THE FARQUHARSON Institute of Public Affairs has rapped Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), for indicating recently that persons firing at JDF aircraft would now do so to their own detriment.
"We have a response which, under appropriate circumstances, will make firing at our helicopters a risky undertaking for those so engaged," he warned during a press conference a week ago at the JDF Air Wing. "When that response comes, I want the public to be aware of what occasioned it," Lewin added.
However, the Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs is contending that Rear Adm. Lewin's comments were inappropriate.
"This outrageous outburst is not only intemperate and unbecoming, but serves to undermine and alienate whatever support the JDF has and whatever respect is left to it," the statement said.
The army chief of staff comments followed last Tuesday's damaging of an army helicopter main rotor blade while the security forces were on operation in Tivoli Gardens, west Kingston.
This was the second time that an army helicopter was damaged by gunmen's bullets in Tivoli Gardens. The two other occasions occurred in Mountain View, east Kingston.
WEAPON OF REPRISAL
While Lewin did not describe the type of response the army would use, the Farquharson Institute's statement suspected it to be "some secret weapon of reprisal on civilians he might suspect of firing at army helicopters."
"In this instance, he has arrogated unto himself the roles of the police, the judiciary and the executioner, which indicates that he does not recognise the limits of his authority under the laws of Jamaica," the statement said.
The Farquharson Institute, which is headed by noted attorney-at-law Frank Phipps Q.C., added that the public must be aware that the army has no police powers and no right to inflict its own chosen form of punishment on civilian communities. It suggested that the chief of staff should instead provide the police with evidence so the law can take its course.
"Jamaica is not at war, nor under a state of emergency; and this war-like statement by the chief of staff, suggesting that the army can attack civilians and punish suspects who have not been tried and found guilty, could lead us to believe that democracy is about to give way to military rule," the institute said.
The statement added that the organisation was surprised that Defence Minister Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, has since failed to repudiate what it called "these offensive utterances".
