Christopher Dudus Coke: State of Emergency

If there was any doubt as to the power and influence of Christopher Dudus Coke --- who controls a section of Kingston, Jamaica, known as Tivoli Gardens --- that has been put to rest.

• Parts of Kingston are under a State of Emergency 
• Two police stations have been attacked 
• A third one, in Hannah Town, was set ablaze. 

Armed gunmen who were responsible for those unprovoked attacks on the police stations have been joined by many residents of the barricaded West Kingston community in declaring their support for Christopher Dudus Coke. The message to the security forces and the government was clear: Try to arrest "Dudus" and there will be all out war.

The unrest began after the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, declared that an arrest warrant had been issued for Christopher Dudus Coke who is being sought by U.S. authorities on gun-trafficking and drug charges. It took 9 months of procrastination by the government before the decision was finally made to grant the request for the extradition of Coke to the U.S. to face those charges.

In responding to the unrest and declaring a State of Emergency for parts of Kingston, the Prime Minister said security forces would be "moving swiftly to bring the current situation under control".

"Criminal elements bent on violence and mayhem will be detained," he said in a televised address.

"What is taking place is a calculated assault on the authority of the state that cannot be tolerated, and will not be allowed to continue."

Prime Minister Bruce Golding stressed that Kingston “is not being shut down,” and schools and businesses outside the battle zone will be open.

Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said “scores of criminals” from gangs across the Caribbean island had traveled to West Kingston to join the fight.

“It is now clear that criminal elements are determined to launch coordinated attacks on the security forces,” he said.

Police said the attacks were unprovoked and called for all “decent and law-abiding citizens” in the troubled areas to immediately evacuate their homes and said security forces would ferry them out safely.

While the U.S. sees Christopher Dudus Coke as a dangerous criminal involved in the international drug trade, in Tivoli Gardens he is a leader or "Don" who provides for the welfare of the community. Many see him as a benefactor who for many years has ensured their safety and is mainly responsible for sending their children to school and putting food on their tables.

Hundreds of residents of West Kingston took to the streets last week to voice their support for Dudus:

"After God, then Dudus," read one placard. "Jesus died for us so we will die for Dudus," read another, and these were not idle sentiments.

"Leave 'Dudus' alone. Him a law-abiding citizen," many of them shouted as they assembled outside the Denham Town Police Station.

Many of the supporters who came out in defense of Dudus were women who were very vocal in their praise of Coke's benevolence and said they were prepared to die for the man who is wanted by the U.S. as a dangerous criminal. An article in the Jamaica Observer explores the connection between the women and men of influence in their communities.

Christopher Dudus Coke himself has had very little to say. While the uproar in the streets continue and his lawyers fight the extradition order in the courts, he has kept a very low profile. According to the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner: 

Dudus "is not one of those flashy dons who one sees at every dance or nightclub 'flossing' with bottles of high-priced liquor and scores of scantily dressed girls in his entourage."

He is also not one of those dons who crave the attention of the media while flaunting power.

"You know that I don't talk to the media," is the stock response from Dudus on the few occasions journalists have been able to get close enough to ask him questions. But make no mistake, Christopher Dudus Coke wields enormous power.

In another article The Gleaner takes a look at how the Prime Minister owes his position to Dudus. Without his approval Bruce Golding would not be the representative from West Kingston nor the Prime Minister.

"The power-sharing framework between the man who formally represents the West Kingston constituency in which Tivoli Gardens is located, and the man who really runs the place, is just as fascinating."

The article traces the history of the links between politics and the streets and where the real power resides. For more background material on the Dudus controversy see the articles below:

Christopher Dudus Coke: Wanted 

Will Christopher Dudus Coke be Extradited 

Christopher Dudus Coke: Still Wanted

Christopher Dudus Coke: Extradition Approved

What happens next? Will the securities forces try to storm the barricaded Tivoli Gardens community? Will Christopher Dudus Coke give himself up? Will Bruce Golding be forced to resign as Prime Minister? No one really knows the answers. All we can do is hope that things don't get worse before they get better.....more to come.

UPDATE: Christopher Dudus Coke: Captured 

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Christopher Dudus Coke: Extradition Approved

The government of Jamaica has decided to approve the request from the United States for the extradition of Christopher Dudus Coke on drugs and gun charges. The decision ends 9 months of tension between the two countries over the status of the request.

