Knight doubts story of dons' request for talks

By George Ruddock, Contributor

Knight and Blair

LONDON:

K.D. KNIGHT, Jamaica's National Security Minister, says he was bemused by a news story in the London Times which claimed British Prime Minister Tony Blair was invited to meet the "dons of West Kingston" during his visit to the island later this month.

Referring to the story during a "meet-the-people' session at the Jamaican High Commission on Tuesday, Mr. Knight said, "I cannot set the Prime Minister's itinerary, but if he wishes to meet the dons, then I will send an armoured car to pick up the guns that they will throw at his feet as a sign of surrender and return to civility.

"But I doubt they will go and meet with him and return to their guns as they would not want to paint a bad picture of the area. However, I am sure Mr. Blair is well versed in meetings with groups which bear arms given his experience with Northern Ireland."

The Times story was a continuation of the coverage the recent flare-up of gun violence in West Kingston was getting in the British press almost two weeks after the event. It carried the headline, "Jamaican 'dons' issue invitation that only Blair can afford to refuse".

It referred to the invitation to Mr. Blair from the "dons of West Kingston" as a serious request from "men used to getting their own way". The news story concluded that it was highly unlikely that Mr. Blair would accept the invitation.

Mr. Knight was in the UK for meetings with senior officers of the Metropolitan Police following Jamaica's request for a new relationship to deepen and strengthen the existing co-operation agreement with the Jamaica Constabulary.

Also, Knight had two community meetings with Jamaicans in Birmingham and London.

Before he encountered a sometimes stormy question-and-answer session with a wide cross-section of the community in London, Mr. Knight spoke at length about the new measures which he said were introduced in Jamaica to strengthen the justice system and to fight crime and violence.

He singled out the new Bail Act and the Legal Aid Act as major steps towards reforming and modernising the criminal justice system. The Legal Aid Act, he said, would be extended to include civil matters and this should help reduce crime in areas which usually are related to disputes.

On the recent gun violence in West Kingston, Mr. Knight said that "no person, no community or no MP was above the rule of law and the police must be allowed to carry out their legitimate duty to protect the citizens of the country."

In an obvious reference to Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, in whose constituency the violence was centred, Mr Knight said:

"All people are equal under the law. There should be no area declared out of bounds to the security forces. There is no individual who can set up or establish any kind of 'republic' within the Jamaican society.

"Anyone with such intentions must submit to the scrutiny of the security forces that what they are doing is in accordance with the law," he declared.

In the question-and-answer period, Mr. Knight fielded questions ranging from human rights issues and capital punishment to matters relating to the lack of public order, and social behaviour which some members of the audience felt were destroying Jamaica.

He was introduced to the packed hall by Mr David Muirhead, Jamaica's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

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