KINGSTON, Jamaica — Following a visit to Cooper’s Pen Trelawny on Thursday by members of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), the party is calling for urgent Government action in the wake of the demolition of homes in the community.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who led the tour, was accompanied by Opposition Spokesperson on Land, Lothan Cousins, Opposition Spokesperson on Human Rights and Youth, Isat Buchanan,  and other members of the party.

The PNP noted that the demolition has left elderly residents, mothers and children displaced and exposed to the elements.

Visiting the community, Golding described the situation as “a humanitarian calamity” and said the immediate priority must be to restore the lives of the families who have lost their homes.

While acknowledging the temporary assistance provided by the Government, he stressed that tents cannot be the end of the response. The Government, he said, must identify suitable land and make the necessary investment to permanently relocate affected families in decent living conditions.

Stressing that the urgency extends beyond those whose homes were demolished on Tuesday, Golding also raised concern about residents whose homes remain at risk, calling on the Government to immediately begin negotiations on their behalf.

He further called for an inquiry into how land rights are enforced against vulnerable communities, pointing to similar situations in Clifton, Pleasant Hill and Albion.

Cousins said the Government cannot claim that it lacks the means to respond. He pointed to the Local Communities (Amenities) Improvement Act, enacted in 1977, and called on the Government to immediately invoke the legislation to protect residents who are facing or have already suffered demolition.

For those already displaced, Cousins said the Government must provide more than temporary shelter.

“A tent is not the solution,” he said, raising concerns that the tents provided to residents appear to be those donated by the Japanese Government following Hurricane Melissa. He also rejected claims that the Government was unaware of what was taking place, noting that elements of the State were involved in the demolition and therefore must know the situation and act accordingly.

Buchanan said the issue goes beyond the question of where residents will live next maintaining that it raises fundamental questions about how the State treats the rights and dignity of citizens.

He said that notwithstanding private property rights, there is a process that must be followed to ensure that human dignity is maintained, as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.

Against that background, he said reports of false imprisonment and wrongful detention of residents must be “ventilated before the court”, warning that “any conduct from the state that is not demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society means that it breaches the constitution.”

He also stressed the urgency of finding a humane solution, particularly as Jamaica remains in hurricane season and many people are still recovering from Hurricane Melissa.

“To come and see my brothers and sisters be placed in tents during hurricane season is unacceptable,” he said. “This is not just about property rights, they are human rights and every Jamaican, the least among us, deserves that,” he said.