CHAIRPERSON OF BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT GUYANA, GERALD PERREIRA, REFUSED ENTRY TO JAMAICA TO ATTEND MILLION MAN MARCH COMMEMORATION

Gerald Perreira, Chairperson of Black Consciousness Movement Guyana, was yesterday told he must get off an aircraft in Antigua before the plane could take off. Perreira was on his way to Jamaica, where he had been invited by the Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan to participate in the 19th anniversary of the Million Man March, on October 19th, at the National Arena in Kingston. He was told by the authorities in Antigua that he was removed from the flight because he had been refused permission to land in Jamaica.

Perreira is a part of the regional think tank set up to plan the event in Jamaica, which will be broadcast live throughout the Caribbean this Sunday. The think tank, which brings together social and political activists throughout the hemisphere, including South and Central America, was charged with formulating solutions to the many problems facing the region.

A few days earlier, Imam Abu Bakr from Trinidad, who was invited by Minister Farrakhan to attend the event, was also refused entry to Jamaica. He was detained on arrival at Norman Manley International Airport, along with his wife and son. His wife and son were eventually allowed to enter the country, but Imam Abu Bakr was forcibly returned to Trinidad on a private plane which cost the Jamaican government US$36,000.

Imam Abu Bakr, leader of Jamaat al Muslimeen, pointed to the Trinidadian government as the 'mischief makers', assuming that they had contacted the Jamaican government and fingered him as some kind of threat.

However, the Jamaican authorities have stated that the Trinidadian government had nothing to do with their decision to refuse entry to Imam Abu Bakr. A statement from the Jamaican authorities said, the Jamaat al Muslimeen leader was refused leave to land in Jamaica under the country's Immigration Restriction Commonwealth Citizens'Act. The statement said the decision was in the interest of national security given the threat posed to public safety.