For a detailed history of the Christopher Dudus Coke controversy see the following articles:

• Christopher Dudus Coke: Wanted 
• Will Christopher Dudus Coke be Extradited 
• Christopher Dudus Coke: Still Wanted

In a speech televised to the Jamaican nation on May 17, 2010 the Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, said in part:

I crave your understanding, the government has never refused... never refused... the request for the extradition of Christopher Coke. It has simply asked the US authorities to provide additional information that would enable the Minister to issue the authorization in compliance with the terms of the treaty. In the controversy that has ensued, we sought the opinion of one of Jamaica's most eminent lawyers, Dr. Lloyd Barnett, who advised that the issues involved were not sufficiently settled in law, and therefore the Attorney-General should seek a declaration from the Court before exercising her authority.

I wrestled with the potential conflict between the issues of non-compliance with the terms of the treaty and the unavoidable perception that because Coke is associated with my constituency, the government's position was politically contrived. I felt that the concepts of fairness and justice should not be sacrificed in order to avoid that perception. In the final analysis, however, that must be weighed against the public mistrust that this matter has evoked and the destabilizing effect it is having on the nation's business. Accordingly, the Minister of Justice, in consideration of all the factors, will sign the authorization for the extradition process to commence.

Click here for a complete transcript of the speech

The very next morning Jamaica's Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne signed the extradition order and passed it to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewelyn who immediately secured the warrant for Coke's arrest from the court.

Senator Tom Tavares-Finson who had acted as Christopher Coke's lawyer, served notice that he will be withdrawing as Coke's attorney. He had been criticized publicly for defending Coke while at the same time holding a position in the government. He will be replaced by attorneys, Jacqueline Samuels Brown and Paul Beswick.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding had come under heavy criticism for his government's delay in signing the extradition request, which had been issued in August 2009. It was evident that his procrastination was a source of frustration for the American authorities which issued a scathing report on Jamaica's role in the international drug trade.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding also faced domestic pressure from the parliamentary opposition the People's National Party (PNP) and many other organizations which felt that he was doing everything he could to protect Christopher Dudus Coke for political reasons. Coke was not only a strong supporter of the Prime Minister's party, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), but was also in control of the Prime Minister's constituency of Tivoli Gardens where he (Coke) is regarded as a "Don" and is unanimously respected and beloved by the people who live there.

In fact, there lies a huge problem for the government if and when they attempt to execute the arrest warrant. There is bound to be civil unrest and quite possibly armed opposition from the people of Tivoli Gardens if the security forces attempt to take Christopher Dudus Coke into custody.

According to Reneto Adams, a retired senior superintendent of police, even if Coke could be taken into custody there would have to be massive security arrangements put in place:

"If he is arrested, the Government would have to deploy added security in key strategic places. You would also have to house him at Up Park Camp and certain routes on which he would be driving would have to be closed down. We are looking at an extensive operation because this man has great influence," said Adams.

"It will be a maximum security plan with all kinds of persons involved: people from the intelligence arena, people from the strike force, obviously some snipers will be in place," he added.

In the meantime residents of Tivoli Gardens are preparing for the worst. Upon hearing of the arrest warrant for Christopher Dudus Coke, Tivoli Gardens has been turned into a fortified community with roadblocks erected at all main entrance points. However there has been no signs of violence so far and after initial apprehension it appears as if businesses in the downtown area are open.....at least for now.

UPDATE: Jamaica declares State of Emergency!

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He Pingping - Dead at 21

According to the TV production company Europroduzione, He Pingping - known as the shortest man in the world - died Saturday March 13, 2010. He was in Italy filming a television program called The Record Show. He had already filmed two episodes of the program when he complained of feeling sick:

"He started to feel slightly ill and we decided to take him to hospital. He entered hospital two weeks ago and had all kinds of tests, being a very special person he had to go though all sorts of tests. He went into intensive care three days after he was admitted," said Marco Fernandez de Araoz, communications director for Europroduzione.

He said that Mr He died on Saturday afternoon and, at the request of his family, his body would be returned to China to be buried.

He Pingping was born in July 1988 in the city of Wulanchabu (also called Ulanqab) in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. From birth He suffered from a form of Primordial Dwarfism. He stood 5ft 2in tall and weighed only 16lbs. Read more about He Pingping here and check out some pics here.

