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Bahamians in Jamaica want to come home
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
Concerned for their safety as a deadly standoff between supporters of an alleged notorious drug lord - who could be extradited to the United States - and the Jamaican armed forces continues, Bahamian students studying in Jamaica are calling on the Ingraham administration to evacuate them from the Caribbean nation.
"We want to get out of here as soon as possible," said Wilnaye Bain, a 23-year-old Bahamian medical student.
On Sunday the Jamaican government declared a state of emergency as violence broke out in West Kingston, which is home to Christopher "Dudus" Coke, an alleged Jamaican drug dealer charged in the U.S. with drug and arms trafficking. According to the Associated Press, Coke's supporters turned his Tivoli Gardens neighborhood and other areas into a virtual fortress with trashed cars and barbed wire.
According to a press statement from the Jamaica Police High Command, seven security force personnel were injured and one was killed, and 25 civilians were injured and 26 more were killed during the stand off.
While the violence is several miles away from their Kingston campus, Bain said the Bahamians studying at the University of the West Indies (UWI) are very concerned about the ongoing violence.
"We don't feel safe," said Bain, who is the past vice present of the Bahamian Students Association at UWI.
"We want to go home. We're trying to figure out if the government is going to send a plane to evacuate us."
She said a Bahamian student was reportedly asked by a government official to compile a list of the names of all the Bahamians still in Jamaica. Bain added that she thought the Bahamians would have been evacuated on Monday, however, she said she hasn't gotten any updates of when or if they will be evacuated. Bain said there are about 20 Bahamian students at UWI, but added that there are others at the University of Technology.
"There's a 6 p.m. curfew in the Kingston and St. Andrew areas. Some students are still attending school, and others are taking exams. But people are not sure if they're going to be safe going to school or work."
She added that some students have refused to go to school at all.
Philip Laramore, 25, of Nassau East, said he was "lucky enough" to escape Kingston before the violence erupted.
Laramore, who is a second year medical student told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that he was in Montego Bay studying for his upcoming exams next month.
However, he said if it's possible, he wants the government to help him get home.
He said he is concerned for his Bahamian friends who remain in Kingston.
"It's scary to know that [the violence] is around you, but I'm not really feeling it because I'm not in that area right now," he said. "I feel fearful for my friends. I speak to them on Facebook and all of them want to go home right now."
Jamaican Honorary Counsel to The Bahamas Keva Hilton told The Nassau Guardian yesterday as far as she is aware Bahamians are safe.
"None of the Bahamians and students living here would be in that affected area," she added.
"I think generally people are tense. They're uncertain. My son works downtown, not near where this is happening, but his office is closed. It is not opening today as a precautionary measure."
According to the Associated Press, four police stations came under heavy fire from Coke's supporters.
Police have reportedly called for all "decent and law-abiding citizens" in the affected areas to immediately evacuate their homes and said security forces would ferry them out safely.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding reportedly had stalled the extradition request for nine months.
The U.S. Department of Justice has listed Coke among the world's most dangerous narcotics kingpins.
Wednesday May 26, 2010
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
Concerned for their safety as a deadly standoff between supporters of an alleged notorious drug lord - who could be extradited to the United States - and the Jamaican armed forces continues, Bahamian students studying in Jamaica are calling on the Ingraham administration to evacuate them from the Caribbean nation.
"We want to get out of here as soon as possible," said Wilnaye Bain, a 23-year-old Bahamian medical student.
On Sunday the Jamaican government declared a state of emergency as violence broke out in West Kingston, which is home to Christopher "Dudus" Coke, an alleged Jamaican drug dealer charged in the U.S. with drug and arms trafficking. According to the Associated Press, Coke's supporters turned his Tivoli Gardens neighborhood and other areas into a virtual fortress with trashed cars and barbed wire.
According to a press statement from the Jamaica Police High Command, seven security force personnel were injured and one was killed, and 25 civilians were injured and 26 more were killed during the stand off.
While the violence is several miles away from their Kingston campus, Bain said the Bahamians studying at the University of the West Indies (UWI) are very concerned about the ongoing violence.
"We don't feel safe," said Bain, who is the past vice present of the Bahamian Students Association at UWI.
"We want to go home. We're trying to figure out if the government is going to send a plane to evacuate us."
She said a Bahamian student was reportedly asked by a government official to compile a list of the names of all the Bahamians still in Jamaica. Bain added that she thought the Bahamians would have been evacuated on Monday, however, she said she hasn't gotten any updates of when or if they will be evacuated. Bain said there are about 20 Bahamian students at UWI, but added that there are others at the University of Technology.
"There's a 6 p.m. curfew in the Kingston and St. Andrew areas. Some students are still attending school, and others are taking exams. But people are not sure if they're going to be safe going to school or work."
She added that some students have refused to go to school at all.
Philip Laramore, 25, of Nassau East, said he was "lucky enough" to escape Kingston before the violence erupted.
Laramore, who is a second year medical student told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that he was in Montego Bay studying for his upcoming exams next month.
However, he said if it's possible, he wants the government to help him get home.
He said he is concerned for his Bahamian friends who remain in Kingston.
"It's scary to know that [the violence] is around you, but I'm not really feeling it because I'm not in that area right now," he said. "I feel fearful for my friends. I speak to them on Facebook and all of them want to go home right now."
Jamaican Honorary Counsel to The Bahamas Keva Hilton told The Nassau Guardian yesterday as far as she is aware Bahamians are safe.
"None of the Bahamians and students living here would be in that affected area," she added.
"I think generally people are tense. They're uncertain. My son works downtown, not near where this is happening, but his office is closed. It is not opening today as a precautionary measure."
According to the Associated Press, four police stations came under heavy fire from Coke's supporters.
Police have reportedly called for all "decent and law-abiding citizens" in the affected areas to immediately evacuate their homes and said security forces would ferry them out safely.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding reportedly had stalled the extradition request for nine months.
The U.S. Department of Justice has listed Coke among the world's most dangerous narcotics kingpins.
Wednesday May 26, 2010
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