Marks talks tough at OAS general assembly
Published:Tuesday | June 8, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Laura Redpath, Senior Staff Reporter
Jamaica's ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, came out pinch-hitting for the Golding administration yesterday, as she sought to defend tough action by the security forces in tackling criminal networks amid growing criticism at home about human-rights abuses.
Speaking at the 40th General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS), convened yesterday in the Peruvian capital Lima, Marks said the armed forces had been commissioned to repel the onslaught of gangsters who posed an existential threat to government control of Kingston.
The state of public emergency activated on May 23 in Kingston and St Andrew - which curtails movement and limits some rights - was critical to returning normality to the city after the civil unrest.
Marks declared that Jamaica was at a turning point, where the Government, the private sector and civil society had decided it was time for change.
"It is described by all as a defining battle to establish the rule of law and the authority of the State," she said.
Marks told the assembly that the Jamaican Government aimed to take gangs apart and establish a national firearm database. She also said that, since 2000, the police have recovered more than 5,000 illegal guns.
Representatives from 33 coun-tries, including Jamaica, are in attendance.
Acquisition of arms
Among agenda issues are readmission of Honduras into the hemispheric body, Arizona's new immigration bill, and concerns about large-scale acquisition of arms.
"Efforts to curtail crime and attain peace and security cannot be primarily focused on arms acquisition," declared Marks, who was recently appointed ambassador.
"Funds spent on arms acquisition in Jamaica are minuscule in comparison to other countries in the region.
"It cannot be denied," she continued: "The cost and measure necessary to address the prolifera-tion of small arms, most of which are illegally obtained, could be better spent providing well-needed economic and social support to our nationals."