IMMIGRATION MINISTER DEFENSIVE OVER U.S. PRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000159

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR WBENT; NORTHCOM AND SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2014
TAGS: SMIG PHUM CU BF
SUBJECT: IMMIGRATION MINISTER DEFENSIVE OVER U.S. PRESS
REPORT ON DETENTION CENTER

REF: A. 04 NASSAU 2335


B. 04 NASSAU 2355

C. 04 NASSAU 2407

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN D. ROOD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) The Miami Herald ran a front-page article on January
23 reporting allegations of abuse and mistreatment made by
Cuban and Haitian detainees at the Carmichael Road Detention
Center in Nassau. The allegations, which included reports of
beatings, mock executions, lack of drinking water and medical
assistance, and poor quality of food, initially surfaced in
October 2004 (reftels),and were followed by a fire and
violent unrest at the center on December 9. Minister of
Labor and Immigration Vincent Peet, who cooperated with the
Herald and gave its reporter access to both the detention
center and the prison, called the story "unbalanced" but
promised to organize an inter-ministerial task force to
investigate. Minister Peet already led one "independent"
investigation into the situation at the detention center,
which issued its report refuting the allegations of abuse one
day before the December 9 fire. No new reports of abuse were
cited in the Herald's story; some of the incidents date from
a 2003 Amnesty International report.


2. (C) Twenty-two of the Cuban men involved in the fire
remain detained at Fox Hill Prison, and claim to have been
denied access to a lawyer and their families. The Bahamian
government has yet to decide whether to bring arson charges
against them. The majority of the Cubans in detention were
repatriated to Cuba in late December, including all of the
children.


3. (C) The government has privately indicated that it will
not grant political asylum to the nine alleged members of the
Partido Democratico 30 de Noviembre Franck Pais, who were
offered safe haven by Nicaragua. All nine remain in The
Bahamas at Fox Hill prison. Mr. Vernon Burrows, Bahamian
Director of Immigration, told the Embassy at a lunch on
January 20 that these migrants were denied refugee status at
the beginning of the asylum-seeking process. Mr. Burrows
stated that the migrants were instructed to claim they were
members of the political party by Cuban-Americans in Florida
to help their chances of being granted asylum. "They often
can't even remember the name of the party from one interview
to the next", Mr. Burrows said. When asked why they hadn't
been repatriated already, Mr. Burrows responded that it is
because of international pressure. The nine migrants were
being harbored on land by Cuban-Bahamians when they were
discovered on a small island in Minister Peet's constituency.
Burrows implied that the international pressure combined to
a lesser extent with the hesitation of Minister Peet to
offend affluent members of his constituency has prevented
this particular group's repatriation.

ROOD