Coopers Pen demolition: Wake-up call for land justice

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The pre-dawn demolition of homes in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, should trouble every right-thinking Jamaican. No claim of legal ownership, however valid, justifies such a callous approach. Due process demands notice, dialogue and dignity, yet none of these were extended to these citizens.

The detention of more than 20 men in the dead of night, hours before the bulldozers arrived, adds a disturbing dimension to this episode. Such tactics smack of intimidation rather than the lawful execution of a court order, and they deserve full scrutiny by the relevant authorities.

The Gleaner has rightly given voice to residents who feel ambushed in their own community. Their sense of betrayal is understandable, given that a matter before the courts since 2009 was never brought to a proper conclusion before this drastic action was taken. Councillor Garth Wilkinson’s call for dialogue before any such exercise is entirely reasonable. Had the landowner engaged residents earlier, many might have welcomed the chance to purchase the plots they had long called home.

The member of parliament’s pledge of assistance is a welcome first step, but words must now be matched by action. The government, through the relevant agencies, should move swiftly to identify suitable lands where these displaced families can resettle and begin rebuilding their lives.

Equally important, any resettlement must come with a structured, affordable payment arrangement, allowing residents to acquire secure tenure over time rather than facing eviction once again. Jamaica cannot keep treating its most vulnerable citizens as squatters to be swept aside whenever convenient.

This tragedy also lays bare a wider national failure. Informal settlements have multiplied across Jamaica for generations, and government after government has deferred the hard work of regularising them. There should be a comprehensive, well-resourced programme to formalise land tenure in these communities.

The people of Coopers Pen deserve better than what they endured this week. So, indeed, does every Jamaican still waiting for the security of holding a title to the ground beneath their feet.

ROBERT DALLEY