The Editor, Sir:

The following thank-you letter has been sent to the Hon Portia Simpson Miller setting out the matters discussed with her at a meeting last month:

Dear Prime Minister,

Thank you for meeting with us on August 22, 2006. We appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about some of our joint concerns; particularly the urgent need to:

Rebuild public trust in the justice system;

Establish an independent complaints review system with the power, resources and capacity to hold agents of the State accountable. Vulnerable communities continue to call for systemic remedies to police abuses, particularly in a context in which we see the unfortunate and dramatic rise in the number of police killings of civilians over the last two years;

Strengthen the capacity and integrity of the police investigative mechanisms, paying particular attention to the adequate resourcing of bodies such as the Bureau of Special Investigations;

Provide comprehensive education on the proposed Charter of Rights;

Consider including health care and preservation of jury trials in the Charter;

Increase in funding for legal aid as a crucial step toward enabling citizens to have access to justice;

Improved services and education concerning issues affecting the rights of women and children, including professional assistance in police stations for women reporting abuses and up-to-date statistics on domestic violence.

Only the beginning

Our meeting is hopefully only the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship; the building of a partnership to better the lives of our fellow citizens. We are grateful for your words, at the end of the meeting, encouraging engagement and dialogue, we are grateful. Together we can build a culture of human rights in Jamaica.

We reiterate the offer to work with you to build a culture of human rights. We believe that Jamaicans who are aware of their worth and dignity will be able more effectively to enjoy their rights and fulfil their responsibilities as citizens. We offer our experience, skills and knowledge in assisting you to build a culture in which the most vulnerable can have confidence.

It is our hope that we will be able to meet with you again soon to continue the dialogue on these and other issues of importance.

I am, etc.,

NANCY ANDERSON

On behalf of Amnesty International (Jamaica), Families Against State Terrorism (FAST), Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights (IJCHR), Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ)