Currie hits back, touts Maroon sovereignty

Maroon Chief Richard Currie has hit back at Prime Minister Andrew Holness urging him to respect the human and indigenous rights of his people. 

In a post on his Instagram account this evening, Currie defended the sovereignty of the Maroons and suggested that Holness reflects on his stance.

At a press conference this morning, Holness declared that under his leadership "not one inch of Jamaica will come under any other sovereign authority", dismissing the rhetoric of the Accompong Maroons that they are a sovereign people. 

Asked by The Gleaner during the presser about the decision by his government to disengage with so-called 'sovereign' Maroons, an obviously upset Holness said what was being asked of the government was for it to use taxpayers' money and grant funds to fund another 'government'. 

In early December, the Government of Jamaica had issued a directive to all ministries, departments and agencies prohibiting the allocation of funds to any area that has declared itself sovereign.

Currie asserted that Holness needs to be mindful of his position. 

Full Statement

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 per the legal language in the Charter for Jamaica.

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.

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