Tells Human Rights Watch that only Jamaicans can set legal agenda

The Government yesterday reprimanded Human Rights Watch for what it described as insensitive handling of the group's research report on Jamaica's treatment of homosexuals and bluntly told the New York-based organisation that it has no say in the crafting of Jamaican laws.
WHITEMAN. we are certainly not about to respond to any organisation, external to the country, which may want to dictate to us how and when to deal with the laws of our land

"We. as the duly elected representatives of the people feel that it is the people who must set our agenda in respect of the legislation which we pass or the repeal of any existing laws," Information Minister Burchell Whiteman said in a statement responding to the American group's call for legal and constitutional reform here to address perceived biases against homosexuals.

Added Whiteman: "We are certainly not about to respond to any organisation, external to the country, which may want to dictate to us how and when to deal with the laws of our land."

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its 81-page report titled 'Hated to Death - Homophobia, Violence and Jamaica's HIV/AIDS Epidemic' at a news conference in Kingston and called on the Government to:

. repeal laws against buggery;

. amend the anti-discrimination clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Jamaican Constitution to include 'sexual orientation and gender identity' and 'sex'; and

. open itself up to international scrutiny by ratifying conventions against torture.

The group also claimed that homophobia in Jamaica was impacting negatively on the treatment of people with HIV/AIDS, and specifically named Prime Minister P J Patterson and Health Minister John Junor for refusing to approve recommendations by technocrats to abolish anti-gay laws.

Although the report gives some credit to the health ministry's handling of the HIV/AIDS problem, it charged that "other parts of Jamaica's Government undermine these important efforts by condoning or committing serious human rights abuses".
But yesterday, Whiteman said it was inappropriate for Human Rights Watch to link the homophobia issue to the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"The Government of Jamaica, through various ministries and agencies, has taken measures to arrest the HIV/AIDS epidemic," Whiteman said.
He also expressed the Administration's concern that the group's stated policy was to release its report to the public and the Government simultaneously.

"This Government is open to the sharing of public information," Whiteman said, "but proper procedures, rules and courtesies must always apply. HRW seems not to accept that the duly elected government of a sovereign nation has a right to hear and respond to the views of those who are accommodated by our country and claim that they wish to improve the quality of life of our citizens."

The Government, he added, "welcomes dialogue in these circumstances rather than public confrontation".

Human Rights Watch's charge that the Jamaican police, in some cases, "ha**** and attack men they perceived to be homosexual" also elicited a response from Police Commissioner Francis Forbes who wrote to HRW researcher Rebecca Schleifer asking her for specific information to support the charge.

"Consequent upon you making a public statement in this matter, it is the view of the High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force that the matter be investigated with the utmost urgency," Forbes said.

THE health ministry yesterday dismissed as misleading, exaggerated and unacceptable, last week's report by the United States-based Human Rights Watch accusing the ministry of facilitating abuse against homosexuals and persons living with AIDS.

"Whereas advocating for human rights, legal and policy protection for persons affected by or at high risk of HIV/AIDS is a noble cause, providing misleading information and producing inflammatory sweeping statements undermines the efforts and progress made by the National HIV/AIDS Programme and many of its local and international stakeholders," said director of the programme Dr Yitades Gebre in a letter to the group's researcher Rebecca Schleifer.

"The Human Rights Watch report has painted a distorted and tarnished image of the Jamaican National HIV/AIDS programme," Dr Gebre continued in his five-page letter to the rights group.

Meanwhile, the controversial report is expected to be discussed at a three-day regional conference that opened in St Kitts last night. The conference will examine the reduction of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in the Caribbean.

In a video conference, Dr Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, in a veiled reference to Jamaica, said the problem will be driven underground if men who have sex with men were beaten.

At the same time, Gareth Thomas, the United Kingdom's undersecretary of state for international development, appealed for tolerance and mentioned, among other things, the HIV/AIDS stigmatisation by calling homosexuals names like 'b....boy'.

He named dancehall artistes Buju Banton and Sizzla, whose anti-gay lyrics he said were only designed to sell more records. He said, however, that the problem was not only in the Caribbean, and noted a recent case in the UK where a gay man was beaten and killed.

The conference was organised by Caricom, the Pan-Caribbean Partnership on HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) and the UK Department for International Development.

