Country strengthens terrorism laws

MEMBERS OF the Upper House of Parliament yesterday gave the nod to three companion pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening Jamaica’s regime against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

The Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2019, was passed with two amendments; the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act, 2019, was also approved with two amendments; and the United Nations Security Council Resolutions Implementation (Amendment) Act cleared the Senate with no changes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith, who piloted the bills, said that the legislative measures would bring Jamaica in full compliance with its international obligations.

Jamaica did not go far enough in satisfying international provisions under the Terrorism Prevention law, said Johnson Smith. As such, the new law criminalises the travel of foreign terrorist fighters. “So if you are paying for foreign terrorist fighters, or if you are providing the means of travel, both are offences now,” she said.

The minister noted that there had been an issue with foreign terrorist fighters in the region. “This is something that we are committed to ensuring is absolutely strengthened,” she said.

In 2018, the UK Guardian newspaper reported that several Trinidadian nationals had been recruited to fight alongside ISIS in Syria.

Opposition Senator K.D. Knight commended the Government for taking steps to amend the existing laws.

INDIRECT TARGETS

Knight said that Jamaicans tend to believe that the country was isolated from acts of terrorism on local soil. He acknowledged that while Jamaica may not be a direct target, there were persons who visited the island who may be attacked by radicals.

“There are tourists from particular countries who are targets and, therefore, if we don’t recognise that and we feel selfsatisfying that we are not a part of that community that would face that kind of challenge, then we may find that we do so to our own peril,” Knight added.

Closing the debate, Johnson

Smith said she was“overwhelmed” at the support from the Opposition, noting that there were international and national imperatives that transcended the political divide.