from a Kingston reporter 1590 The Has Tafarian Brethen. Repatriation Front, a "beck to Africa" movement, has been singled out by the Bustamente government for savage ropr— essive measures, The government drive began after six alleged members of the organisation conducted a guerilla raid April 11 in the tourist area of Montego Bay, They burned a gasoline station, In the fighting, two white civilians were killed, Followed by the police into the hills, they fought resolutely, killing three officers and sufforing the loss of half their band,
The government seized this local incident aa a pretext for a nati=onwide drive against the Ras Tafarians, Woe quote from a leaflet put out by the organisations:
"Right now in this country = Jamaica — along the North Coast from Montego Bay to St. Anns Bay, many hundreds of Ras Tafarians are being imprisoned beaten and tortured - some brethon are being tied by hands and feet in the jail yards, in the sun and cold, molasses . thrown over their skin attracting insects to bite them — this inhuman treatment has caused the death of three Ras Tafarians in jail at the time of making this report, and more are Liablé | to die within the next fow days.™
The guerilla incident. mentioned above "was an isolated event," declares the leaflet, which stemmed out of previous violence inflicted on those involved, Bustamente ordered a round up, "This started the brutal campaign of the police and soldiers — police operating in the towns and soldiers in the hills = beating with gun tutts and jailing almost everyone with beards and who havo boen freshly trimmed and shaven; and anyone who opposes this ruthless action of the police i- also beaten and carried off to jail, The breaking of human bones with rifle tutts is o common occurrence, and no medical treat— ment given.
“Meanwhile many areas in the hills are sealed off by soldiers, and no one is able to tel? ‘the gruesome happenings,"
The Ras Tafarians charges the Bustamente government with attempting to commit genocide, "We declare that if the Jamaican Government does not want us here then send us back home to Africa where wo want to go — it is the Government which is kesping wo here against our will,
The movement demands that an impartial body “of just citisens and Ras Tafariang' be allowed to go into the areas of unrest to investigate the truth.
The leaflet charges that the radio and the press have been muzzled to prevent the facts from becoming knowns
"We ‘Ras Tafarians chargs the Jamaican Government with attempting to use Has Tafarians as a scapegoat to distract attention from its incompet= ence of not being able to give the masses of this country food, clothing and shelter and to resolve the country's economic problems, Today it ig the Ras Tafarians — tomorrow it will be everyone."