Last Tuesday, Human Rights Watch released an 81-page report titled Hated to Death - Homophobia, Violence and Jamaica's HIV/AIDS Epidemic at a news conference in Kingston in which it criticised Jamaica for its treatment of homosexuals and accused the Government of, among other things, facilitating abuse against gay men.

The report also called for constitutional changes, a repeal of the laws against buggery, as well as amendment of the anti-discrimination clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Jamaican Constitution to include 'sexual orientation and gender identity' and 'sex'.

The group also suggested that the Jamaican Government open itself up to international scrutiny by ratifying conventions against torture.

Homophobia in Jamaica, the group said, was impacting negatively on the treatment of people with HIV/AIDS, and specifically named Prime Minister P J Patterson and Health Minister John Junor for refusing to approve recommendations by technocrats to abolish anti-gay laws.

But yesterday, the health ministry said the report categorised Jamaican health care services as uncaring, unprofessional and as practicing discrimination against persons living with Aids and homosexuals.

"The report has attacked the integrity of hard-working health workers with undocumented allegations and unfounded testimonials and hearsay," said Dr Gebre.

The health ministry response comes six days after the Government scolded the New York-based group for its insensitive handling of the report and frankly told it that only Jamaicans could influence the passing of Jamaican laws.

The group had also reported that violence was normally meted out by the police to persons working with the National Aids Programme (NAP).

However, the health ministry said not a single case of such ha****ment was ever reported and also noted that performance reports from Jamaica AIDS Support for Life and National AIDS Programme workers are available for public scrutiny.

The ministry also ridiculed parts of group's report that questioned Jamaicans' knowledge of AIDS and the link between the disease and homosexuality.

"The information released by Human Rights Watch researchers about the mode of HIV transmission is incorrect, ill-informed and do not reflect the HIV/AIDS knowledge reality in Jamaica," noted Dr Gebre.

He added: "The Human Rights Watch report has erroneously concluded a deepening of the AIDS crisis in Jamaica. It has attributed this deepening to stigma, homophobia, and uncaring health services.

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Originally posted by Lionpaw:
Bun B*tty Man! I am a proud, homophobic heterosexual. I have a problem with f*gs because they are always flaunting it all about the place(not in Jamaica of course). STAY IN THE CLOSET!! You don't see us straight people having "STRAIGHT" parades. We don't have any "straight rights" activist groups. Gay people are trying to force there lifestyle upon us. MORE FYAH!

STRAIGHT PRIDE!!!!

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White people usually use this argument when they argue about Racism.

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Originally posted by Del Piero:
Not a silly question at all; a very valid concern but no phoqry, I'm not saying that. The difference between the Klu Klux Klan and lionpaw is that lion, unlike the KKK, is a non-physical prejudice discriminator. Modern Laws prohibits prejudice attacks. I am a not "fan" of prejudice. the reality, though, is that people are going to have their prejudices, some insofar that it will be impossible to convert them. So, if someone wants to be a KKK member, they can do so all they want, just as Lion can be a proud homophobic all he wants, as long as they [and he] abides by the law and violates noone. Of course, I'm not suggesting we condone prejudicism as long as it doesn't manifest into violence, but I, for one, am not going to assume the responsibility for educating those who hold prejudices if it's going to become a burden of sorts. I would rather not see prejudices, and I will do my part in reducing prejudice attitudes as much as I can; but if people hold prejudices that I caan really bodda attempt to correct, dem can gwan as long as dem doan go roun' commiting crimes as motivated by their prejudice, and in general.

[This message has been edited by Del Piero (edited 11-15-2004).]

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So Del Piero... If yu only have a problem with those that perpitrate violence, then what are your issues with LionPaw. All he said is that he cannot tolerate homosexuals..

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Originally posted by kirkieb:
Senior Analyst: well said my lord...
di man dem jump pon lion like sey dem waan crusify di brother just because him a bun a fire pon chi-chi man.
How can a man tolerate such nastiness when it threatens own existence and the survival of the human race. Can you imagine what would happen if the chi-chi people them become the majority and the straight people them become minority.

trust me ites... a fulltime now them people clean up themselves

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Do they think we as Jamaicans are so backwards, out of touch with reality, that we dont know that HIV/AIDS can be caught from anyone regardless of sex, race or creed.

And why is this thread and thread like these always put on the back pages..

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Originally posted by xander:
i heard that if you have 2 fingers the same size then you are gay

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