, both men had to have most of their fingers amputated. In March of this year, both men were granted Canadian citizenship after successful refugee applications. Not only will people be forced to undertake similar dangerous journeys, but the extension of the STCA will outrightly deter migrants from applying for asylumprotections. STCA is a blunt tool of deterrence that will have catastrophic and deadly consequences for communities already feeling the effects of political and economic strife. How many more people will be compelled to undertake dangerous journeys or suffer similar fates to other migrants? The recent deaths of Fritznel Richard and Jose Leos Cervantes, both of whom died in proximity to the Roxham Road crossing, should be a rallying cry for easier access, not to more restrictive border crossings. UNINSURED PEOPLE Not to be outdone by their federal counterparts, the Ford government of Ontario doled out the second punch by ending a temporary policy directive that provided uninsured residents access to public healthcare. Implemented at the start of the pandemic, this policy directive was a lifeline for many undocumented peoples who could finally access life-saving healthcare for both COVID and non-COVID ailments. The policy was not perfect; it was often ignored by institutions. However, it was a step in the right direction. Recently, the Health Network for Uninsured Clients released a report entitled, ‘A Bridge to Universal Access: The Benefits of Ontario’s Program toMake Hospital Care Accessible to All Residents of the Province’. The report’s recommendations included creating a permanent directive to ensure access to healthcare for all uninsured people and improve access to primary healthcare in the community for uninsured people. For injured and sick migrant farm workers, such steps would provide a lifeline so that their health and wellbeing would not deteriorate while awaiting extended health care support fromprovincial workers’ compensation systems. The province’s response flies into the face of the suggestions brought forth byuninsured communities and frontline workers. Both levels of government have enacted mean-spirited policies that will lead to further vulnerabilities for communities who are further forced to the margins for policies that are frankly xenophobic and racist. Communities and allies once again must step up to undertake mutual aid programs, fundraising and mass mobilisations to provide the necessary care as governments continue to renege on their responsibility to protect the most precariously positioned members of our society. OPINION #GLNROPED [ LETTER OF THEWEEK ] The Gleaner welcomes your views on any issue. Preference will be given to letters of 300 words or less. They must bear the writer’s name, address and telephone contact. If using a pen name, you must state your full name. Your name and address will be withheld on request. EMAIL US: letters@gleanerjm.com or WRITE US: Editor, The Gleaner Company (Media) Ltd, 7 North Street, PO Box 40, Kingston, or fax: (876)922-6223 Migrants deaths, a rallying cry for easier access moya.thomas@gleanerjm.com Moya Thomas Chris Ramsaroop CONTRIBUTOR Logistics-centred economy key to spurring growth – Seaga Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica president, Metry Seaga, has proposed building a logistics-centred economy by, among other things, strengthening Jamaica’s special economic zones (SEZs) as a key strategy to help in spurring domestic growth.
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