Information on the treatment by the People's National Party (PNP)of officials or pastors of the Mennonite Church located in Western Kingston and on how such officials or pastors expressing political opinions in a neighbourhood represented in parliament by the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) would be perceived by the ruling PNP [JAM19371.E]

In a telephone interview, a representative of the Mennonite Central Committee in Jamaica stated that there is no organized or unorganized harassment, persecution, or discrimination directed against the Mennonite community as a whole on the island of Jamaica (1 Feb. 1995). This does not mean, however, that individual Mennonites may sometimes be intimidated for their faith or for other reasons (ibid.). If such intimidation occurred, it would not be organized by either the People's National Party (PNP) or the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) (ibid.). For information on politics at the local level, please refer to Response to Information Request JAM18337.E of 7 September 1994, available at your Regional Documentation Centre.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Reference


Mennonite Central Committee, Jamaica. 1 February 1995. Telephone interview with representative.