Buchanan demands answers from gov't following Coopers Pen demolitions

By Kimone Witter   

 

 

Opposition Spokesperson on Youth and Human Rights, Isat Buchanan, is calling for a clear account of the police's role in the demolition operation in Coopers Pen, Trelawny and an explanation of how it was allowed to proceed without notice.

 

The residents had reported that no notice was received and some had no opportunity to save their belongings.

 

Mr. Buchanan says regardless of the legal status of the land occupation, every Jamaican deserves to be treated with dignity and humanity.

 

He is demanding immediate answers from the government.

 

"Where is the Minister with responsibility for Housing? Where is the Member of Parliament for the consituency in Trelawny where the incident occurred? What immediate emergency relief is being provided to the displaced families? What temporary housing arrangements have been made? What support will be offered to replace or compensate for personal belongings that have now been destroyed? What long-term plan exists to ensure that these citizens are not left abandoned and forgotten?" he questioned. 

 

"I'm also calling for a clear account of the police operation in Coopers Pen. If men were detained while their families watched their homes being demolished, the government must explain the circumstances, the legal basis for those actions, and whether the treatment of those residents was necessary and proportionate," he added.

 

 

But Chairman of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation and Falmouth Mayor Colin Gager says the local government authority had no prior knowledge of the demolition exercise carried out in Coopers Pen.

 

Mr. Gager has also rejected what he said was disinformation on social media about who should be held to account for the eviction of the residents.

 

He said individuals, who he labelled as People's National Party bloggers, are attempting to blame the government for the incident which resulted in the demolition of at least 20 houses.

 

But he said the eviction was carried out by a private developer who owns the land and had a longstanding court dispute with some of the residents.

 

"This is a private developer who has been in dialogue with the people of Coopers Pen for over 10 to 15 years. They have been to court; the court ruled against them. They did appeal, and so the private developer offered them to sell them the land if they were willing to pay," he noted.

 

Mayor Gager urged responsible use of social media and regard for the truth concerning matters of national discourse.

 

He said government and Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton have engaged relevant state agencies in a bid to assist residents who have been dislocated.

 

"The Trelawny Municipal Corporation knows nothing about it. I sympathise with the people of Coopers Pen, and myself and the Member of Parliament and the government, we will look at ways that we could see fit to work with these people. I don't know yet what it will be," he admitted.