Please read our previous post, here, as it gives a background to the following:
Mr. Glenmuir Hinds, Deputy Comissioner of Police, has reported that:
1) There have been 73 civilian deaths, including 2 women, in Tivoli. Three (3) members of security forces are dead, 28 are injured.
[This however has been refuted by Mr. Edward Seaga, former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Western Kingston, who claims there has been over 100 civilian deaths in Tivoli].
2) Not all bodies are from the police-military operations in Tivoli, as it is not certain that six (6) of these bodies from Western Kingston
3) 6 firearms have been found - 2 pistols and 4 rifles, as well as 7,000-8,000 of rounds of ammunition.
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Mr. Edward Seaga, in an interview today, has asked Christopher "Dudus" Coke to turn himself in, if he wanted to live.
However, it has been reported that Mr. Coke's lawyers, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and high-ranking members of the security forces are negotiating to have Mr. Coke transported to the US as quickly as possible.
It has been said that there are American air fighter jets in place, ready to escort Mr. Coke out of the country.
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Update re the Military operation Kirkland Heights/Sterling Castle, Red Hills, this morning:
The civilian who was shot -businessman Mr. Keith Clarke, is brother of former Minister of Industry and Commerce in the PNP (Mr. Manley's) regime, Claude Clark.
The security forces have said nothing re the body count in other houses that were part of their operations this morning.
The police reportedly refused to let relatives see Mr. Clark's wife and daughter, who were in the house at the time of his death.
They reportedly recovered a firearm...however Mr. Clarke is a licensed firearm holder.
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The Police High Command is urging Mr. Christopher "Dudus" Coke, his brother Leighton "Livity" Coke, and George Pang - Arnette Gardens area leader, to turn themselves in.
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During the media tour of Tivoli, today:
1) Residents claim to have been abused by the military and that they were being held hostage and not able to eat
2) They blame Mr. Golding - their MP and the Prime Minister ,for their plight...not Dudus.
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Mayor Desmond McKenzie, Mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew and head of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) - has:
1) Stressed that Jamaican burial laws state that burials can't occur without the KSAC's permission...
He has said that the security forces can't bury the dead, as they have no authority to...he says no burial has taken place as the May Pen Cemetery, as it is closed.
(The May Pen Cemetery is a burial ground in Western Kingston).
2) Said that bodies were taken to the cemetery by the security forces. However, in collaboration with the undertakers, the security forces needed to let the KSAC know the number of bodies and the number of burial spaces needed...
He has said that since none of this has been done, the security forces can't bury the dead.
The security forces say that under the State of Emergency, they commandeer the cemetery. However Mayor McKenzie is insisting that the KSAC has to assign spots in advance and assign burial numbers, prior to burial.
So what has happened is that the security forces have put the badly decomposed bodies in paupers coffins in a section of the May Pen Cemetery, which are now stinking up the cemetery and surrounding area, since they can't be buried.
It has been reported that 15 post mortems have been done and so these bodies can be buried.
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Daryl Vaz, Minister of Information has said that:
1) A permanent Office of Public Defender has been established in Western Kingston... all resources are being made available for it to be staffed in Western Kingston communities, so that residents with complaints. will have easy access to it.
(The Public Defender investigates and remedies complaints made by members of the public, of bad administration by the Jamaican Government, or its agencies or departments, while carrying out its function).
2) The Government of Jamaica will have independent investigations done into all police-military operations to date
3) Efforts are being made to identify all persons killed and the circumstances under which they died.
Gillian
Sources Include
1) Power 106 FM, May 27, 2010
2) Nationwide Radio, May 27, 2010
3) Television Jamaica, May 27, 2010
4)CVM Television, May 27, 2010