THE EDITOR, Sir;
AMONG THE people who have been the victims of mass persecution, the Jews in Nazi Germany, the Kulaks in the Soviet Union and the 'Kurds' in Iraq, can now be added the citizens of Rock River in Clarendon, Old Harbour in St.Catherine and Penlyne Castle in St.Thomas.
The Minister of Labour, Mr. Horace Dalley has said he will ban citizens from the three communities from the overseas farm worker programme because one individual from each community has allegedly been caught trying to smuggle drugs out of the island. What Mr.Dalley is trying to do is to persecute all of the citizens of the three communities because of the alleged actions of one of their number.
The Minister's action is redolent of the 'justice' of a past era when gangs of slaves would be whipped because one of their number stole something. To take his position to an absurd extreme: will the other citizens of these communities be expected to serve prison terms if the alleged drug traffickers are found guilty and sentenced. After all, the Minister has already determined their guilt.
This administration has an abundance of lawyers; someone should take Mr. Dalley aside and explain to him the rights that the constitution guarantees to the citizens of this country.
If the Minister persists in his folly the Bar Association should mount a legal challenge on behalf of the citizens of the three communities.
I am. etc.,
NEVILLE G.JAMES
41A Half-Way Tree Road.
Kingston 5.
February 5,2004
