Accompong Maroon Chief Richard Currie in a no-holds-barred comment rebutted the argument put forward by Prime Minister Andrew Holness that Jamaica is a unitary, sovereign state, with no other sovereign authority existing within its borders.

Mr. Holness in a media briefing on Sunday made it clear that his government will not support any activity which could contribute to the breakdown of the Jamaican state.

Mr. Holness made his assertion when a reporter asked about the withholding of funding to the Accompong Maroons who have declared their independence.

He said his government will not be party to any group or activity that seeks to undermine the sovereignty of the Jamaican state.

Chief Currie, in a combative response later in the day, pointed to the Jamaica Independence Act which he claimed does not bear out the Prime Minister’s assertion.  

He said Prime Minister Holness should seek legal advice on the matter.

Below is part of the Prime Minister’s response on Sunday to a journalist’s question on the issue:

There is no other sovereign authority in Jamaica other than the Government of Jamaica. I want that to be absolutely clear. None!

And under my leadership not one inch of Jamaica will come under any other sovereign authority.

What you are asking would be for the Government of Jamaica to fund, take taxpayers’ money, and grant funds to fund another government.

This is not a government saying they are a local government, which is under our constitution. Are you crazy? Really?  Do you know what you are asking?

This is the stuff of how guerrilla wars come and states break down. Wake up Jamaica. Don’t court foolishness and problems.  Wake up. People have died as a result and u expect me to stand here as PM and fund activities that cd led to the breakdown of our state. Never!

Chief Currie’s initial written response to the Prime Minister is set out below:

Mr. Holness,

We, the Maroons of the Cockpit Country, descendants of the First People of the Archipelago now called Jamaica, would like to remind you of a few things:

1). Jamaica is NOT a unitary sovereign state, Elizabeth II, of the House Windsor, is YOUR Queen and Sovereign. Jamaica is simply “fully responsible” in Elizabeth’s Commonwealth.

2). You are a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people. Please go read this, you are an intelligent man.

3). Jamaica has an EXTENSIVE external debt and is constantly begging, so you rely on other sovereign nations, in other words, you are receiving funding from others, so please consider human and indigenous rights before you end up de-funded as well.

4). Jamaica as a government entity, begged for “independence” whereas the Maroons waged war to maintain theirs.

Please be guided accordingly.

Readers Bureau

Edited by Jesus Chan

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