In 2008 the Guinness World Records named He Pingping the world's shortest, non-disabled, man. Guinness World Records said he had made a "huge impact around the world".

"From the moment I laid on eyes on him I knew he was someone special - he had such a cheeky smile and mischievous personality, you couldn't help but be charmed by him. He brightened up the lives of everyone he met and was an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual." said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief.  "For such a small man, he made a huge impact around the world," he added. 

He Pingping's sister, He Lihua, said that the family had never anticipated such bad news, since He had no prior health issues. She also said that the entire Batou village, where He was born, was saddened to learn of his passing. She did however say that lately He had become homesick and used to call her frequently complaining that he wasn’t able to eat too well. In the clip below He is seen helping out at his sister's restaurant.

RIP - He Pingping

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Noisy Sex Gets Woman in Trouble

Caroline Cartwright, 48, really enjoys having sex with her husband, Steve, just ask her neighbors how enthusiastic she can be. Caroline is a screamer and she doesn't care who hears her. After hundreds of complaints from the neighbors and passers-by (even the local postman and a woman taking her child to school complained about the levels of noise) she was ordered by the court to stop disturbing the peace under an anti-social behavior order (ASBO).

It was an order she broke at least three times in just 10 days, landing her in jail and back in court. Caroline just can't understand what all the fuss is about.

"I did not understand why people asked me to be quiet because to me it is normal," she said. I have tried to minimize the situation by having sex in the morning - not at night - so the noise was not waking anybody," Cartwright noted.

After a series of complaints, the local council's Environmental Health department placed recording equipment in a neighbor's apartment. The neighbor, Rachel O’Connor, pressed a button on the machine every time she was disturbed by noise from next door.  In the subsequent 23 recordings that were made - through a soundproofed wall - and played to the court, the sound of slapping and screaming was clearly audible.

“I heard sounds of a sexual nature, they were really loud, and there was a lot of moaning and groaning and screaming as if in pain. It wasn’t just the woman, it came from both parties,” said Rachel O’Connor.

The equipment recorded noise levels of 30-40 decibels, peaking at 47 - as loud as a conversation in the same room. The 48-year-old Caroline acknowledged she made noises, but wasn't aware how loud she had been. The judge, in giving her a break, said she had not tried hard enough to refrain from making excessive noise.

"It's quite clear from the small extract I heard that you made no attempt to silence yourself," the judge said.

He stressed that if she disturbed her neighbors again with her sexual sounds, she would spend eight weeks in jail.

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He's Not Dead

Jozef Guzy, 76, had everyone fooled, even the doctor. He pulled off a trick that would have made Houdini proud of him. The Polish beekeeper who lived near the southern city of Katowice was pronounced dead after he collapsed while tending to his bees. It was assumed that he suffered a heart attack. An Ambulance was called and an experienced doctor declared the man dead. 

A spokesman for the Regional Ambulance Service in Katowice, said: 'The patient was not breathing, there was no heart beat, the body had cooled - all are the characteristics of death.

Three hours later the man's family called an undertaker to remove the body. Just as Funeral director Dariusz Wysłuchato was about to seal the coffin, Jozef Guzy's wife, Ludmilla, asked him to remove her husband's watch. As Mr Wysłuchato fiddled with the watch chain he happened to touch Mr Guzy's neck and detected a pulse.

'I touched around the neck artery and suddenly realised he wasn't dead after all. I checked again and shouted, "It's a pulse!" I had a friend check and he noticed the man was breathing. God, it was a miracle!

The ambulance was called again and the same doctor returned. He confirmed Mr Guzy had 'come back from the dead'.

Jozef Guzy was taken to hospital and after a few days rest was sent home. The doctors could find nothing wrong with him. Mr Wysłuchato said:

'Thank God I did not close the coffin - if I had done that it would have been a tragedy.'Something touched me to touch his neck - I'm so pleased he's alive.'

Mr Guzy added: ‘The undertaker saved my life. The first thing I did when I got out of hospital was take him a pot of honey.’

Jozef Guzy was lucky but have you ever stopped to think that maybe some people have actually been buried alive. Click here for stories of people Just Dying To Get Out

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