Rastafarian rights group presses Jamaica to remove British monarch as head of state

Rastafarian human rights group the Kingdom of Debra Zeite mounted a peaceful demonstration outside Gordon House on Tuesday, urging the Government to sever Jamaica’s remaining colonial links and remove the British monarch as head of state.

The protest, held outside Parliament, renewed calls for the country to pursue what the group described as full sovereignty. A speaker for the organisation said the issue was the colonial framework that still shapes Jamaica’s governance, arguing that colonial domination and exploitation amount to a breach of basic human rights.

The group cited a 1960 decolonisation treaty and what it referred to as Resolution 1514, saying those provisions reject former colonial systems and recognise the harm caused when people are placed under outside control. The speaker said Jamaicans should no longer be subject to authority connected to Britain or to claims over land made through the Crown.

The Kingdom of Debra Zeite also called on the State to honour the fundamental rights of all Jamaicans, including the right to a higher standard of living, life, liberty and personal security. The group argued that personal security includes the country’s political status and is not limited to party politics involving the JLP and PNP.

The protestors said Jamaicans have a right to self-determination under international law and that the will of the people should be the foundation of government authority. They contended that Jamaicans had not expressed a wish for a white man in England to run the country.

The group further said decolonisation should allow Jamaicans to live with dignity and recognise their worth within society. It also pointed to family and land rights, saying Jamaican families should be able to own the land where they were born and raised, rather than having that land tied to someone in England.